Stetson took only one boat to the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia, but that was all the Hatters needed to make their mark at collegiate rowing’s most prestigious event.

The Hatters impressed on Saturday, May 12, as the Men’s Varsity 4+ earned a silver medal, the first in program history at the annual year-end event.

The crew of coxswain Carolyn Beck, Campbell Cole, Nick Hall, Zachary Ewing and Xavier Mulligan opened the weekend by winning their time trial on Friday morning, May 11, and rallying for a win in their semi-final heat later that same afternoon.

On Saturday, the Hatters rowed as the No. 1 seed in the event, and crossed the finish line in second.

“It was a fantastic weekend for Stetson Men’s Rowing,” assistant coach Ethan Shoemaker said. “The weather was flat and cool all weekend, which allowed for some very fast racing. We didn’t race entirely the way we wanted in the semi-finals. We made some adjustments and came back for the final looking strong and composed.

“While we always would prefer gold, earning our team’s first ever Dad Vail Regatta medal was significant nonetheless. I don’t think we will forget this weekend anytime soon. With no seniors in this crew, and a strong group of incoming freshman, I have high expectations for next year. This was only the beginning,” he said.

-GoHatters.com