GOLD RIVER, Calif. – The stage was set for a thrilling Grand Final in the Varsity 8 and the crews delivered as 0.15 seconds was all that separated the Wesleyan men's crew and Trinity in the IRA Division III National Championship. A late push from the Cardinals wasn't enough in the end as the Bantams prevailed in what was the closest finish in the five-year history of the IRA National Championship.

• RESULTS

In a thrilling race throughout, Trinity led by 0.14 seconds at the first 500m interval and by 0.44 seconds at the midway point of the 2000m race. The Bantams made a big push over the next 500m, taking more than a second lead into the final 500m. Having to make up a difference of 1.12 seconds, the Cardinals gave it all they had and gained considerable ground on Trinity's top boat. In a near photo finish at the end, Wesleyan's final 500m split time of 1:27.9 wasn't enough as Trinity managed a 1.28.87 at the final interval to win the V8 National Championship by 0.15 seconds.
 
In the end, Wesleyan's V8 clocked in at 5:54.92 to take second place while Trinity managed a time of 5:54.77 to claim back-to-back IRA National Championship titles. For the Cardinals, this marks the third time in the past four teams wherein Wesleyan's V8 finished either first or second at the IRA National Championship. The Cardinals posted a runner-up in 2023 before winning the program's first-ever National Championship in 2024.
 
The 2^nd Varsity 8 Grand Final saw Wesleyan's crew place third, which is the second-best result for the Cardinals' 2V8 at the IRA National Championship in team history. Much like the V8, Wesleyan's 2V8 was locked in a battle with Trinity throughout in a race for second place as Williams claimed the win by a margin of over 2.5 seconds. The Cardinals held a slim lead over Trinity at the first 500m before the Bantams countered over the next 1000m to take a lead of nearly one full second into the final 500m interval. In this final segment, Wesleyan's 2V8 was the faster boat, but had too much ground to make up as Wesleyan's time of 6:07.65 was just behind Trinity's 6:07.38 for second place.
 
Wesleyan's V8 features four seniors, including All-Americans Asher Israel '26, Nelson Bellows '26, and Eli Smirin '26 while the 2V8 features a pair of seniors in Jack Cornog '26 and Brett Beaman '26 as the Cardinals graduate one of the most-successful four-year classes in program history. This group helped lead the Cardinals' V8 to an undefeated 2024 season capped by the IRA National Championship, two IRA National Runner-Up finishes, the first two NESCAC Championships in program history, two Little Three titles, and the 2024 New England Championship.
 
Boat Lineups:
Varsity 8 – Asher Israel '26 (coxswain), Gus Shuman '27, Pierce Buckner-Wolfson '26, Nelson Bellows '26, Eli Smirin '26, Roy Krueger '28, Sam Penn '28, Will McNally '27, and Mac Haines '28
2^nd Varsity 8 – Ben Fischer '27 (coxswain), Ben Vyzas '28, Drew Hinton '28, Jack Cornog '26, Thomas Jamison '28, Luke Rowles '29, Evan Salhanick '27, Andres Krizan '29, and Brett Beaman '26