The top two men’s crews in the country went head-to-head on Saturday morning at Redwood Shores, and Washington’s No. 1-ranked varsity eight barely beat No. 2 Cal in the featured event of the day. This was the 114th meeting between the two West powerhouse rowing squads, and it may have been a preview of the IRA national championships to be held May 29-31 in Sacramento. Washington or Cal has won each of the past five men’s national rowing championships, with Washington’s varsity eight winning in 2021, 2024 and 2025, and Cal taking the title in 2022 and 2023. But the Huskies had the upper hand in Saturday’s matchup between the two longtime rowing rivals, with Washington winning the matchup between the two top varsity eight boats by 1.4 seconds. Washington finished in a time of 5:37.2, with Cal close behind in 5:38.6. With its victory, Washington takes home the Schoch Cup, which goes to the crew that wins the top varsity eight race between Cal and Washington.…