HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England - All six American crews won their races in the first round of the Temple Challenge Cup for student eights yesterday, the first day of the annual Henley Royal Regatta.
Williams College, from Williamstown, Mass., was the first US crew in action and defeated Oxford Brookes University by 1 1/2 lengths to move into the round of 16.
Grand Valley State, from Allendale, Mich., then easily beat England's University of Warwick by 3 3/4 lengths before Trinity College defeated Southampton University, also of England, by 1 1/4 lengths.
Cornell followed up by beating Proteus Eretes from Holland by 1 1/3 lengths, and Stanford took an early lead against South Africa's University of Stellenbosch in the afternoon session to win by 4 lengths. Harvard completed the American sweep by beating Ireland's Trinity College by 2 lengths. Harvard next faces a composite crew from Balliol College and Exeter College of Oxford University.
The prestigious Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for schoolboy eights also started yesterday, and St. Joseph's Preparatory School from Philadelphia used a strong start against English opponent Cheltenham College to dominate the race to the finish. St. Joseph's next faces local favorite Hampton School in the round of 16. Salisbury School from Connecticut also won easily over English school St. Peter's, and will face the local Abingdon School in the next round today.
In the Prince Albert Challenge Cup for student coxed fours, Trinity College could not overcome some erratic steering at the start and lost by 2 lengths to Oxford Brookes University.
In the Thames Challenge Cup for club eights, the Newport Aquatic Center, from Newport Beach, Calif., lost by a canvas - or 6 feet - to England's Grosvenor Club. Newport carved out a narrow early lead.
