The fall racing calendar turns to New Jersey for one of the key showdowns of the season: the Princeton Chase. This weekend, top collegiate fours now face a completely different beast as Lake Carnegie offers a 2.75-mile, relatively straight race path where steering skill gives way to pure horsepower. There are no excuses and nowhere to hide; this race will give us a clear look at which programme truly has the fastest four this season.
Princeton University
The home team, Princeton University, comes into the Chase with incredible momentum and something to prove. They dominated this event in 2024, taking first, second, and seventh place. At the Head of the Charles, their ‘A’ boat, stroked by Tristan Wenger, missed winning the championship four by a mere 0.52 seconds, while their ‘B’ boat also finished an impressive fifth. On their home water of Lake Carnegie, a course they know intimately, the Tigers are the clear favourites to sweep the podium again. Their depth is immense, and they will be using this race to solidify lineups for the spring.
University of Pennsylvania
The Quakers from the University of Pennsylvania arrive at Lake Carnegie looking to build on a solid fall campaign. After a mechanical issue forced their top eight out of the Charles, they bounced back strong at the Head of the Schuylkill, winning the championship four by a convincing ten seconds. Penn always races well on this course, finishing second and seventh in the eights here last year, and their programme, under coach Al Monte, is known for its toughness. They will be looking to challenge their Ivy rivals and prove their Schuylkill speed translates to Princeton’s waters.
Cornell University
Cornell University brings two very competitive fours. Their A boat finished seventh at the Head of the Charles, while their B entry was right behind in eighth. Cornell often uses the Chase to test different combinations, and their focus will be on closing the gap to the top crews like Princeton and Penn. They finished a strong fourth here last year as a lightweight crew, demonstrating their potential in smaller boats.
Columbia University
Columbia University did not race at the Head of the Charles, but they are bringing speed to the Chase. They finished an impressive third in this event in 2024, proving they can hang with the top programmes. The Lions often punch above their weight and will rely on technical precision and grit to challenge the deeper squads from Princeton and Penn. Look for them to be in the mix for a top-five finish.
Naval Academy
The Midshipmen from the Naval Academy are always a formidable opponent. While they didn’t compete in the championship four at the Charles or at Head of the Schuylkill, they still put up a good fight. Navy usually uses the early fall season to train and evaluate its squad depth, so expect them to field multiple competitive fours aiming to disrupt the Ivy League dominance and prove their fitness against the best.
Prediction
Given their speed at the Head of the Charles and their dominance in this event last year, Princeton University is the undeniable favourite to win on its home course. The straight Lake Carnegie course plays perfectly to their strengths, removing the steering variable and focusing purely on power. I predict a Princeton victory, and wouldn’t be surprised to see them replicate last year’s performance by placing a second boat on the podium as well. The battle for bronze will be fierce. While several strong lightweight crews will be vying for that spot, Columbia University, who finished an impressive third here in 2024, are bringing their heavyweights. That added power should give them the edge needed to outpace the lightweight competition and secure the final medal spot.
