FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University men's and women's rowing teams will open up their 2025 Fall season this weekend with a quick trip to Shelton for the Head of the Housatonic. The Stags will send several boats to the event including three collegiate 8 crews on the men's side while the women will send multiple entries for both the collegiate eights and the open fours.

This year will mark the first time that the two rowing programs have competed at the Head of the Housatonic since the 2022-23 campaign with the men's novice 8 first-place finish highlighting the day.

The Stags have been preparing for their inaugural event of the 2024-25 campaign since their arrival back to campus. The teams are looking to build upon last spring's success that saw both squads gain success last May. The women's team captured 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championship and advanced to the NCAA Championship for the first time while the men's team showed well at Dad Vails including a silver medal for the novice 8.

"We don't have a preseason so we need to do whatever the water equivalent of 'hit the ground running' means," Director of Rowing and Head Women's Coach Dr. David Patterson said. "The people who return to practice after the summer with good fitness levels put themselves in the driving seat of making the best boat within the squad. If they come back fitter than their competitive rivals, they will have the chance of beating their oppositions. Rowing is many things but it can never be underestimated how much of the sport comes down to basic fitness."

The weeks leading up to the Head of the Housatonic have also given the teams a chance to fine tune their approaches and strategies through various means such as conditioning and team building.

"The start of the season has been a great opportunity for us to build both our physical conditioning and team chemistry," Associate Director of Rowing and Head Men's Coach Stephen Baranoski said. "We've been able to identify our strengths and address areas that needed improvement, which has really helped us come together as a squad. The intensity and focus of our practices have prepared us well for the level of competition we'll face this weekend."

With both teams gaining experience at such high levels last year, the returning student-athletes will all have a role in helping the team achieve its goals for the upcoming fall and spring seasons regardless of class. While the senior class may spearhead such experience, all class levels have a role should have a role in success.

"We strive for leadership and experience to show through the whole team without relying on one particular class," Coach Patterson said. "After all, we could have freshmen on the team who have been rowing longer than seniors who might have been novice walk-ons when they were freshman. With that said, our seniors can and are setting the tone for what we aim to accomplish this year and they are managing the environment of the team. The cultural norms we are striving for are always stronger when the senior class promotes said values. I trust my seniors to lead the team in the direction we want to go regardless of what seat and what boat they sit in now or for the races ahead."

Following this weekend's race, the Fairfield University men's and women's rowing teams will make their way to the Head of the Charles on Sunday, October 19. The remainder of the schedule sends both teams to the Head of the Schuylkill on October 25 and the Hudson Sprints on November 8 while the women will also compete in the Heart of the Housatonic on November 1.