OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Stetson Rowing turned in a historic and hard-fought weekend at the 2025 Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) Championship Regatta, held April 18–19 on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. With multiple boats advancing to A Finals and a program-first medal in an open-varsity event, the Hatters showed grit, depth, and momentum heading into championship season.

The weekend began with time trials and semifinal races, where Stetson's crews quickly established themselves as contenders:

• In the Men's Novice 4+ Time Trial, Michael Leitelt's boat placed 6th (Bow 33 – 6:26.977) to advance to the semis. They later finished 3rd in Semifinal 2 (Bow 2 – 7:43.831), earning a spot in the A Final.

• In the Women's Second Varsity 8+, Riley Olivero's crew placed 4th in time trials (Bow 80 – 6:31.669), then claimed 2nd in Semifinal 1 (Bow 4 – 7:35.458) to move on to the A Final.

• The Women's Varsity 4+ (Open), led by Samantha Plumb, advanced out of the time trial (11th – Bow 131 – 7:44.234), and narrowly avoided elimination in a photo finish in Semifinal 2 (6th – 8:19.945), edging 7th place by just 0.279 seconds. 

• In the Women's Varsity 8+ (Open), Jocalyn Ortega's boat placed 4th in the time trial (Bow 186 – 6:28.468) and advanced to the semis.

• The Men's Varsity 8+, led by Lukasz Bajorek, also moved on after finishing 7th in time trials (Bow 197 – 5:37.580).

Saturday brought a mix of fierce competition and celebration, highlighted by a major breakthrough for the Stetson women's program.

• The Women's Second Varsity 8+, led by Olivero, made program history with a bronze medal in the A Final (7:21.348) — the Hatters' first ever medal in an open-varsity event at SIRA.

• The Women's Varsity 8+ advanced through Semifinal 2 with a 2nd-place finish (Bow 4 – 6:59.272) and followed up with a strong 5th-place showing in the A Final (Bow 5 – 7:14.206).

•  Plumb's Varsity 4+ raced in the B Final and secured 5th place (Bow 1 – 8:23.329) to round out a solid weekend for the fours.

• In the Men's Novice 4+ A Final, Leitelt's crew placed 5th overall (Bow 6 – 7:13.009).

• The Men's Varsity 8+, led by Bajorek, had an outstanding semifinal performance (2nd – Bow 2 – 6:05.201), earning a place in the A Final, where they finished 6th overall (Bow 5 – 6:09.943).

"This was a breakthrough weekend for our women's team," said Assistant Coach Andrew Rouse. "Winning our first medal in a varsity event at SIRA reflects the hard work, belief, and momentum building within this team. Momentum that we are excited to carry into the MAAC Conference Championship next month!"

Up next, the men's team will travel north to compete in the Dad Vail Regatta, held May 9-10 in Camden, New Jersey. For the women's team, the regular season is officially in the books as they turn their attention to the 2025 MAAC Championship, set for May 18 at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey.