AU's men's and women's crew team participated in the Head of the Charles Regatta this weekend, the largest regatta in the world.
The men placed 56th in the Collegiate Men's Eight, with an adjusted time of 17:18.414 in the 5,500 meter race, which took place Saturday and Sunday outside of Boston.
Jim Sachs, vice president of publicity for the crew team, said the team did "pretty well" overall, especially considering that the boat from Peking University in front of the AU boat sank, forcing AU to stop rowing completely and to start again.
The women's team also did well, placing 50th with an adjusted score of 19:36.071.
This is AU's first time competing in the race. Competitors in the race qualify either through times from their past season, or through a lottery process, which is how AU's teams were selected.
AU Crew has experienced large growth over the past six years, according to Sachs, who said there are now approximately 50 male and female members.
Sachs said as the team "started to grow and started to place," they encountered much of their recent success.
The team, which used to use the Thompson Boathouse out of Georgetown University, is now based out of the Anacostia Community Boathouse, located approximately 10 miles from AU.
One of the greatest challenges the team faces is that they compete against more established and better-funded crew programs, such as Navy Lightweights, who are the number-one ranked lightweight team.
"We're competing against teams that are far [more] well-funded," Sachs said.
Sachs said he wants to see crew expanded to become "a scholarship sport . unquestionably."
The D.C. area is friendly to rowing, Sachs said, pointing out that local teams, such as Georgetown's crew team, are supported by local community members and organizations.
