The Hobart College rowing team will open its 2018-19 season on Sunday, Oct. 21, when it travels to Boston for the Head of the Charles Regatta. The Statesmen will compete in the men's collegiate eight event at 2:12 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Head of the Charles is the largest two-day regatta in the world. This year marks the 54th year that rowers from around the world will race down the Charles River, which separates Boston from Cambridge. This year's HOCR features 66 events, 804 clubs and 2,308 entries that will compete on a 3-mile course that runs from Boston University's DeWolfe Boathouse to just short of Northeastern University's Henderson Boathouse.
 
Hobart clinched a spot in this year's regatta thanks to a 12th place finish in a field of 37 in 2017. The top half of the field automatically qualifies for the following year's regatta. This year's boat, powered by Bart Voto, Patrick Overton, Alberto Wray, Moritz Marchart, Carter Weitekamp, Conor Donadio, Henry Vachon, Andrew Krimmel, and Wyatt Hathaway will start as the No. 5 bow ball. The Statesmen are looking to return to the top 10 this season for the 13th time in the last 14 seasons.
 
Hobart has finished on the podium four times in the collegiate eight event. The Statesmen won gold medals in 2002 and 2015, silver medals in 2014 and a bronze medal in 2007.
 
The 2017-18 season saw Hobart capture its 13th consecutive Liberty League Championship. At the conference championship regatta, Hobart won gold medals in the varsity and second varsity eights. The Statesmen went on to win three medals at the National Invitational Rowing Championships (3V8: gold, 2V8: silver, V8: bronze). Hobart returns four members of the 2018 Liberty League Crew of the Year, including All-Liberty League selection, Greg Narzikul. In total, Hobart returns 21 student-athletes from a season ago. The Statesmen will welcome 13 newcomers to this year's squad.
 
Hobart will also enter an alumni eight in Saturday's men's alumni eight event scheduled to begin at 12:56 a.m.  The Statesmen drew bow ball No. 20.
 
Alumni, family and friends are invited to gather at the HWS tent in Reunion Village on Soldiers Field Road (Boston side), west of the Weeks Footbridge from noon to 4 p.m. Register online here or purchase your wristband upon arrival. Please contact Kira Cosentino at kcosentino@hws.edu or (315) 781-3771 with any questions about the event.
 
The Statesmen will finish their fall season on Nov. 3 at the Cornell Autumn Classic. Hobart's main racing season begins March 30 when it travels to Ithaca, N.Y., for the Cayuga Duals.