Following a vote by the league's head coaches, the Liberty League has announced its major award recipients for Men's Rowing for the 2025-26 season.
CREW OF THE YEAR: Varsity Eight, Ithaca College
The Ithaca College Varsity Eight was selected as the 2025-26 Liberty League Men’s Rowing Crew of the Year. The Bombers claimed their third consecutive Liberty League title by winning the V8+ race at the league’s championship regatta in early May. The Ithaca V8+ quickly established control at the 2026 Liberty League Championship, pulling away early to win by just over eight seconds and clocking the best time of the day at 6:23.50. With the 2026 title and victory in the V8+, Ithaca also earned the league’s automatic bid to the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championship Division III race in Gold River, California at the end of May. Other 2025-26 season highlights included a victory in the Head of the Fish, a third-place showing in the Head of the Genesee Collegiate 8+ race, and a fourth-place finish at the Remley Cup. Ithaca’s Varsity 8+ lineup consists of: Jake Patterson (coxswain), Andrew Cheely, Rhys Pellaton, Andrew Coit, Liam Dickey, Bryce Williston, Henry Hersperger, Marshall Adams, and Nico Greenburg.
COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR: Ithaca College
Ithaca College Head Coach Justin Stangel and assistant coach Jake Lentz were recognized as the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year for the third straight year. At the 2026 Liberty League Championship, the Bombers swept all three men’s rowing events en route to winning their third consecutive Liberty League title. Ithaca won the V8+ by finishing eight seconds ahead of the field with a time of 6:23.50 to claim the 2026 crown and earn the league’s automatic bid to the 2026 IRA Championship. They followed that up with victories in the Second Varsity Eight and the Open Four races. In the 2V8+, Ithaca posted a dominant 10-second victory, crossing the finish line in 6:41.980. In the Open 4+, the Bombers jumped out early and maintained a boat-length advantage throughout the race and clocked a time of 7:25.431 to win by nine seconds. Next up for the Bombers is the 2026 IRA Championship from May 29-31 at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center on Lake Natoma in Gold River, California.