LOWELL, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology men's rowing team kicked off its spring season in strong fashion as the Leopards picked up a pair of first-place finishes at the Riverhawk Challenge on Saturday.

The Men's Novice 4 boat, consisting of sophomore coxswain Lyn Carswell (Newark, N.J.), freshman Karlis Kaza (Wayland, Mass.), sophomore Padraic O'Sullivan (Upton, Mass.), sophomore Logan O'Donnell (Killingworth, Conn.), and sophomore Alec Boyle (Shirley, Mass.) crossed the line in a time of 6:47.40, which bested Mass. Maritime's finish of 7:15.31.

Wentworth's entry in the Men's Varsity 4 race picked up a first-place finish with a time of 7:00:00, which defeated Mass. Maritime (7:19.13) and Endicott (7:31.23). Sophomore coxswain Emer Creighton (West Roxbury, Mass.), junior Tim Baker (Ashburnham, Mass.), senior Ben Peterson (Glastonbury, Conn.), senior Tucker Barrett (Leominster, Mass.), and sophomore Matthew West (Hingham, Mass.) were the victorious crew.

In the Men's Novice 8 race, freshman Orion Hansen (Orlando, Fla.), Kaza, O'Sullivan, O'Donnell, Boyle, sophomore Kyle Rowe (Eliot, Maine), freshman Ethan Butterworth (Cohasset, Mass.), freshman TJ Dion (Lincoln, R.I.), and freshman Kristian Hosker (Nahant, Mass.) finished with a time of 6:48.38, which was second to UMass Lowell's 6:36.60.

The Men's Varsity 8 boat, consisting of Creighton, Barrett, Peterson, Baker, junior Michael Pierce (Chelsea, Mass.), sophomore Dylan McGuinness (Methuen, Mass.), West, senior Fabian Torres (Danvers, Mass.), and sophomore Chase Manning (Franklin, Mass.) finished third as the Leopards' time of 6:31.69 was better than Mass. Maritime's 7:10.01. UMass Lowell's "A" entry took first with a time of 6:12.78, while UMass Lowell's "B" entry was second after crossing the line in a time of 6:28.16.

Wentworth will compete at the Knecht Cup next weekend.