2025 STANFORD INVITE (MEN)
The #11 Stanford Men displayed remarkable progress and resilience at the Cal/Stanford Invitational on April 5, 2025, at Redwood Shores. Competing against #1 Washington and #17 Wisconsin, the Cardinal demonstrated their growing strength and potential early in the season.
Morning Races
In the morning session, the 1V8 met the Huskies first, finishing a close second at 5:38.5, compared to Washington's 5:35.4. This performance is particularly encouraging, considering that last year's final rankings saw only a three-second differential between the first and third places at the IRA Championships, and similar to the 2024 late-season statistical CMAX rankings. Such a close margin early in the season suggests a positive trajectory for Stanford as they aim to close the gap with the nation's elite.
The 2V8 also put together a determined race against Washington’s deep and experienced crew. The Cardinal clocked in at 5:43.1, just over six seconds back from Washington’s 5:36.8. While the margin was slightly larger than in the 1V8, the performance marked a significant home-course best for the Stanford JV and another sign of forward momentum in the program’s rebuild.
Afternoon Races
The afternoon session showcased Stanford's depth and competitiveness as both the 1V8 and 2V8 secured decisive victories over the Wisconsin Badgers, each winning by a margin of five seconds.
A Balanced Lineup
An exciting aspect of this year's squad is its youth: the current top boats are being expertly guided by a trio of coxswains—two sophomores and one freshman. Among the 16 oarsmen making up the Varsity and JV combinations, six are freshmen, six are sophomores, one is a junior, one a senior, and two are graduate students. The 1V8 featured many underclassmen, including a stern pair frosh/soph combination. For context, Washington's varsity and JV boats are largely composed of juniors, seniors, and graduate students, with only three sophomores between the boats and no freshmen. As the Stanford program continues its steady and methodical rebuild, the day-to-day work is paying dividends, and the long-term outlook is undeniably bright.
As a result of their strong showing this past weekend, the Stanford Men climbed to No. 8 in the latest IRCA/IRA Varsity 8+ Poll, while Washington slipped slightly to No. 2. See new rankings here.
Read the official GoStanford writeup here.
