Founded in 1927, the Stotesbury Cup Regatta is America’s oldest high school rowing race. Hosted on the Schuylkill River, Stotesbury is a final testing ground for crews planning to race at the SRAA National Championship the following weekend. This year, twenty-one girl’s second eights will compete for the Ireland Chamber of Commerce Cup.
Mount Saint Joseph Academy
An all-girls school in Philadelphia, Mount Saint Joseph Academy consistently fields some of the fastest scholastic boats in the country. The programme has won the second eight at Stotesbury for three consecutive years. Last year’s performance saw the Mount win by over eight seconds on the 1500 meter course. This year’s second eight will look to extend their dominance with another open water victory.
Alexandria City High School
Rowing on the Potomac River, Alexandria City High School is one of the stronger entrants in this year’s Stotesbury Regatta. The ACHS Titan Rowing Team placed fourth in last year’s event, just five seconds off the podium. This season, the third week of April saw them win at Saint Andrew’s Regatta #4, beating out the hosts, St. Andrew’s, and their neighbouring rivals, Jackson-Reed. Following up on last year’s strong performance, Titan Rowing will continue to chase the medals at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta.
St. Andrew’s School
A boarding school in Middletown, Delaware, St. Andrews School is a consistent contender in the second eight at Stotesbury. The squad finished sixth in 2024 and fifth in 2023. This spring, St. Andrew’s returned with a pair of third-place finishes and a second-place finish at their home racing circuit on Noxontown Pond. With confidence rising following multiple podium results, St. Andrews will be eager to utilize their squad depth to make a statement at Stotesbury this year.
Merion Mercy Academy
Merion Mercy Academy is a growing programme located on Boathouse Row. Rowing out of Malta Boathouse, the Merion Mercy second eight placed sixth at this year’s USRowing Mid-Atlantic Regionals. Over two thousand meters, the crew placed 12 seconds off Mount Saint Joseph. Considering last year’s Stotesbury final saw a gap of over twelve seconds between winner and loser, Merion Mercy Academy is not out of the picture. With home water to defend, Merion Mercy will race Stotesbury aggressively, striving to stay alongside top scholastic crews.
Jackson-Reed High School
Based out of Thompson Boat Center, Jackson-Reed is DC’s only standing public high school rowing programme. They placed second in the second eight at Stotesbury in 2022 and 2023. Last year’s edition of this race saw Jackson-Reed place a dismal fourth in the semifinal, missing the final by one spot. However, this past May, a victory at the WMIRA Championships suggests a potential turnaround. Following the win, Jackson-Reed will seek to move past last year’s slow Stotesbury result and hopefully, find their way back to the podium.
Predictions
Mount Saint Joseph’s dynasty will not topple this year. I predict another win for the Mount in the girl’s second eight category. Mount Saint Joseph’s’s staggering margins are a testament to the programme’s ability to race even when out in front. Next, I believe Alexandria City and St. Andrew’s will fight for the remaining podium positions. A less than three-second gap at Saint Andrew’s Regatta #4 suggests the crews are pretty evenly matched. With only three weeks since then, however, I believe Alexandria will finish second, with St. Andrew’s unable to reverse the result. I predict another tight result between fourth and fifth, with Merion Mercy beating out Jackson-Reed using some home course charm.
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