WICHITA, Kan. — The Drake rowing team opened its spring season in impressive fashion Saturday morning, sweeping all four races in a head-to-head matchup against Wichita State. The Bulldogs captured victories in the novice four, novice eight, varsity four, and varsity eight to begin the 2026 campaign on a high note.

The strong showing marked a positive first test for a young Drake squad eager to translate its progress in practice into race-day performance.

"So our goal today was obviously to win, which is always our goal," head coach Charlie DiSilvestro said. "But because it was our first race of the season, we also wanted to see how well we could compete. We were doing really well in practice, but competition is different from practice. So the only way for the coaches to know what kind of racing team we have is to race against somebody who is not on our team."

DiSilvestro praised the team's effort and competitiveness across all boats throughout the morning's racing.

"I was really proud of the way the team stepped up today and competed hard in all four races and showed us that we have a very competitive team," DiSilvestro said.

The Bulldogs' clean sweep provides early momentum as Drake continues to build experience and confidence heading into the heart of the spring schedule.

Up Next
Drake returns to action Saturday, March 21 for a head-to-head meeting with Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma.