CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The MIT men's lightweight crew team earned five Empacher-IRCA All-American honors and Will Oliver-Milchman, the Gerrit Zwart '62 Men's Varsity Lightweight Crew Coach at MIT, was named the IRCA National Lightweight Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 season.
Juniors Lucas Young (Montclair, N.J.) and Harry Sillifant (Hobart, Australia) each earned a spot on the Empacher-IRCA All-American First Team, while senior Marc Rizk (London, United Kingdom) and junior Kieran Dunn (Melrose, Mass.) were named to the Second Team and junior Daniel Kurlander (Seattle, Wash.) was named an Honorable Mention selection.
The MIT lightweights matched the University of Washington, Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton and Princeton lightweights for the highest number of All-America selections from a single team (1st team, 2nd team, or Honorable Mention) this season.
Young earned All-America First Team honors for the second straight season for MIT. Sillifant is now a two-time All-American, earning first team accolades for the first time after earning second team honors in 2022-23. Dunn was an honorable mention All-American in 2022-23 and earns his first Second Team honor. Both Rizk and Kurlander earned national recognition for the first time.
There were 104 rowers and coxswains nationally who met the criteria to be named a 1st team, 2nd team, or Honorable Mention All-American, representing 43 teams (37 heavyweight and 6 lightweight).
MIT's five selection helped the Engineers earn a historic result at the 2025 IRA National Championship, as MIT finished third in the Lightweight Eight Grand Final to claim its first IRA medal in program history. Sillifant was the stroke seat for the lightweight eight, with Dunn in the seven seat, Young in the six seat, Rizk in the four seat and Kurlander in the three seat.
Oliver-Milchman was recognized following MIT's bronze medal finish, as he was awarded the IRCA Lightweight Coach of the Year award for the first time. Nominated by and voted on by his peers, the Coach of the Year represents the highest ideals of coaching in men's collegiate rowing, leading by example through demonstrated mentorship, integrity, performance, and love of the sport while upholding the values of the IRCA and men's collegiate rowing.
"It was clear the MIT Varsity was well coached this year they steadily improved throughout the season and culminated with winning their first IRA medal in program history," noted Colin Farrell, the Men's Lightweight Rowing Coach at the University of Pennsylvania of Oliver and MIT following the recognition.
MIT's bronze medal result at the IRA National Championship was the culmination of a strong season for the Engineers, one that included a silver medal at the Quinsigamond Snake Regatta and a top ten performance at the Head Of The Charles in the fall. The team returned in the spring with a top-ten national ranking and earned three silver medals at the Knecht Cup, a runner-up finish in the Geiger Cup and a trip to the Grand Final at Eastern Sprints in MIT's first appearance since 2018 at the regatta.
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