Temple University Athletics
Temple To Host 25th Annual Murphy Cup Regatta
3.20.07 | Women's Rowing
March 20, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - Temple University men's and women's crews host the 25th Annual Murphy Cup Regatta this Saturday (March 25) on the Schuylkill River. The second largest intercollegiate regatta held on the Schuykill, the Murphy Cup features competitors from 35 colleges that hail from 27 cities and nine states. Temple will look to defend its title in the men's Varsity 8 while Navy, the winner of the 2006 women's Varsity 8, will look to repeat as well. Saint Joseph's won the overall points total in 2006 with Temple placing second.
"This will be a historic day for Temple Crew," said the Owls' men's coach Dr. Gavin R. White. "We will christen two new shells thanks to the generosity of Tony Stefanski, a member of the first Murphy Cup Varsity 8 gold medal boat. We will also have in attendance members of the Varsity 8 team from the first Murphy Cup as well as John Murphy's parents."
Stefanski, who was also a member of the Temple's first Dad Vail Champion Varsity 8 in 1983, donated the two eight-oared shells in memory of his parents. One shell will be christened Anthony J. Stefanski for his father while the other will be christened Doris A. Stefanski for his mother. The ceremony will take place at Temple's Boathouse at 9:30 a.m.
"We are indebted to Tony for his gift to the program," said White, who is in his 28th season as the men's head crew coach at Temple. "He is the second member of the inaugural gold-medal-winning Varsity 8 to donate two shells to the program, joining Mike Quinn, who made a gift of two four-oared shells."
Joining Stefanski (3-seat) and Quinn (2-seat) from the 1982 Murphy Cup winning Varsity 8 crew are Charlie Bracken (stroke), Uel Nesbitt (7-seat), John Klemick (6-seat), Fran Berger (5-seat), Jim Rogers (4-seat) and Joe Sullivan (bow). Tom Ellis, the coxswain of the 1982 Varsity 8, has passed away. He will be represented by his son, Patrick, a freshman rower at Temple this season.
Named after John Murphy, a Temple rower who was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident in the Summer of 1980, the Murphy Cup Regatta was established in 1982. John's parents, Jean and Naysh Namiotka, are traveling to Philadelphia for Saturday's Regatta from their home in St. Augustine, Fla.
The Temple women's crew also takes to the river at the 2007 Murphy Cup.
"We are looking to improve upon last year's fourth place finish," said third-year coach Tim Hagan. "It is early in the season, but we had a strong showing in our first outing and we expect more of the same Saturday."
