Inclement weather, boats getting sent off at the wrong times and in the wrong categories, and heated officials frantically trying to reorganize an already hectic race, Archbishop Carroll Crew fell victim to the disorder of the 2025 Stotesbury Cup, held in Philadelphia on May 16 and 17.
Heavy downpours caused races to get pushed back at least three times. Parents and crews issued complaints about what they said were unfair placements and unnecessary 20-second penalties.
Four lineups were sent off: the Boys 2V4, which placed 24th out of 27, the Girls JV4, which placed 29th out of 46, the Girls V4, which placed 19th out of 50, and the Boys V4, which placed 20th out of 51 boats. Despite placing well, the Girls V4 and the Boys V4 were dethroned from their hopes of making the semi-finals because of the officials’ oversight.
The Girls V4 noted numerous errors on their way to the racecourse, such as incorrect bow number order and having a 10-second penalty added to their finishing time. The girls had wanted to beat Radnor’s V4 the whole season, and they managed to close the gap this race by beating them by 2-5 seconds. Nonetheless, they placed 19th while Radnor placed ninth. Senior rower Dana Williams was in tears.
“This is seriously upsetting,” Williams said as she de-rigged the boat. “We beat Radnor this time, and somehow they made semi-finals and we didn’t. The times are completely different than what we should’ve gotten. I feel like everyone here agrees that we definitely deserve that spot, and it’s definitely unfair after all the work we’ve put in all year.”
The Boys V4 shared similar issues. With disorganization of bow order, boats crowded to the shoreline, and angry officials handing out 20-second penalties to those who failed to comply, the lineup was frustrated. However, for the time-trial start, it was smooth sailing with paddling to a certain point before going full press. There was a team in front of the boys, a crew from Rhode Island called Chaminade Crew (Bow number 899), that slowed down their race. Although bow 899 was further away from Carroll, the boys wasted no time catching up to them about 500 meters away from the finish line. Bow 899 was right in front of Carroll. They were supposed to move, as faster boats always had the right of way for time trials. Unfortunately, despite the coxswain’s effort of screaming at their stroke to alert their coxswain and motioning for them to move, Bow 899 did not budge, costing Carroll’s lineup to fall short from making semifinals. Luckily, the other team placed 39th while Carroll remained top half by placing 20th.
