October 12, 2003

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—The Hobart varsity 8+ turned in a third place showing today in the Stonehurst Regatta, just 0.28 seconds behind runner up Marietta. The Statesmen produced their best finish in the event, trailing only Harvard and Marietta, while out pacing the rest of the 32-team field, that included Brown, Dartmouth, and Syracuse.

The most exciting race of the day came when Hobart defeated the Dartmouth heavyweight varsity eight in the afternoon 1,500 meter sprints. This year’s race was a rematch between the Statesmen and Big Green’s top 8+, having met last year in the same race. Hobart was in the outside lane and was still able to avenge last year’s defeat by pushing to a boat length lead in the last 500 meters.

Hobart’s varsity 8+ is young with only one senior, Havilland Campbell (LaSalle/Philadelphia, Pa.) and one junior Michael Hoepp (Choate Rosemary Hall/Bedford, N.H.). The rest of the boat is bolstered by two first-years Sep Levatich and Michael Grenier and the returning freshmen national champions Dan Gilbert (Brighton/Rochester, N.Y.), Gardner Loring (Middlesex/Duxbury, Mass.), JM Chadonic (The Lawrenceville School/New York, N.Y.), Timothy Faxon (Salsbury/Pelham, N.Y.), and Gavin Johnstone-Butcher (St. Paul’s School (N.H.)/Bulawayo, Zimbabwe).

The Hobart second varsity eight finished 12th out of 19 overall in their division and 3rd out of six second varsity eights in the Collegiate event. The lineup for the second varsity eight was coxswain Sarah Roberts (Burnt Hills Ballston Lake/Burnt Hills, N.Y.), Mike Fazio (Lakeland/Mohegan Lake, N.Y.), Andrew Webb (J.E.B. Stuart/Falls Church, Va.), Cliff Restaino (Ellenville/Ellenville, N.Y.), Joe Jameson (Brebeuf Jesuit/Indianapolis, Ind.), Matt Monbouquette (Moses Brown School/Warwick, R.I.), Nathan Kress (Ithaca/Ithaca, N.Y.), Benjamin Draper (The Branson School/San Anselmo, Calif.), and Jared Desrochers (Shenendehowa/Clifton Park, N.Y.).

The Statesmen will be back on the water on Oct. 19, at the prestigious Head of the Charles in Boston. They will compete in the championship eights, the top category in the Regatta. This year's championship eights feature the top university eights, U.S. national team boats, and the top crews from around the world, including England, Ireland, Canada, and the Netherlands.