By Jessica Geller, deputy sports editor

Northeastern University’s men’s rowing team was dominant in the Foot of the Charles Regatta (FOCR) on Nov. 22, winning the varsity four-plus by beating crosstown rivals Harvard University and Boston University (BU).

The varsity four-plus event (four rowers and one coxswain in each boat) was the big race of the FOCR, consisting of 37 boats across nine teams. Each team could enter three boats, A, B and C, with the A boat expected to be the fastest of the three crews. The race times of all 37 boats are placed in one ranking.

For the first time since 1990, the Husky A boat won the varsity four-plus. In 13:10.5, sophomore Ole Henrik Bang-Andreasen, junior Eric Winkert and seniors Riordan Morrell, Max Montpetit and coxswain Connor Wortley rowed down the Charles River.

“This is an incredibly challenging race to win; the competition is very strong and the four-plus is a very challenging boat to row,” Head Coach John Pojednic said in an email to The News. “It requires an exceptional blend of skill, crew cohesion and power.”

Harvard followed one second later, and BU rounded out the top three in 13:17.6.

The Husky B boat crossed the course in 13:23.8 for fifth place overall and the fastest time for all secondary groups of four. Pojednic said that with the win among all B boats, the boat should not be overlooked. The third Husky boat rowed the Charles River in 13:40.2, good enough for 11th place and second place among all C boats.

The 2014 fall season had two events: the Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR) in mid-October and the FOCR. During the month in between the two races, Pojednic emphasized the team’s initial plan of finishing strong.

“Following [the HOCR], we identified eight oarsmen who share a few common traits: skill in smaller boats, positive strength to weight ratio and the competitive edge to perform well when under pressure,” Pojednic said. “We placed them into the top two [boats for the varsity four-plus] race, and they did very well.”

Northeastern had a strong showing in the eight-plus boats (eight rowers and one coxswain), finishing second and third. BU easily took the open eights win in 12:22.6. NU’s A and B boats followed behind, completing the course in 12:41.6 and 12:49.5, respectively.

The Huskies are now in the off-season and will prepare to start the spring like they finished the fall competition.

“I will be focused on making sure our most skilled oarsmen are as physically strong and fit as they possibly can be,” Pojednic said.

Photo courtesy Matthew McDonald, Northeastern Athletics