Fall Honors: Varsity 4 Boat Leads CBA Crew Through Fall Season
By Charlie Healey ’26
After a five-regatta season that spanned four different states, it was clear which boat was the standout for Christian Brothers Academy Crew. The CBA Digital Network’s Boat of the Fall goes to the Varsity 4, which turned in multiple impressive finishes. This boat has an all-senior cast of coxswain Connor Burke and rowers Jack McMahon, Will Vieth, Jack Keavey and Robert Earle.
The Colts started the season on October 5 at the Head of the Riverfront in Connecticut, where the Varsity 4 finished fourth out of 35 in a stacked regatta. This race featured some of the best schools throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic region, so this result was a terrific start for CBA.
Next, the Colts took to the Navy Day Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. The Varsity 4 once again finished fourth out of 39 against very talented competition and less than ideal conditions.
The Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest rowing event in the world, was next on the docket in Boston for the Colts. In order to even qualify for this regatta, the Varsity 4 can credit last year’s squad for finishing high enough. Simply put, a bid for the Head of Charles Regatta is yours to lose. Unsurprisingly, the Varsity 4 boat finished 18th out of 90 boats to cement CBA’s bid for next year and leave a lasting legacy at the largest regatta in the world.
“This race was by far the most difficult of the fall season because of the amount of competition we were racing against,” Earle said about the Head of the Charles.
After a short break, the Colts dominated the Philadelphia Frostbite regatta earning themselves first place in their flight with a time of 7:02.60. The Varsity 4 won by a commanding eight seconds over the second place team and 16 seconds over the third place team.
Having success during the fall season is a huge jumping off point for the spring season.
“The fall and winter are just stepping stones for the spring,” McMahon said. “Spring is our main season. We use the fall and winter to help and train so we can win when it counts the most.”
To wrap up their season, this hardworking crew finished third out of 19 at the annual Bill Braxton Regatta on Mercer County Lake.
With more experience and top results, this Varsity 4 squad will be ready for the championships in the spring.
“The fall will hype up the boys and get them ready for a great spring season,” Keavey said. “The fall season is a time where we go up against teams we will see in the spring, so it is good to see what work we have to put in over the winter.”
