Year after year, men's and women's heavyweight crew are among the nation's best. Given this rich tradition of Princeton rowing, expectations are always lofty.
This year is no different.
As always, the Tigers have their sights set high, mindful of the legacy they must defend.
"We see alumni on the national team every day," junior Tyson White said. "We're looking for their respect and to continue the tradition they helped create."
Although the most important regattas don't occur until May, rowing is a year round sport. For both crews, the fall serves as a preseason. "We work on getting in better shape," women's heavyweight coach Lori Dauphiny said. "We can build an aerobic base and make some technical adjustments."
With a long winter of grueling practices looming, the Tigers had two chances to evaluate themselves.
The season started at the Head of the Charles, hosted by Harvard, on October 20th. The men's top eight finished eighth overall, only the fifth best showing among college crews.
"It was a disappointment — we had hoped to finish higher," men's head coach Curtis Jordan said. "Our preparation was reasonable, but our performance was lackluster."
For the women, the day was slightly more successful, as the top boat finished fourth overall. They finished just one second behind Yale, the top college crew. The Tigers had the unenviable burden of starting the race one spot ahead of the Canadian National Team.
"We held the Canadians off for a long time," Dauphiny said. "I was impressed that we stayed right on their tail once they passed us."
The next weekend, the Tigers hosted the Princeton Chase on Lake Carnegie. Both crews improved on home water. The women's eight avenged its previous weekend's loss to Yale, winning by five seconds.
"We protected our home course advantage well," Dauphiny said. We made a few changes in the boat, and the team was really fired up."
The Princeton men managed to finish one-two in the four man races. In the eight man race, the crew finished second by nine seconds.
According to Jordan, there was "still something missing" from Princeton's effort. "We rowed a good piece, but we're disappointed we lost to Cornell," White said.
Still, Jordan feels good about his crew. "We have a hardworking, focused senior class. Maximizing talent is a theme."
Jordan is also encouraged by a strong freshman class. The top frosh boat destroyed the competition at the Charles and Schuylkill regattas, winning each by over 30 seconds. "We're really happy with the freshmen," Jordan said. "They have great size and talent, but they're still learning how to row and train."
The female freshmen also looked strong, squeezing out a win at the Schuylkill by .2 seconds. "We were pretty excited to do that well," freshman coach Wendy Levash said.
With this fall season over, the men and the women have now turned their focus to winter training.
"I can use the time to improve the skill level a few notches and find the right combination," Jordan said.
Capturing the Ivy League and Eastern Sprints championships won't be easy for either crew. Still, both squads know December sweat will be rewarded in May.
"We know who's fast now," White said. "We need to outwork them. We can grind it out for a few months and make some big gains."
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