It was a year to remember for the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ rowing program.

The women won the NCAA championship for the third time in the last four years and the men qualified for the IRA National Championship for the first time in school history.

The Bobcats traveled to Mercer Lake, N.J., to take on the likes of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Washington, and CAL, the true giants of collegiate rowing.

“I shook hands with one guy and I swear his hand was bigger than my head,” said senior bow Joshua Bilchik of Brookline, Mass.

But after sizing up the competition, it was time to race.

With the greatest season in program history wrapped up, the nine men’s rowing seniors reflected on their time at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

“Some of my teammates I’ve known for a year, some of them I’ve known for four,” said senior Roddy Pratt ’18 of Arlington, Mass. “And along with being great teammates, they’ve been incredible friends.”

“I’ve learned a lot from them in many different ways and I hope I’ve taught them something too. But yeah, I’ll miss them all.”

In the fall, senior rower Quinn Hayward of Weston, Conn., helped the men’s first varsity eight achieve a program-record third-place finish at the famed Head of the Charles Regatta.

He was looking forward to the spring, but an injury is preventing him from rowing this season.

Hayward could be on campus relaxing, but that’s not who he is.

“Being injured, senior spring, I really didn’t want to take the opportunity to go sit on a couch and do nothing for the rest of the year,” Hayward said. “So I tried to look for ways that I could give back to the program and continue to help the guys the way they’ve all helped me.”

His dedication does not go unnoticed.

“He wakes up at 5 a.m. every day and comes to practice every morning,” said senior Quinn Gardner ’18 of Tucson, Ariz. “He doesn’t have to do that. He brings down oars, helps rig our boats, and just helps with the guys, it’s great.”

Hayward’s passion for the sport is such that he plans to move to Philadelphia upon graduation and move into the world of club rowing. His injury is treatable, it just takes time.

For now he’s helping the Bobcats achieve their best times, even if he has to watch the races from shore.

Good things happen in threes. So do great things, especially for Bobcat sports this past week. Take a look:

1. Women’s rowing captures Head of the Charles title

Guided by senior coxswain Hanna De Bruyn of Old Lyme, Conn., the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ women’s varsity eight set a course record on Oct. 22 to win the women’s collegiate eights at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta.

De Bruyn and her crew navigated the serpentine 4,800-meter course on the Charles River in 16:01.182, outpacing last year’s Head of the Charles winner Wesleyan by 16.863 seconds.

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ women’s rowing captured the women’s collegiate eights at the Head of the Charles on Oct. 22. (Photograph by Daniel D’Ottavio)

2. Men’s soccer qualifies for NESCACs with amazing goal vs. Colby

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ men’s soccer team heads to the NESCAC championship tournament thanks to a miraculous goal scored in the final minute of the Bobcats’ regular-season finale at Colby on Wednesday afternoon.

Sophomore Beaufils Kimpolo-Pene of the Bronx, N.Y., knocked in the rebound of his initial saved shot with 24 seconds left in the second overtime period.

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ plays at top-seeded Tufts Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the NESCAC quarterfinals.

3. Field hockey also beats Colby, in final seconds, to earn NESCAC bid

For the third straight year, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ field hockey team beat Colby in the final game of the season to earn a spot in the NESCAC tournament. Here’s what it looked like:

With the win, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ earns the eighth seed in the NESCAC tournament and visits top seed and No. 2 nationally ranked Middlebury on Saturday. The NESCAC quarterfinal match is set for 12:00 p.m.

For the past three years, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College men’s rowing team has stood by as the women’s team has qualified for, and excelled in, the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships. Since the NCAA doesn’t sponsor championships in men’s rowing, it would be understandable if there might have been mixed emotions about seeing their teammates get to extend their season in something resembling the limelight.

“These guys are very supportive and respectful of the women, but I’m sure it was difficult to watch sometimes, knowing that they might never have an opportunity to perform on such a stage,” said ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ head coach Peter Steenstra.

But the teammates from the Class of 2009 had a different idea for the way their senior year could end differently: competing across the ocean, in the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta in Henley-on-Thames, England.

First, the Bobcats had to prove themselves worthy of the trip to Steenstra (admission is open). “My reply was simple — finish in the top three at New Englands and top four at ECACs and you’ll have earned it,” the coach said.

They took care of that part. The team enjoyed its finest ever year of competition, earning the bronze medal (and third place in the NESCAC) at the New England Rowing Championships. “There is no question in my mind that this is the best crew to ever come out of our boathouse, and these guys have earned the opportunity to compete on the international level,” said Steenstra.

Of the 58 entries for The Temple Challenge Cup, one of the eight, NCAA Basketball Tournament bracket-style competitions (or “knock-out draws”) within the Henley Royal Regatta, five are from the U.S.: ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, Brown (freshmen), Princeton (lightweights), Kent School (high school), and WPI. Most boats are from the U.K., but there are handfuls from Ireland, Holland and Australia too. An original field of 58 boats will dwindle to 32 after June 26 qualifying involving only British and Irish boats. The 32 surviving boats will pair off for one-on-one, single-elimination races every day starting July 1 until July 5, when a champion will be crowned. (See all the entries at .)

The team is pumped, to say the least, and aside from the one week following graduation, have been doing two practice sessions a day since May 12. “I’m sure they would be the first to tell you that they are in the best shape of their lives,” quipped Steenstra.

There will be no sightseeing for the team, only preparation and competition on the biggest stage of their lives. “Only if you compete for your country’s national team will you reach a higher level of competition,” said Steenstra. “I want the guys to appreciate the opportunity but not be intimidated.  We know almost nothing about the crews we are racing, and each race will be run like our one chance to win it all.”