STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford men’s rowing opens its fall schedule this Sunday in Cambridge, Mass. as the Cardinal competes in the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta.
Stanford will field an eight that will race in Sunday’s Men’s Championship Eights at 11:30 a.m. PT. The Cardinal lineup includes Nathalie Weiss (coxswain), Ryan Hails (8), Brennan Wertz (7), Will Nuelle (6), Peter Wood (5), Jovanni Stefani (4), Ryan O’Rourke (3), Will Spencer (2), Allen Reitz (1).
"The fall is a time of commitment and trust for our team," Stanford head men's rowing coach Craig Amerkhanian. "Head races bring about this process of growth and possibilities. "We have trained for three weeks and will be the best we can be on Sunday. This group of Stanford rowers are working hard on two coasts, as our eight prepares to race on the Charles River, the body of our crew trained on campus and at the boathouse”
For Wertz, it will be a family affair. Both of his parents will also be competing in the Head of the Charles this weekend as well. They will represent the Marin Rowing Association in separate events with his father racing in the Men's Senior Masters Fours and his mother racing in the Women's Senior Masters Eights.
“Rowing at such a historical and prestigious race with not only my Stanford teammates, but also with both of my parents, is truly a once in a lifetime experience,” Wetz said. “I am really grateful for all the opportunities that Coach Amerkhanian has presented me with during my time at Stanford, and all the opportunities that my parents have given me throughout my rowing career, and my whole life. I am very blessed to be able to row at such a spectacle of a race, for the Stanford, while also watching my parents compete in their own events."
Sunday marks Stanford’s first competition in the Championship Eights race in more than 15 years. The Cardinal men have won the Championship Four three times since 2006.
Stanford will compete in three total regattas this fall, also rowing in the Head of the American in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday, Oct. 24 and the Head of the Lake in Seattle, Wash. on Sunday, Nov. 8.
