Heavyweights pack punch

This year, for the first time in decades, all four of the heavyweight varsities along the Charles will go to Worcester for tomorrow's championships on Lake Quinsigamond as good bets to do considerably more than just hang on. Harvard, resurgent after a rare off year, has a strong chance to win its fifth title in seven seasons and 26th overall. Northeastern and Boston University could make the six-boat final and MIT may well earn an automatic bid to next month's IRA championships in Sacramento.

While the other three upstream crews all reached the Sprint final as recently as 2005, MIT hasn't had such a successful spring since the '70s, when it twice finished second at the IRAs. This year, the Engineers have beaten Princeton, and last weekend were within a length of Wisconsin's defending national champions.

"We're all very excited about how it's going," says coach Tony Kilbridge, whose crew's startling second-place finish to Harvard in the Compton Cup so impressed the Crimson oarsmen that they gave MIT the shirts that they'd claimed from Princeton. "But we're not going crazy."

The Sprints field is so competitive this season that any of the top 10 seeds could make the final.

"In one sense, it's wonderful if you can detach yourself," says Harvard coach Harry Parker. "In another sense, it's pretty scary."

Since the IRA now is a qualification regatta, with the top nine Eastern finishers guaranteed spots in the 24-boat field, this year's placements matter more than ever. "There's significantly more cognizance of the importance of the Sprints," says Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges director Gary Caldwell. "There's a sense of urgency that perhaps was not there before."

Yet the big prize - the Worcester Bowl - hasn't changed, nor has the boat to beat. Wisconsin, which has six men back from last year's titlists, has cruised through the season unbeaten, knocking off Washington and Stanford along the way. "We've got a few guys who just keep winning," says Badgers coach Chris Clark. "I'm not exactly sure all the time how they do it, even though I'm supposed to know."

If his boat can defend its crown in Worcester, it'll be the first Wisco crew to manage it. Last year, the Badgers won without having to beat Harvard, which missed the final for the first time since 1963.

With a rebuilt varsity that includes three men who didn't row last year for various reasons (6-man David Wakulich, 4-man Richard Anderson, 2-man Blake Pucsek), the Crimson began the season by finishing a respectable third behind California and Washington in the San Diego Crew Classic and have won all four of their cup races, the last three by open water. "I know it's a shocker," Clark observes wryly, "but Harvard is really good again."

With Wisconsin, Harvard, Brown, and unbeaten Cornell all banging elbows, even making the final will be an achievement. One boat that figures to be there is fifth-seeded Northeastern, which has missed the top six only twice since 1994. "Everything about our team is stronger and better and faster this year," says Pojednic. "But we don't seem to be racing as well and we're trying to figure that out."

Racing decidedly better this year is BU, which has been on the rebound under new coach Tom Bohrer, who has instilled new discipline and resolve around DeWolfe Boathouse. "Core values," says Bohrer. "Everything from what they should wear on the bus to weight training."

The alarm bell rang last season when the Terriers lost to MIT for the first time in 15 years after leading by nearly a length. "A great win for MIT," acknowledged Bohrer, "and a nail in the coffin for BU."

This year, his oarsmen have beaten IRA finalist Columbia for the first time in three years, missed edging NU by seven-10ths of a second, and gave Wisconsin a good push last weekend. "They feel they've already succeeded," says Bohrer. "But now's the time to say, we can go further. Don't be afraid to win."

That also has been the message at MIT, where the oarsmen usually have been delighted to be anywhere but dead last at the Sprints, which is where they were last year. This time, ninth place will get the Engineers a ticket to Sacramento and they'll likely earn an at-large bid just by making the petite final. "If we get 12th, we're probably going to go," reckons Kilbridge, "barring some weirdness that I haven't been able to figure out."

So far it has been a delightfully weird season along the Rivah, where an unusual tide is lifting all boats. When Harvard guys are giving away Princeton shirts to astrophysics majors, it's a most extraordinary spring.