By 1996 the Temple Men's Varsity 8 had set up a tradition of winning at the Dad Vails. But the streaks only added pressure to the team to continue to find ways to win at the regatta held on their home course.
"What happens with whenever Gavin (White) is coaching a boat is you find your stride at the right time of the year and that was at the Dad Vail. So, he had us running and running fast come Dad Vails and the boat was clicking," Dan McGuinn, who rowed the five seat, said. "It was a perfect blend on the boat of youth and experience.