FAIRFIELD, Conn. – For the third straight season, the Fairfield University men's rowing team will compete at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championships. This time, the Stags will not need to travel cross country as they will row at a more familiar setting – Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J.

                The Stags' varsity 4 will start things off with a heat that begins at 10:39 am and will compete against Boston University, Harvard University, the College of the Holy Cross, the University of Washington, and the University of California-Berkeley. Fairfield's lightweight 4 will begin at 10:48 am and will race Harvard University, the United States Naval Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Georgetown University.

                Fairfield's varsity 4 has competed in the previous two IRA Championships, advancing to the C Final and finishing 17th nationally at the 2017 event in Sacramento and returns for this year's event. The Stags rowed in the 2016 IRA Championships which was also at Mercer Lake.

                William Quentin, Casey Fuller, John Imor, Lars Erickson, and coxswain Matt Marshall will comprise the varsity 4 entry. Quentin and Fuller will make their third appearance at the IRAs while Erickson, Imor, and Marshall return for the second time.

                "The varsity 4 has been training and preparing for this race for 365 days," Head Coach Charles Huthmaker said. "We have had the good fortune to have the same crew, albeit in different seats, that raced last year. They are better, faster, and stronger than last year. They have really committed to excellence this season."

                The lightweight 4 consists of Mark Soldatic, Gregory Coppola, Seamus O'Brien, Garrett White, and coxswain Alyssa McNally. The current group has rekindled the success brought forth by previous lightweight 4 crews at Fairfield, namely the 2008 edition that won at the New England Championships, earned silver at the Knecht Cup and captured gold at the 2008 MAAC Championships.

                "The lightweight 4 was reintroduced to our program after a hiatus and showed marked improvement over last year," Huthmaker said. "The speed in the lightweight events at the IRA Championships is blazing so this will definitely be a challenge for the new crew. This crew was part of the lightweight 8 which ended the regular season with a national ranking of 14th."

                To purchase tickets or for general information about the championship, please visit www.irarowing.com.