Crew: Rowers outpace weekend competition

Princeton swept the top three races and finished second and third in the varsity B four and novice four, respectively.

After Harvard beat the varsity boat at Nationals last year, Princeton has been waiting for a chance this season to prove its mettle.

In the varsity race, the Tigers knew the conditions were terrible, but they decided to attack the piece right off the line.

In the first 250 meters, Princeton attacked and opened up an impressive lead. The team did not sit back on its margin, however, keeping its pace a full two beats higher than the rest of the field.

The Tigers remained untouched throughout the race and finished first with a time of seven minutes, 23.2 seconds, while Radcliffe came in second at 7:30.0, fighting off Bucknell, which finished less than two seconds later at 7:31.9.

Finishing in 7:32.2, the second varsity boat also beat out Radcliffe by less than three seconds and Bucknell by 13.7 seconds. Cornell finished fourth in both races — by more than three 20 seconds in the second varsity and 30 seconds in the first varsity.

After the starting strokes of the varsity four race, Princeton was down to Radcliffe by a whole length. After a bold rallying move at the 750-meter mark, Princeton jumped up on Radcliffe, which shattered under the Tigers’ ambitious pace.Princeton continued to push ahead, and Radcliffe, broken, eventually fell to third place.

The Tigers finished the race in a time of 8:04.5, holding off Bucknell, which finished less than two seconds later.

This weekend, the lightweight women also hosted Bucknell on Lake Carnegie, and they continued to dominate in the varsity race. Princeton got off to a shaky start in the headwind, but it remained composed and connected and stuck to its race plan.

This proved effective, as the Tigers finished more than 21 seconds ahead of their competitors. The lightweight varsity four finished in a time of 9:09.0, but it was not quick enough to beat Bucknell’s first open crew four, who finished in 8:44.8. This was a respectable finish for a lightweight four in a strong headwind, especially compared to a heavier crew who typically has the advantage in a headwind.

Senior captain Madeline Davis noted that the efforts each boat had been putting into practice came to fruition this weekend.

“Both boats were able to exhibit all the training we have been putting in, and clearly it is paying off,” Davis explained.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Right after the lightweight women’s race, the heavyweight men hosted Columbia and Penn. Up against a strong Columbia crew, the Princeton first varsity could not deliver the necessary power to defeat the Lions and lost by nine seconds.

Columbia finished in a time of 6:20.8, Princeton came in second with 6:29.6, and Penn placed third, crossing the finish line at 6:33.7.

In the second varsity eight event, the Princeton second and third varsity showed the team’s depth, claiming first in 6:25.3 and second in 6:33.1, respectively. The Tiger boats beat out Penn, which finished in 6:36.6, and Columbia, who finished in 6:46.7.

The lightweight men traveled up to Ithaca, N.Y., where they faced off against a strong and deep Cornell crew team. The freshmen were looking to protect their undefeated record and were first to row on this cold and windy course.

In the first 1,000 meters of the course, the freshmen commanded the race, but coming around the turn into a stronger headwind, they lost composure, and Cornell was able to walk back on Princeton. Cornell finished in a time of 6:34.0, beating Princeton by more than five seconds.

In the varsity race, Princeton jumped off the start, and by the end of the high twenty, they had taken six seats on Cornell.

Princeton continued to move in the settle, and the team increased their lead over the next 500 meters. Coming around the turn in the course, the crew lost sight of Cornell, and when the Big Red again entered their vision, the Tigers were up by a significant margin.

Princeton maintained composure in the headwind and finished in a time of 6:18.7, with Cornell coming in second more than 14 seconds later.

In the second varsity race, Cornell ultimately won, finishing in 6:33.9, with the Tigers finishing five seconds later. Princeton’s third varsity finished in a time of 7:08.8 but came in behind Cornell’s third varsity boat, which finished in 6:44.9.

Senior co-captain Tom Paulett was satisfied with the races overall.

“There was great racing on all levels in some tough conditions, and we were happy to come away with a win in the first varsity race,” Paulett said. “Cornell really showed their strength as a team by winning the frosh, second and third varsity races. They are great competitors, and this was a good test for our team. Now we have to continue training hard for the upcoming races.”