In the spring of 1954, LT Buck Herzog ’46, (USN) who was an assistant to Navy Heavyweight Head Coach, Rusty Callow, got an okay from Rusty to enter a lightweight boat in the EARC. The boat didn’t have long to practice. There were no 2V or Plebe crews. The 1V rowed one race. There was no Captain, but Jack McNish was the most experienced and the leader of the crew.
— Jack McNish ’55 and J. Darrow Kirkpatrick ’57
Navy Lightweight Crew History By Year
Viewing year histories will require that you log on to NavyLights.org.
2019 Henley Royal Regatta
At the 2019 Henley Royal Regatta (HRR) the Centennial of the 1919 Royal Henley Peace Regatta was commemorated, and Navy Crew represented the United States as the United States Armed Forces Crew. In lead-up races to the HRR Navy rowers competed as the United States Naval Academy in two separate regattas. Information and results of all three regattas can be viewed here. And, a list of allied nation entries, race results, and boatings in the 1919 Royal Henley Regatta can be viewed here.
The First Collegiate Lightweight Crew Race in America
On Saturday, 31 May 1919, at the Fifteenth Annual Regatta of the American Rowing Association, a “Special Eight-Oared Shells (150 Lb. Crews)” rowing event was included in the schedule, which was the first American intercollegiate lightweight 8+ rowing event. Two teams competed on the day: the United States Naval Academy and the University of Pennsylvania.
Navy Lightweight Crew Timeline and Highlights
Special thanks to Dale P. Hurly, Jr. ’89 and Christopher L. (Kit) Vallhonrat ’93 for researching this timeline through 2001. Post-2001 highlights can be viewed in the current Media Guide located at the Navy Lightweight Rowing website.
Navy Varsity Lightweight Crew Head Coaches
Navy Varsity Lightweight Crew Captains
Navy Varsity Lightweight Crew William J. Francy Memorial Award
Navy Varsity Lightweight Crew The James Darrow Kirkpatrick Leadership Award
Navy Varsity Lightweight Crew Spirit of the Lightweights
Navy Varsity Lightweight Crew Fightin’ Lights Day Class Award
Navy Varsity Lightweight Crew The 20 More Award
Navy Lightweight Crew U.S. Team Rowers
USNA Sports Hall of Fame – Men’s Lightweight Rowers
Personal Characteristics of Rowers
Navy Lightweight Crew Annual Cup and Trophy Races
Russell Stanley Callow Cup [MVL8+ winner Navy – Penn]
1919 Cup [The 1919 Cup is a team trophy for which Navy and Penn lightweight crews annually compete.]
Eads Johnson, Jr. Cup [MVL8+ winner Navy – Yale]
Jon Eric VanAmringe Cup [The VanAmringe Cup is a team trophy for which Navy and Yale crews annually compete.]
Henry Herbert Haines Cup [MVL8+ winner Navy – Harvard]
The Col. Michael Paulovich USMC Team Trophy [Awarded to the crew winning the most races of the 1V – 5V events rowed between Navy and Harvard]
Joseph Murtaugh Cup [MVL8+ winner Navy – Princeton]
William M. Smith Trophy [The Smith Trophy is the only known team trophy that combines men’s heavyweight and lightweight race results. Navy and Princeton heavyweight and lightweight 1V, 2V, and 3V eights compete for this team trophy. [NB: In 2014 3V races replaced 1F races.]
WIT Cup [MVL8+ winner Navy – Columbia – need to research]
John J. Forster Cup [MVL8+ winner Navy – Georgetown]
The 1922 Trophy [MVL8+ winner — Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA)]
The Healy Cup [MVL4+ winner — Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA)]
Ralph T. Jope Cup [Team winner — Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC – Eastern Sprints)]
Joseph Wright Trophy [MVL8+ winner — Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC – Eastern Sprints)]
The Cornell Trophy [M2VL8+ winner — Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC – Eastern Sprints)]
Gary W. Kilpatrick Cup [Originally the MFL8+ winner; now the M3VL8+ winner — Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC – Eastern Sprints)]