Crew hits the water this weekend

Although their fall season lasted a mere two regattas, both the men's and women's crew teams had ample time to establish themselves as powerful competitors. Last November, the Tigers enjoyed significant success in nearly every division in the Princeton Chase, claiming victories in the men's heavyweight four and eight, men's lightweight four, and women's open four and eight.

When the Princeton men begin their longer spring season with a race against a strong Navy squad on Saturday at Lake Carnegie, not only will the Tigers use the experience garnered from those fall titles, but they will also showcase the strength and conditioning that is a product of a winter spent in the boathouse.

"We used the momentum we had from the fall to drive us in our winter training," junior Steve Coppola said.

After both the heavyweight and lightweight teams' successes at the Princeton Chase and at the Head of the Charles, each Princeton boat understands the importance of starting the season off on a strong note. They each hope to culminate the season with an Eastern Sprints victory and a national title.

The Midshipmen's heavyweight squad placed fourth at Nationals last year. Their lightweights are no slouches either — they were the top team at the IRA National Championships last year.

"Navy will test us and give us an indication of what we need to work on," lightweight head coach Joe Murtaugh said.

To ensure that the opening race reflects the hard work the Tigers have put in during the offseason as well as their high aspirations for this season, Princeton's lightweight rowers will look to co-captains Anders Swanson and Mark Collinson to inspire a strong performance.

"We're a crew that is returning the bulk of its members from last year," junior coxswain James Egan said. "We're just another year older, stronger and more mature and, I think, a lot more cohesive than a lot of the other crews out there since we've been rowing together for three years."

The heavyweight men may have a slightly more difficult time, as they have been plagued by injuries. Senior captain Spencer Washburn will not race in the first boat for Princeton this weekend, but he will be able to provide on-water leadership from his position in the second boat.

"He's done everything possible to work his way back into the first boat," Jordan said. "His leadership is a source of strength for our entire squad."

Wisconsin team to beat

The men's teams are not the only Princeton boats that look to challenge for spring titles. Both women's teams are consistently strong competitors.

The openweight boats look to build on their Princeton Chase sweep last fall and have high goals for their future performances. The Tigers lost three starting seniors and a coxswain from last year's squad, but the team is pleased with the way the old and new rowers have clicked.

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"We lost some really valuable seniors, and the whole team has to step up, but I know we will," junior Caroline Lind said.

Buoyed by their success in the fall, the two women's open boats plan on using the early spring season to gain momentum heading into Eastern Sprints and the NCAA championships. Anything less than an individual boat medal will be a disappointment for the Tigers, and they believe that they have a good shot at winning a team award as well.

"We want to win at Sprints and NCAAs, but getting a team award would be amazing," Lind said.

Though the open boats have enjoyed the most success, women's lightweight head coach Paul Rassam is enthusiastic about his team's season.

"[Senior] Rachel Vandagriff's addition has had a tremendous impact on our team," Rassam said. "We have a number of very strong sophomores that have added depth to our squad and a competitive spirit that has helped to push our team along through the months of training."

Despite that optimism, stiff competition stands in the way of their potential success.

"Wisconsin has shown themselves to be the team to beat," Rassam said, "and a team the caliber of Radcliffe can never be counted out."

The women's open team begins its season with a home race against Brown and Michigan State this Saturday, while the women's lightweight team will travel to Philadelphia to participate in the 23rd annual Murphy Cup Regatta.