Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta enhancing Mobile App for 82nd annual event

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net

 

Philadelphia, PA  – In preparation of the 82nd annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta,  the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee (DVROC) is pleased to announce the return of its Dad Vail Regatta mobile app.

The Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca-Cola and PECO will be held on Saturday May 8 with races beginning at 9:00 am continuing through the conclusion of racing scheduled to end at 5:00 pm.

The Dad Vail Regatta App will be available on both IOS and Android devices. For Apple IOS users, the app can be found in the app store under Dad Vail Regatta.  For Andriod users, the app can be found in the Google Play Store.

The mobile app allows you to access daily schedules, heat sheets, weather updates, race results and regatta information.

With a No Spectator Policy in place for this year’s event, the mobile app will assist you in keeping up with all of the day’s race action.

For those who do not have access through the mobile app, please log onto www.dadvail.org to access schedules, heat sheets, race results, weather updates and other pertinent regatta information.

2021 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta to be live streamed On Saturday May 8

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
610-246-5902

levins51@verizon.net

 

Philadelphia, PA – The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee, host of the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca-Cola and PECO is pleased to announce the partnership with Broadcast To Web (formally JB Productions)to provide live streaming coverage of the races beginning on Saturday May 8 at 9:00 am continuing through the conclusion of racing scheduled to end at 5:00 pm.

With a no spectator policy in place this due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, everyone is encouraged to follow all the action via live streaming. For live race coverage go to www.dadvail.org and click on the live stream link.

You can also find a complete race schedule on www.dadvail.org

“The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee is pleased to have Broadcast To Web return for another year and give collegiate rowers competing in the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta the benefit of worldwide coverage through live streaming to family, friends and rowing fans,” said Jim Hanna, President of the Dad Vail Organizing Committee.

“With a strict No Spectator Policy in place due to the on-going pandemic, we urge families and friends who wish to view what promises to be an exciting day of racing this year through our livestream option.”

There will be five cameras positioned along the course from start to finish. On select races, there will also be drone coverage providing aerial views. Accomplished rower and Dad Vail Board Member Brad Negaard along with fellow Dad Vail Regatta Board member and Florida Tech Athletics Director Emeritus Bill Jurgens will provide minute-by-minute commentary throughout the day on Saturday. Joining them this year will be Ed O’Keefe, who normally has the responsibility of PA announcing.

Broadcast To Web has extensive experience live stream having provided media services for the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee for a number of years.

The 82nd annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will be held on Saturday May 8 and  feature over 1,100 student-athletes from more than 45 colleges and universities throughout the United States.

 

 

 

Mayor’s Press Conference Highlights Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta is Back!

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net
610-246-5902

 

Annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta Art Poster Contest Winners to Be Announced and Grants to City’s Summer Rowing Programs.

After having been forced to cancel last year due to the coronavirus, the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will be staged this Saturday, May 8, 2021! The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee (DVROC), organizers of the prestigious Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca-Cola and PECO are pleased to announce the winners of the 19th Annual Dad Vail Regatta Art Poster Contest staged this spring for budding young artists attending Philadelphia area public, private and parochial schools.

Jim Hanna, President of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee said, “The Dad Vail Regatta is far more than a regatta, persisting in offering students the opportunity to be recognized for their artistic ability and to be rewarded for their distinguished achievements by way of our 19th annual Art Poster Contest.”

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Jim Hanna, President of the Dad Vail Organizing Committee will announce the cash awards at a press conference on Saturday, May 8 at 9 AM. amidst the opening races of the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, which will be celebrating its 82nd anniversary. Additionally, Dad Vail will continue to be a benefactor for both Philadelphia City Rowing and the Lloyd Hall Advisory Council Summer Rowing Program, continuing an over twenty-year history in support of empowering under-resourced Philadelphia City public school students to reach their highest potential through rowing.

This year, the return of the Dad Vail Regatta Art Poster Contest along with the return of the Regatta will be especially remembered due to the unique challenges the students faced that took hold of the country last spring. Philadelphia Public and Charter school students were unable to participate due to the student’s inability to attend school in-person. The Parochial school students had their own challenges with limited ability to art supplies due to the hybrid nature that limited student’s ability to get into the school building on a daily basis.

Hanna added, “The students who participated in this year’s contest should be commended for their creativity during these challenging times that limed their time in the classroom due to the ongoing pandemic. I also wish to extend a special expression of gratitude to Sister Lauretta Linsalata, IHM,  of Archbishop Ryan High School, and to Deb Klose of the Philadelphia Public School System for their support and assistance in overcoming the adversities of Covid-19 in staging this competition.”

The contest, which challenges Philadelphia area high school students to best depict the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, North Americas largest and best-known collegiate regatta, has five categories of prizes; Grand Prize, First Place, Second Place, Third Place and Honorable Mention.

Members of the Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee, The School District of Philadelphia and the Office of Catholic Education comprised the judging committee.

The Winners of the 2021 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta Art Poster Contest are:

Grand Prize
Megan Lyons

First Place
Mairead McDermott

Second Place
Chaela Barnett

Third Place
Mia Galindez

Honorable Mention
Angelique Bayron
Jake Cahill
Justin Chen
Natalie Cheng
Emma Prushan
Michaela Raines

 

No Spectator Policy at 2021 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta Strictly Enforced

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net

  

PHILADELPHIA – The 2021 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca Cola and PECO, scheduled to be held on the Schuylkill River on Saturday, May 8 starting at 9 AM, has put in place a no spectator policy due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and this policy will be strictly enforced.

The Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will be live streamed so spectators will be able to follow the action at the most prestigious intercollegiate rowing event in the country. The live stream can be viewed from our website www.dadvail.org.

“We truly value all of the fans of intercollegiate rowing, as well as the families of the student-athletes competing for their fine institutions at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta.  With that said, due to the current health concerns in the city of Philadelphia as well as our nation we will not be allowing any spectators at this year’s Regatta.

If it is determined that a team has spectators in violation of our policy, that program will be immediately disqualified from the Dad Vail Regatta.”  – Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee President Jim Hanna.

 

Colgate Prepares to defend Men’s Varity Heavyweight Eight Crown

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net

As excitement spilled over with the Colgate Men’s Varsity Heavyweight Eight team crossing the finish line first at the 2019 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, the Raiders commenced celebrating their first victory in the main event at the most prestigious collegiate regatta throughout the United States and Canada.

“Winning the Gold Medal in the Heavyweight Varsity Eight event showed us anything is possible if you work hard and have discipline,” said Colgate head coach Khaled Sanad. “It was not our first gold exactly. We have won in the small boats and fours, numerous times, but it was our first time with a Gold in the Men’s 8. Since we are a smaller team the 8+ has not consistently been a focus simply because we lack the depth. Getting a bronze in the 8 in 2018 and then Gold in 2019 showed us that we could be competitive in the 8+ even with a squad of only 12. We felt a bit like David and Goliath going up against guys who were bigger and faster, on paper at least. Hard work and discipline pays off.”

With the weather starting to break and Colgate’s anticipation growing around entering the 2020 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta as the defending champions, everything came to halt with the news the Regatta would have to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There was a lot of anticipation leading into Spring 2020,” Sanad said. “The three seniors (Luke Smith and Alex Damjanovic along with our coxswain Miranda Tompkins) who were to defend their 2019 victory never got the chance to compete their final spring. We will not only race for ourselves but also to honor their legacy.”

Fast forward nine months! With schools allowed to plan their 2021 spring schedule, Colgate circled the second week of May on their calendar hoping they would finally have a chance to defend their title they earned back in 2019.

Colgate quickly made their plans to attend once the announcement was made the 2021 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, presented by Independence Blue Cross, Coca Cola and PECO would be staged on Saturday, May 8 on the historic Schuylkill River with races starting at 9 am.

Sanad added, “The University did an amazing job at making sure we were able to get on the water in the Fall. For months we did not have a case of covid on campus, or very few. Even now as we face a small uptick in cases, they are doing everything they can to protect our competing teams from going on a pause. Keeping the focus on being able to race and being together where other schools were not as lucky and giving thanks for that is the most important thing. Doing well at the race will have made all the sacrifices worth it.”

“It means so much to be back on the water and racing after so much time away,” said senior coxswain Tali Filstein, who was the coxswain in the 2019 boat. “We’ve all been working so hard for such a long time with the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta foremost on our minds. Even with a present goal, intense training like that can be difficult, but it requires a whole new level of resiliency to be able to practice at this intensity with the goal being so distant and, because of the fluctuations and uncertainty in the COVID situation.”

With limited preparation time, Colgate has started their spring season in fine fashion losing a tight Varsity Eight race to Holy Cross before bouncing back to defeat Marietta. With two races left before they head to Philadelphia, Sanad hopes to keep improving each day.

“Now that we’re back in racing season with Dad Vails fast approaching, it’s a huge relief to have that motivation be even stronger,” Filstein said. “Even beyond that, we’re all a part of this sport because we love to race. There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of sitting at the line of a race that you’ve been training for and thinking about for so long. We’re so excited to be back in it and can’t wait to see how all of our hard work will pay off.”

South Jersey Native John Bancheri called upon To help build Stockton University rowing program

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net

 

About 750 meters into the Women’s Division III Varsity Eight race at the 2019 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta when newly hired Stockton University coach John Bancheri looked through his binoculars while standing by the Kelly Statue and realized his team was in the lead but barely!

Decked out in his traditional Hawaiian shirt, Bancheri hoped his young squad would earn the first victory in school history at the storied Dad Vail Regatta.

The Ospreys would eventually hold on to claim third place and earn their first-ever medal at the most prestigious collegiate only regatta in the country.

“When you looked at their smiles, you’d have thought they’d won the Olympics, not a bronze medal in a DIII race,” Bancheri said. “But for them, it was the Olympics. I was so proud of them.”

Senior co-captain Emily Culmone said, “Earning a Bronze Medal at the 2019 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta is my favorite memory throughout my rowing career so far. We were a small team, my boat didn’t medal at our conference championship, and we had been right in the middle of the pack all season. We went to Dad Vails just hoping to improve upon our previous performances. It wasn’t until we reached around 750 meters into the race when our coxswain said, “I don’t know what you’re doing, but keep doing it, you’re in first.” That’s when we realized we were in position to medal. We were racing several amazingly competitive  teams and even though we finished in third place, I remember the pure joy that was immediately shared by the entire boat. Sharing that moment in Stockton Rowing history with my boat and seeing the smiles on the faces of friends, families and coaches is a feeling I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Fellow co-captain Michaela Pope added, “Medaling at 2019 Dad Vails was something that I will remember for the rest of my life. It was a dream of mine in high school to row at Dad Vails and I never thought I would get the chance. To be able to row and medal my first-time rowing in the Regatta was surreal. Crossing that finish line and realizing what we just did was incredible. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. We looked over to the riverbank and saw our men’s team and all the coaches going crazy for us. Most importantly, I found my parents in the crowd and saw tears of pride streaming from in their eyes  and saw how proud they were of me. They’ve always supported me in rowing and a big part of me won that medal for them. Our goal is to do better this year, but I don’t think any medal will ever mean as much to me as that 2019 Dad Vail Bronze Medal.”

For years not only did Stockton University dream of medaling at Dad Vail, but they also had to come up with innovative ways to grow the program. Wanting to raise the level of student-athlete participation, the administration knew exactly who they wanted as their next head coach.

Being a South Jersey native and someone who has built many programs throughout his career including West Virginia University, University of Charleston, Wichita State, Marietta College and most recently Grand Valley State University, the school knew Bancheri was the right person for the job.

“With the team being given the opportunity to sit in on interviews during the coaching search,  I specifically remember Coach B (Bancheri) talking about the growth of the rowing program at Stockton,” said senior Olivia Hurley. “At that time, we had about 9-10 girls give or take. He said he wanted to have two eights at practice so that we could race and compete against each other. The possibility of that happening seemed so far-fetched. Two and half years later, we have enough girls for three boats. The expansion of our program was a major talking point in Coach B’s interview, and he has certainly helped this program flourish whether that be in funding, team size, or equipment.”

“When I came home to South Jersey to take over as head coach of the rowing program in January of 2019, it really was the opportunity of my career to build a program from the ground up,” Bancheri said. “Stockton was primed: it has the geography with the Intercoastal Waterway, one of the most beautiful places to row in the country. And it has a president, Harvey Kesselman and Athletic Director, Kevin McHugh, committed to building a program of national distinction.  Stockton had recently opened a campus in Atlantic City, and this was an opportunity to build on a South Jersey tradition and showcase Stockton University.”

After being forced to take a year-off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Osprey are looking forward to taking flight at the 2021 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, which is being staged on Saturday May 8 starting at 9 am on the historic Schuylkill River in Philadelphia and hopefully take home their second consecutive Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta medal.

 

 

DAD VAIL REGATTA ORGANIZING COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES EXTENDED REGISTRATION FOR 82ND ANNUAL JEFFERSON DAD VAIL REGATTA

Contact:
Ed Levin
Publicity Director
Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta
levins51@verizon.net

The Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee is pleased to stage the 82nd Annual Dad Vail Regatta – Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta – on Saturday, May 8, 2021 with racing beginning at 9:00 AM!

Registration has been extended until April 26th.

The 2021 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta will be a 1-day event.  Teams located close enough to manage a one-day round trip, who might be precluded from an overnight stay now can race!   The start of the first race has been delayed until 9:00 AM, 2 hours later than usual, to permit teams a little more time on race day to travel to the Schuylkill River National Race Course.  Registration has been extended until April 26th, so there is still time to sign up however events are now capped at 18 entries. At this writing, the most numerous entries by school are from Fordham, Drexel, Temple, Lafayette, and Princeton.

No Spectators

Although the event will be closed to spectators, the Regatta will be live streamed and moderated as in the past by Bill Jurgens and Brad Negaard, two Dad Vail mainstays. In addition to the no spectator rule which will be strictly enforced, there will be no vendors to serve the public.  The DVROC Board has worked relentlessly just to permit boats to race!

Dad Vail Health Plan

The City of Philadelphia has accepted the Jefferson Dad Vail Health Plan and is in the process of issuing the customary Permits to stage the Regatta. In keeping with the Dad Vail Health Plan, all teams must designate a Health Officer, abide by a strict testing to participate, and fully comply to maintain racing eligibility. The full Health Plan is posted on Dadvail.org.