May 15, 2006

Worcester, Mass. - The men's varsity four stepped into the record books Sunday on the last day of the National Invitational Championships, winning the school's first gold. If that weren't enough, the varsity four also broke the course and championship record with a time of 6:37.509 seconds, beating the previous mark of 6:39.83. The NCAA does not sponsor a rowing championship for the men, so this is the closest thing to a national championship. The gold medal is the school's first national title since 1985 (men's pair).

For senior captain Ronald Dorchak, the Hollywood writers could not have written a better ending for the two-time team MVP along with fellow teammates including sophomore Bob Patterson, freshman coxswain Michele Handzel, junior Brandon Boyd, and freshman brother Kurtis Boyd.

Last year, the favored Lakers had their dreams cut short when the championship was cancelled because of poor weather. Sunday started in a similar fashion with heavy rain and gusty winds. But racing commenced and in their initial heat they comfortably handled the opposition with the fastest time and moved into the afternoon final. As the finals were about to start, thunderstorms moved into the area and all racing was suspended. By 3:00pm, as officials prepared to cancel events, the thunderstorms moved on and racing began. Despite the three hour delay, the final of the four went ahead.

Racing in lane two, with Colgate and University of North Carolina to its right, Mercyhurst started fast and furious with all crews striking in the high thirties. As the crews settled into the race pace, the Mercyhurst boat had too much speed for the opposition as it began to move into the lead with every stroke. At 1500 meters, they had taken a one length lead and, at 1000 meters, they took a power twenty strokes and further stretched the lead. Going into the last 500,meters the race was already won and it was time to go for the course record. They increased their rate up to 38 and pushed hard for the line. As Mercyhurst crossed the finish line, an official approached the boat and congratulated the team not only on winning but breaking the course and championship records.

Men's Varsity Four Final Result

1. Mercyhurst College, 6:37.509

2. Colgate University, 6:45.570

3. Seattle Pacific University, 6:46.970

4. University of Mary Washington, 6:51.733

5. University of North Carolina, 6:51.786

6. Boston College , 6:56.434