Friday, May 16
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
TBA
Bucknell University
at
ACRA National Championships
Men’s Crew Earns Top-4 Finish in Team Points, Wins Third Varsity 8 at National Championship
5/21/2025 10:38:00 AM | Men's Crew
From May 16th to 18th, the Bucknell University Men's Crew team competed in the 16th annual American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) National Championship Regatta, held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Bison competed in the varsity 8, second varsity 8, third varsity 8, novice 8, varsity 4, novice 4, quad, and double. Racing was held from 7am to 5pm each day, with events progressing from heats or time trials to semi-finals to finals. Results can be found here, and video replay can be found here.
The varsity 8 placed 2nd in their heat to #2 seeded Purdue. Heading into their semi-final, the crew knew they would need their best race of the year to place top 3 and progress to the grand final. The six crews blasted off the line with all 6 boats gunning for the 3 coveted spots into the grand final. While #1 Virginia pushed ahead of the field, #5 Rutgers, #6 UCLA and #7 Bucknell battled for the other 2 spots. UCLA crept ahead in the final 500m, and the Bison continued to fight inch for inch with the Scarlet Knights for the final spot. The race came all the way down to the finish line where Rutgers was able to edge out Bucknell by half of a second, despite the crew having one of their best races of the year. A bitter defeat to swallow, the crew knew they would need to rebound the following day for the petite final as the team continued to fight for team points. In the final, the Bison and Washington State established themselves ahead of the field with Delaware half a length ahead of them. Through the second 1k, the crew's base speed pushed them away from Washington State, though they could not reel in Delaware. They finished 8th in the nation, the 3rd best placing in a decade for the V8. The lone senior in the boat, Seneker Zelov, had this to say about the regatta and the year: "Leading up to ACRAs the V8 had high expectations. We were feeling fast and were aiming to make the grand final for the first time in 8 years. In our semifinal we laid everything on the course, putting down our best race of the year. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Nevertheless, we didn't let that stop us as we powered to a second place finish in the petite final. There's no other way I'd want to end my racing career than racing to the finish line with the eight other guys in the boat. I'm happy to call them some of my best friends. I'm expecting big things from them next year. Go Bison!"
The 2nd varsity 8 went into the regatta as the #5 seed. They finished 2nd in their heat to #2 Michigan. In the semi-final, they maintained overlap with #1 Virginia the entire race, and finished 2nd to advance to the grand. In the final, the crew found themselves in 4th place off the start, with Michigan, Purdue, and Virginia ahead of the field after a fast start. Finding it too much to overcome, the crew pushed away from the rest of the field, but could not reel in the top 3. They finished 4th in the nation. After the race, senior captain Luca Arvanitis said that he was "disappointed not to get into the medals, but happy with the effort and fight down the course. We gave it our all and came up short, sometimes that's how it goes."
The 3rd varsity 8 entered the regatta as defending champions and the top seeded crew. They embraced the top seed, taking the lead in their heat and sitting out front while conserving energy. The crew entered the final with quiet confidence, knowing that they had a chance to win and do something special by repeating. Off the start Michigan and Minnesota pushed ahead of the field and the Bison were half a length down. Thanks to the experience of stroke seat Tim Robertson, the crew kept their rhythm and composure, inching back into Michigan down the course. Heading into the final 500m, Bucknell had retaken the lead, but only by 2 seats. As the crews came to the line, all 8 rowers fought together and followed first year coxswain Caly Kuzdzal for the sprint, holding onto their lead and repeating as National Champions. Junior Oliver Abushacra echoed this sentiment: "we knew that the race would be a dog fight but fed off the confidence and trust we had in each other to commit to an aggressive and confident race led by a national champion stroke seat." Tim Roberston added "the crew just clicked and really wanted to defend the title, and we did just that!"
The novice 8 had a bit of a strange start to the regatta. In their heat they started well, moving level with the top 4 crews. After 750m, Minnesota lost a skeg and the race was stopped due to breakage. Because the crew was in a qualifying position when racing was stopped, the crew was moved straight to the semi final without a re-row. In the semi-final, the crew knew they would need their best race of the year to get into the top 3 for the grand final. Bucknell fought with UCLA, Orange Coast, Rutgers, and the defending champs, Purdue, all the way down the course in what was their best race of the year. The bison fought for every inch and beat out Rutgers but finished in 4th place. In the final, it was 5 level crews through the first 1k, when crews began to spread out. Bucknell was fighting for third place, but could not match the pace, and were nabbed at the line by UC Davis to finish 11th overall in the nation. "This crew has had some ups and downs throughout the year, but I'm proud of how they performed here at ACRAs. They showed up and gave everything they had, and that's all you can ask for" said Assistant Coach Andrew Viola.
The varsity 4 faced a tough field of 33 boats, with most crews comprising the top 4 athletes from a school, while these were rowers from the 4th varsity 8 for Bucknell. The crew placed in the top 18 during the time trial to move into the ABC semi-finals. The crew finished 6th in their semi-final and moved to the C final. In their final, the crew fought hard for 3rd place, but ultimately came up short and finished in 4th, good for 16th overall in the country. Junior coxswain Jack Lieblein noted "we hoped to do better, but going up against the best 4 rowers from other programs was a tall order. We're proud to have improved from last year's finish with the programs best ever finish in the varsity 4 at the ACRA regatta."
The novice 4 faced a similarly large field of 29 boats, with many of them being the top 4 novices at their programs. The crew placed 13th in the time trial to move on to the ABC semis. The crew pushed hard through the first 1k in their semi, looking to make the A or B final. They could not sustain the pace and finished 5th in their semi and moved to the C final where they finished 5th as well, good for 17th in the nation.
The quad went into the regatta untested and unsure of their speed. In the semi final, they had a great race with Virginia and Middlebury and bought their ticket to the grand final. In the grand final, the crew fought hard and battled with Virginia and Michigan State for 3rd place. The crew came up short but finished 5th in the country, never having raced together before. Bow seat Peter Nasto said that "it's pretty cool that we can have such a huge roster and our lower boats can still compete with other team's top crews. We're satisfied for now but hungry for next year."
The double also went into the regatta untested and unsure of their speed. They moved to the DEF semi-finals out of the time trial after only having rowed together 3 or 4 times. In the semi-final the crew showed real progress, coming from 3rd place at 500m to go, to take the win and move to the D final. In the final, the crew again found themselves at the back of the pack, but moved up from 5th to 3rd during the 2nd half of the race.
"This was a great national championship regatta for the team," said Head Coach Dan Wolleben. "Over the past four years, we've placed increasing emphasis on the team points ranking at the ACRA National Championship. It's become a way to unite the entire squad around a shared objective, one where every athlete can make a meaningful contribution. For the last three years, we've consistently finished 6th overall, steadily closing the gap toward the top five. This year, all the hard work paid off with a 4th place team finish, the best result in program history since the current points system was introduced."
The team wrapped up the weekend with the annual banquet in Tennessee. This year, since the seniors missed graduation to race, the team held a graduation ceremony as well. Congrats to our seniors Luca Arvanitis, Aidan DeWitt, Conor McNichols, Dirk Puleo, Ryan Spallone, and Seneker Zelov for an outstanding four years on the team. We will miss your presence next year. Thank you to all of the parents and families for attending and supporting throughout the year; we could not do this without you.
Final Results:
Men's team points: 4th
Varsity 8: 8th
Second Varsity 8: 4th
Third Varsity 8: National Champions
Novice 8: 11th
Varsity 4: 16th
Novice 4: 17th
Quad: 5th
Double: 19th
1st Varsity 8+ – 2025 Hudson U8.32 Ultra Super Predator "Stealth"
Coxswain: Tyler Leong, So.
Stroke: Christopher Kirby, Jr.
7: Ryan Genel Jr.
6: Seneker Zelov, Sr.
5: Miles Clyde, So.
4: Kristian Komorowski, So.
3: Soren Stein, So.
2: Tanner Tighelaar, So.
Bow: Sebastian Brandt, So.
2nd Varsity 8+ – 2024 Hudson U8.43 Ultra Super Predator "Shark"
Coxswain: Regine Escher, So.
Stroke: Tennyson Kelly, So.
7: Jacob Mohr, So.
6: Tiarnan Nowak, So.
5: Jackson Lilley, Fr.
4: Ryan Spallone, Sr.
3: Conor McNichols, Sr.
2: Jonas Sanchez, So.
Bow: Luca Arvanitis, Sr.
3rd Varsity 8+ – 2022 Hudson S8.32 Super Predator
Coxswain: Caly Kuzdzal, Fr.
Stroke: Tim Robertson, Jr.
7: Wesley Peot, So.
6: Cornelius Nichilo, So.
5: Connor Orkin, So.
4: Oliver Abushacra, Jr.
3: Robert Canestrari, So.
2: Jack Greenleaf, So.
Bow: John Kirincich, Jr.
The varsity 8 placed 2nd in their heat to #2 seeded Purdue. Heading into their semi-final, the crew knew they would need their best race of the year to place top 3 and progress to the grand final. The six crews blasted off the line with all 6 boats gunning for the 3 coveted spots into the grand final. While #1 Virginia pushed ahead of the field, #5 Rutgers, #6 UCLA and #7 Bucknell battled for the other 2 spots. UCLA crept ahead in the final 500m, and the Bison continued to fight inch for inch with the Scarlet Knights for the final spot. The race came all the way down to the finish line where Rutgers was able to edge out Bucknell by half of a second, despite the crew having one of their best races of the year. A bitter defeat to swallow, the crew knew they would need to rebound the following day for the petite final as the team continued to fight for team points. In the final, the Bison and Washington State established themselves ahead of the field with Delaware half a length ahead of them. Through the second 1k, the crew's base speed pushed them away from Washington State, though they could not reel in Delaware. They finished 8th in the nation, the 3rd best placing in a decade for the V8. The lone senior in the boat, Seneker Zelov, had this to say about the regatta and the year: "Leading up to ACRAs the V8 had high expectations. We were feeling fast and were aiming to make the grand final for the first time in 8 years. In our semifinal we laid everything on the course, putting down our best race of the year. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Nevertheless, we didn't let that stop us as we powered to a second place finish in the petite final. There's no other way I'd want to end my racing career than racing to the finish line with the eight other guys in the boat. I'm happy to call them some of my best friends. I'm expecting big things from them next year. Go Bison!"
The 2nd varsity 8 went into the regatta as the #5 seed. They finished 2nd in their heat to #2 Michigan. In the semi-final, they maintained overlap with #1 Virginia the entire race, and finished 2nd to advance to the grand. In the final, the crew found themselves in 4th place off the start, with Michigan, Purdue, and Virginia ahead of the field after a fast start. Finding it too much to overcome, the crew pushed away from the rest of the field, but could not reel in the top 3. They finished 4th in the nation. After the race, senior captain Luca Arvanitis said that he was "disappointed not to get into the medals, but happy with the effort and fight down the course. We gave it our all and came up short, sometimes that's how it goes."
The 3rd varsity 8 entered the regatta as defending champions and the top seeded crew. They embraced the top seed, taking the lead in their heat and sitting out front while conserving energy. The crew entered the final with quiet confidence, knowing that they had a chance to win and do something special by repeating. Off the start Michigan and Minnesota pushed ahead of the field and the Bison were half a length down. Thanks to the experience of stroke seat Tim Robertson, the crew kept their rhythm and composure, inching back into Michigan down the course. Heading into the final 500m, Bucknell had retaken the lead, but only by 2 seats. As the crews came to the line, all 8 rowers fought together and followed first year coxswain Caly Kuzdzal for the sprint, holding onto their lead and repeating as National Champions. Junior Oliver Abushacra echoed this sentiment: "we knew that the race would be a dog fight but fed off the confidence and trust we had in each other to commit to an aggressive and confident race led by a national champion stroke seat." Tim Roberston added "the crew just clicked and really wanted to defend the title, and we did just that!"
The novice 8 had a bit of a strange start to the regatta. In their heat they started well, moving level with the top 4 crews. After 750m, Minnesota lost a skeg and the race was stopped due to breakage. Because the crew was in a qualifying position when racing was stopped, the crew was moved straight to the semi final without a re-row. In the semi-final, the crew knew they would need their best race of the year to get into the top 3 for the grand final. Bucknell fought with UCLA, Orange Coast, Rutgers, and the defending champs, Purdue, all the way down the course in what was their best race of the year. The bison fought for every inch and beat out Rutgers but finished in 4th place. In the final, it was 5 level crews through the first 1k, when crews began to spread out. Bucknell was fighting for third place, but could not match the pace, and were nabbed at the line by UC Davis to finish 11th overall in the nation. "This crew has had some ups and downs throughout the year, but I'm proud of how they performed here at ACRAs. They showed up and gave everything they had, and that's all you can ask for" said Assistant Coach Andrew Viola.
The varsity 4 faced a tough field of 33 boats, with most crews comprising the top 4 athletes from a school, while these were rowers from the 4th varsity 8 for Bucknell. The crew placed in the top 18 during the time trial to move into the ABC semi-finals. The crew finished 6th in their semi-final and moved to the C final. In their final, the crew fought hard for 3rd place, but ultimately came up short and finished in 4th, good for 16th overall in the country. Junior coxswain Jack Lieblein noted "we hoped to do better, but going up against the best 4 rowers from other programs was a tall order. We're proud to have improved from last year's finish with the programs best ever finish in the varsity 4 at the ACRA regatta."
The novice 4 faced a similarly large field of 29 boats, with many of them being the top 4 novices at their programs. The crew placed 13th in the time trial to move on to the ABC semis. The crew pushed hard through the first 1k in their semi, looking to make the A or B final. They could not sustain the pace and finished 5th in their semi and moved to the C final where they finished 5th as well, good for 17th in the nation.
The quad went into the regatta untested and unsure of their speed. In the semi final, they had a great race with Virginia and Middlebury and bought their ticket to the grand final. In the grand final, the crew fought hard and battled with Virginia and Michigan State for 3rd place. The crew came up short but finished 5th in the country, never having raced together before. Bow seat Peter Nasto said that "it's pretty cool that we can have such a huge roster and our lower boats can still compete with other team's top crews. We're satisfied for now but hungry for next year."
The double also went into the regatta untested and unsure of their speed. They moved to the DEF semi-finals out of the time trial after only having rowed together 3 or 4 times. In the semi-final the crew showed real progress, coming from 3rd place at 500m to go, to take the win and move to the D final. In the final, the crew again found themselves at the back of the pack, but moved up from 5th to 3rd during the 2nd half of the race.
"This was a great national championship regatta for the team," said Head Coach Dan Wolleben. "Over the past four years, we've placed increasing emphasis on the team points ranking at the ACRA National Championship. It's become a way to unite the entire squad around a shared objective, one where every athlete can make a meaningful contribution. For the last three years, we've consistently finished 6th overall, steadily closing the gap toward the top five. This year, all the hard work paid off with a 4th place team finish, the best result in program history since the current points system was introduced."
The team wrapped up the weekend with the annual banquet in Tennessee. This year, since the seniors missed graduation to race, the team held a graduation ceremony as well. Congrats to our seniors Luca Arvanitis, Aidan DeWitt, Conor McNichols, Dirk Puleo, Ryan Spallone, and Seneker Zelov for an outstanding four years on the team. We will miss your presence next year. Thank you to all of the parents and families for attending and supporting throughout the year; we could not do this without you.
Final Results:
Men's team points: 4th
Varsity 8: 8th
Second Varsity 8: 4th
Third Varsity 8: National Champions
Novice 8: 11th
Varsity 4: 16th
Novice 4: 17th
Quad: 5th
Double: 19th
1st Varsity 8+ – 2025 Hudson U8.32 Ultra Super Predator "Stealth"
Coxswain: Tyler Leong, So.
Stroke: Christopher Kirby, Jr.
7: Ryan Genel Jr.
6: Seneker Zelov, Sr.
5: Miles Clyde, So.
4: Kristian Komorowski, So.
3: Soren Stein, So.
2: Tanner Tighelaar, So.
Bow: Sebastian Brandt, So.
2nd Varsity 8+ – 2024 Hudson U8.43 Ultra Super Predator "Shark"
Coxswain: Regine Escher, So.
Stroke: Tennyson Kelly, So.
7: Jacob Mohr, So.
6: Tiarnan Nowak, So.
5: Jackson Lilley, Fr.
4: Ryan Spallone, Sr.
3: Conor McNichols, Sr.
2: Jonas Sanchez, So.
Bow: Luca Arvanitis, Sr.
3rd Varsity 8+ – 2022 Hudson S8.32 Super Predator
Coxswain: Caly Kuzdzal, Fr.
Stroke: Tim Robertson, Jr.
7: Wesley Peot, So.
6: Cornelius Nichilo, So.
5: Connor Orkin, So.
4: Oliver Abushacra, Jr.
3: Robert Canestrari, So.
2: Jack Greenleaf, So.
Bow: John Kirincich, Jr.
Freshmen 8+ – 2022 Hudson S8.32 Super Predator
Coxswain: Sean Doherty, Fr.
Stroke: Will Curtis, Fr.
7: Helton Young, Fr.
6: Peter Schmidt, Fr.
5: Neil Davidek, Fr.
4: Aidan Cassidy, Fr.
3: Hunter Cassidy, Fr.
2: Charlie Theodore, Fr.
1: Cristofer Santanna, Fr.
V4+ – Free Speed
Coxswain: Jack Lieblein, Jr.
Stroke: Ryan Firestone, Jr.
3: Travis Stanitis, Jr.
2: Chris Morale, Jr.
Bow: Will Blumenthal, Jr.
Novice 4+ – Class of 2011
Coxswain: Anna Solar, So.
Stroke: Sam Langlois, Fr.
3: Dan Belden, Fr.
2: Ben Cowan, Fr.
Bow: Franklin Enkhmandakh, Fr.
Quad – 2021 Hudson (thank you Virginia for the loan)
Stroke: Tommy Smith, So.
3: Joe Hofmann, So.
2: Griffin Walsh, Jr.
Bow: Peter Nasto, Jr.
Double – The Hammer
Zac Snyder, Fr.
Luke Catalanello, So.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
/ Men's Crew
In The Herd: Saint Francis Game Preview And Nick Hoying Feature
Thursday, September 25
In The Herd: First Practice Review And Tuana Coskun Feature
Wednesday, September 24
In The Herd: First Practice Review And Ruot Bijiek Feature
Tuesday, September 23
(Coaches Camera) Salem Men's Water Polo Vs. Gannon (9/21/25)
Monday, September 22