Historic Head of the Charles, Jayhawk Jamboree Await Hawkeyes

Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — Oct. 2016

IOWA CITY, IOWA – The University of Iowa rowing program concludes the fall season at the Head of Charles Regatta and Jayhawk Jamboree this weekend. Iowa will send an 8+ and a 4+ to compete at the  Head of the Charles in Cambridge Massachusetts, while eight more crews compete in Lawrence, Kansas, at the Jayhawk Jamboree.

Iowa races the 52nd annual Head of the Charles Regatta on Oct. 23. The Hawkeyes will compete in the Championship 4+ at 1:02 p.m. and the Championship 8+ at 1:36 p.m. The crews will race three miles on the Charles River against national and international competition, including crews from Denmark, France, Canada, Netherlands, and top NCAA teams from the Big Ten Conference, ACC, SEC, Pac-12, and Ivy League.

“It’s a very challenging race,” UI head rowing Coach Andrew Carter said.  “It’s the best opportunity through the fall season to measure yourself against some of the best programs in the country. To be able to face some of the top players in the NCAA  is a really great way to get an initial sense of where we are for the year and help chart our path forward.”

Head of the Charles fun facts:

  • 10,600: Athletes competing
  • 2,260: Total entries
  • 28: Countries represented
  • 270: International Athletes
  • 70: Rio Olympians
  • 30: 2016 Olympic Medalists
  • 110: Trucks towing boat trailers
  • 7: Bridges to navigate
  • 6: Rowing Boathouses along the race course 
  • 52: Years since the inception of the Head Of The Charles Regatta
  • 2,075: Volunteers
  • Live results for the Head of the Charles Regatta can be found at hawkeyesports.com

The Hawkeyes race two V8+ and three N8+ , and three V4+ crews at the Jayhawk Jamboree on Sunday. Iowa competes against crews from Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Creighton and Tulsa. The races take place on the Kansas River from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

“The Jayhawk Jamboree is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate some depth that we have in the program. With 14 of our top performers in Boston, it’s an opportunity for the next 18 varsity to step into the role of racing as our first and second second 8+’s. This a really valuable experience for our crews and it will give us a sense of how they stack up against some of the top competition in the region,” Carter said. “For our freshman, talent-transfer crews, this will be the first formal race of their careers. That’s always exciting for everyone involved. They’ve been doing a terrific a job in their first few weeks with the program so we’re keen to get them onto the race course in Kansas.”

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