Head of the Charles opens crew season

Another season of rowing is finally upon us. The men's and women's crews have been practicing six days a week since the beginning of classes and the annual Head of the Charles will take place this weekend. Talk to any rower and it becomes clear that the Orange and Black have a very straightforward longterm plan: win Eastern Sprints.

Though the Tigers are quick to point to Sprints as the year's obvious goal, they do not dismiss the importance of every meet preceding it — in fact, they see every regatta as bringing them that much closer to a victory at Sprints.

"We're really taking it one race at a time," sophomore lightweight coxswain Alyx Cullen said. "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves."

Princeton crew has a long tradition of dominant performances on both the collegiate and international levels. The program sent seven current and former rowers to the 2006 World Rowing Championships, held this year in Eton, England.

In an effort to build on the success of past years, the Tigers are training hard in preparation for the upcoming contests. The women's lightweights have developed a new training regimen with a heavy emphasis on cross-training. Rather than spending all their time perfecting their strokes on the erg machine, the rowers are spending time running, lifting and even attending yoga class. The change of pace should ultimately pay off in cleaner strokes and faster times.

This year's group, on both the men's and the women's sides, has no lack of leadership either. The women's lightweight crew is led by senior captain Caitlin Corr, who also occupies the stroke position of the first varsity boat.

"She's a very strong leader," Cullen said. "She leads by example. She's really honest, but she's also really inspiring."

The lightweight men are led by senior captain Greg McKallagat. McKallagat, along with seniors Dave Cape and Ryan Kuhn and junior Taylor Washburn, rowed on the first varsity boat last year.

The heavyweight men are led by senior Will England. England was a member of last year's storied crew that came home with the Head of the Charles title, was ranked No. 1 almost all season and stroked to second in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association national grand finals.

The open women will be looking to build on last year's success, as they dominated the field all year beginning with a top collegiate finish at the Head of the Charles grand final and culminating in an NCAA championship. In a strange twist showcasing the Tigers' strength, this year's top boat will be flanked on either side by members from last year's NCAA champion boat Sunday at this year's Head of the Charles. Caroline Lind '06 will be rowing with the U.S. National Team, while Andreanne Morin '06 will be with the Canadian National Team.

The breadth of experience present across the board will surely help the Tigers as they find themselves competing against other perennially strong teams.

The women, like the men, are returning a large number of strong rowers from last season, which should provide a solid foundation. Only one member of last year's lightweight team graduated and the remaining seven members are expected to be major contributors on this year's team.

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Not only do the Tigers possess talented upperclassmen, they also boast one of the nation's most talented freshmen rowers nationally. Alyssa Perry, a recruit from Philadelphia, is turning heads with her standout performances in the boathouse thus far and will attend the Head of the Charles as a member of the lightweight varsity eight.

While talent is the major determinant of the potential success of the team, team unity is another critical aspect that this year's group seems to have plenty of.

"Team cohesion is great," Cullen said. "Some of my best friends are on the team, and it's really a great support network."

Consistent with this attitude, the Tigers' emphasis is not only on their top boats. The focus really seems to be on the depth of the program as a whole on all levels of competition. It is this approach that has led to Princeton's emergence as a true powerhouse. When one rower leaves, a new member is ready to step up and fill the gap.

Although the Tigers failed to come home with the Sprints title last year, they are determined to change things this season.

"I think the conclusion of last year's season didn't exactly meet our expectations, but we're all really excited about the potential on the team this year," Cullen said.

Both the men's and women's crews will compete this weekend at the Head of the Charles race, which is held in Boston. The women's lightweight team is coming off a solid performance earlier this year at the Head of the Potomac, where it claimed two of the three top spots.