A Tradition of Success and Pride
The Florida Tech Rowing program began in 1968 when founding president Dr. Jerome Keuper asked his assistant Robert Dunlap to start a rowing program. Dr. Keuper became familiar with rowing during his undergraduate days at MIT and thought rowing would be a natural fit for Florida Tech as well. In the early years, the goal was to win the state rowing championship in the varsity eight (Florida Tech had won the freshman/novice race in 1968). Dr. Keuper was present at Disney World in 1974 when the varsity captured its first varsity eight state championship. To celebrate the twentieth anniversary (1978) of Florida Tech, Dr. Keuper got his friend and board of trustee member Ralph Evinrude to send the varsity eight to the Henley Royal Regatta in England. The success of the men’s and women’s rowing teams expanded from the state to the regional championships and on to the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is considered the hub of rowing in the United States with its historic Boathouse Row.
The success of the men’s and women’s rowing programs have been a point of pride for the students, faculty, and staff not only for the rowing program’s success on the water, but for the quality of student-athlete attracted to the university for its academic excellence and the opportunity to be trained in a program recognized for producing outstanding rowers who excel at the Olympic and international levels. The men’s rowing program has continued its winning tradition at the Dad Vail Rowing Regatta with victories in the varsity eight in 2015 and 2016, and a victory in the varsity four this past May. These victories were met with challenges from strong Philadelphia Division I varsity programs that include Drexel University, Temple University, St. Joseph’s University, and LaSalle University.
The Florida Tech women rowers have excelled in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) and in NCAA Division II postseason competition. The Panthers have won three of the last four SSC rowing championships, and a total of nine championships since it began in 1997. The women rowers have also been strong contenders at the NCAA competitions finishing third in 2018, second in 2019, and third in 2021.
Florida Tech rowing began in 1968 and the program began fielding Lightweight boats soon thereafter though they typically raced as JV Heavyweights in Florida due to lack of lightweight competition. They fared quite well in national events with the Varsity Ltwt 8 placing 3rd, 1st, and 3rd respectively at the Dad Vail Regatta in ’74, ’75, and ’76; 5th, 4th, and 3rd at the Head of the Charles Regatta in ’73, ’74 and ’75. Success continued into the 80’s and early 90’s with last major victory coming in 1998 with a Lightweight 8 win a Dad Vails. After a nearly 20 year hiatus, Florida Tech is once again fielding lightweight crews.
Dad Vail Regatta Champions
| 1975 | Men’s Freshman/Novice Eight | ||
| 1975 | Men’s Junior Varsity Lightweight Eight | ||
| 1975 | Men’s Lightweight Eight | ||
| 1979 | Men’s Freshman/Novice Four-With-Coxswain | ||
| 1979 | Men’s Freshman/Novice Eight | ||
| 1980 | Men’s Freshman/Novice Eight | ||
| 1981 | Men’s Junior Varsity Eight | ||
| 1982 | Men’s Junior Varsity Eight | ||
| 1982 | Men’s Lightweight Four-With-Coxswain | ||
| 1982 | Women’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Four | ||
| 1982 | Men’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Eight | ||
| 1983 | Men’s Junior Varsity Eight | ||
| 1983 | Men’s Lightweight Four-With-Coxswain | ||
| 1983 | Men’s Lightweight Eight | ||
| 1984 | Men’s Freshman/Novice Eight | ||
| 1985 | Men’s Junior Varsity Eight | ||
| 1986 | Men’s Junior Varsity Eight | ||
| 1987 | Men’s Freshman/Novice Eight | ||
| 1987 | Men’s Lightweight Eight | ||
| 1988 | Men’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Eight | ||
| 1992 | Women’s Lightweight Eight | ||
| 1994 | Men’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Four-With-Coxswain | ||
| 1995 | Men’s Lightweight Four | ||
| 1995 | Men’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Four-With-Coxswain | ||
| 1996 | Men’s Lightweight Eight | ||
| 1998 | Men’s Lightweight Eight | ||
| 2004 | Men’s Freshman/Novice Four-With-Coxswain | ||
| 2007 | Men’s Freshman/Novice Lightweight Eight | ||
| 2013 | Men’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Four-With-Coxswain | ||
| 2015 | Men’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Eight | ||
| 2016 | Men’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Eight | ||
| 2018 | Women’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Four-With-Coxswain | ||
| 2019 | Women’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Four (Division II) | ||
| 2019 | Women’s Varsity Eight (Division II) | ||
| 2022 | Men’s Hy. Wt. Varsity Four-With-Coxswain |