A late surge lifts Harvard
NU is nipped by less than a second
This year's dominant election theme - experience vs. change - spilled over to the waters of college rowing yesterday morning.
And in this case, experience triumphed, though just barely.
Harvard, buoyed by four seniors in its varsity boat, edged Northeastern in what is certain to go down as a Charles River classic. Trailing throughout the 2,000-meter contest, the Crimson surged ahead in the final strokes to claim victory by less than a second and beat the Huskies for the 11th straight time.
NU started out fast in hopes of chasing down its first series win since 1997. Navigating through an unsettling tailwind, the Huskies built a four-seat lead by the 750-meter mark.
Harvard better handled the rougher water awaiting the crews beyond the Mass. Ave. bridge and closed the gap with a power move at 1,100 meters, though the Huskies stayed in front until fewer than 20 strokes remained. Harvard was clocked in 5:43.7 with NU following in 5:44.4, making it the closest finish between the schools in 15 years.
"It was an exceptional effort by both crews," said Harvard coach Harry Parker, whose fourth-ranked varsity now turns its attention to defending its Eastern Sprints title in two weeks on Lake Quinsigamond. "I was impressed by how both boats handled the conditions and the pressure of such a close race. We just had a little more kick at the finish."
Harvard's boat included seniors George Kitovitz (stroke), Otto Stegmaier (No. 7), Joe Medioli (No. 6), and Matt Lausberg (No. 2). For Kitovitz and Medioli, it's their third year with the varsity.
NU coach John Pojednic, whose team was ranked eighth after beating Rutgers and Penn last weekend, pointed to that experience as a decisive factor.
"We were in control as late as the third 500 meters, and at that point you just want to be able to neutralize anything they come at you with," he said. "You're not going to sprint away from a crew like Harvard, and they were more successful when the conditions got rough. That's a sign of their experience, but hopefully we'll learn from it."
The morning action also featured the second women's Beanpot, in which Radcliffe kept its grip on both the varsity and overall points crowns by beating back the challenges of Northeastern, Boston University, Boston College, and MIT.
In the varsity race, Radcliffe and NU cleared the field in the first 500 meters and engaged in a head-to-head battle until the Black and White broke free during the sprint to claim a 2-length win, 6:24.0 to 6:31.4.
"We've worked hard to find more speed in the second half of races," said Radcliffe coach Liz O'Leary, whose crew is tied for seventh in this week's national poll. "I was pleased to see us be aggressive and pull away from Northeastern, given the rough water and that they're a strong crew. That's a good sign for us."
BU (6:38.7) finished third and BC, competing as a full Eastern Sprints member for the first time, placed fourth in 6:56.9. MIT (7:05.2) came in fifth.
In the team standings, which added in the results of the second varsity, varsity four, and two novice races, Radcliffe amassed 18 points. NU and BU tied for second with 9 points each, followed by BC (3) and MIT (1). In an effort to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research, all the crews wore pink racing shirts.
BU coach Holly Hatton looked beyond her crew's finish and focused on the event successfully taking root.
"There are so many great programs on the river, it's nice to see us all dueling out there," she said. "This is becoming a fixture on the race schedule and that's a good thing because it builds both competition and camaraderie among the crews."
Also on the docket were the BU men, who cut down George Washington by open water, 5:54.6 to 6:00.2, to win for the third time this spring.
"Our guys rowed a smart, controlled race," said Terriers coach Rodney Pratt, whose crew is back on the river this morning to face No. 3 Wisconsin and MIT. "We're looking to rediscover the form we had in the fall and this win is a step in that direction."
While Hingham native Matt Trevithick (2-seat) is among three seniors in the BU boat, the Terriers are also building for the future with four sophomores rowing for the varsity.
In lightweight action, the Princeton men topped host Harvard and previously unbeaten Yale to reel in the Goldthwait Cup for the first time since 1999. The Tigers (5:49.0) pulled ahead in the second half to win by seven seats over the Bulldogs (5:51.8), while the Crimson (5:59.3) faded after a strong start. Since dropping its season opener to Navy, Princeton has beaten six straight opponents, among them defending national champion Cornell.
Completing the day's list of winners was the fifth-ranked Central Florida women's lightweight crew, which upset No. 3 Radcliffe by one second and easily handled MIT.
