4/3/2010 – Blue Crews — Some Wins and Some Trophies

Folks …

In Blue Crew racing this weekend, the conditions were fast and the victories many.

In competition for the Eads Johnson Trophy, #4 ranked Navy LWs defeated #3 ranked Yale LWs on Lake Carnegie in Princeton, N.J., on Saturday afternoon.
Navy’s first varsity boat completed the race in 5:39.8 to edge Yale by 1.5 seconds. The Midshipmen hoisted the Eads Johnson Trophy for the first time since 2007 and now own a 4-3 all-time record against Yale in the trophy race.

The Bulldogs won the Second Varsity Eight and the Third Varsity Eight races. The Midshipmen were nipped by 4.2 seconds in the second varsity race, 5:48.8-5:53.0, and 3.4 seconds in the third varsity competition, 5:52.7-5:56.1.

Folks …

In Blue Crew racing this weekend, the conditions were fast and the victories many.

Navy’s first Plebe boat defeated the Yale Freesh by 2.2 seconds with a time of 5:49.1, prior to which Matt Muffelman’s second Frosh boasted the largest margin of victory for any race on Saturday, 10.8 seconds, with winning time of a 6:04.0. Both Navy Plebe boats remain undefeated on the season.

“There was hard-fought, great racing throughout the day,” stated Navy head coach Steve Perry. “The varsity eight was happy to bring the Eads Johnson Trophy back to Annapolis and the plebes have now gone four races without a loss. However, as a team there were some things that we will learn from today’s outing that will help for next weekend.”

For those who are counting, and at the request of some, we have been informally tracking team results for the Navy – Yale races over the same period since 2004. Based on the formula used for the Vogel Cup in the annual competition between the lightweights of Harvard, Yale and Princeton:

· 2010 – Navy {41} – Yale {31}

Since the series began in 2004, Navy now leads in “team points competition” with four wins [2010, 2007, 2005, 2004]; Yale was the winner in the prior two years [2009, 2008]; and 2006 resulted in a 36-36 tie between the two squads.

Next weekend, the Bulldogs will continue their season against #12 MIT and #5 Georgetown. The race against MIT will determine the winner of the Joy Cup.

Navy will return to action next Saturday, April 10, when it heads to Orchard Beach in Pelham, N.Y., to take on #7 Columbia.

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Yale’s heavyweight crews opened their season with three wins over Ivy League rivals Brown. The Bulldogs won the morning’s first three events: the four, the third varsity eight and the first freshman eight. The last two—the second varsity and varsity events—were claimed by Brown. The Bears topped the Bulldogs in the varsity event by 1.8 seconds.

The Bulldog Freesh picked up a close win, beating the Bears by 1.3 seconds. Yale finished the 2000-meter course in a time of 5:49.5 to Brown’s 5:50.8.

Brown won last year’s freshman event by 9.13 seconds and went on to win Eastern Sprints. In fact, many members of Brown’s current team carry Eastern Sprints gold medals. The Bears swept all four events they raced in (1V, 2V, 1F, 2F) at last year’s championship to take the team trophy.

The Yale second varsity eight fell to Brown by 6.3 seconds. The Bears completed the course in 5:47.7, while the Bulldogs finished in 5:54.0.

Yale won both 3rd Varsity 8+ and 2nd Freshman 4+. In the 3V, the Bulldogs led the Bruins by 2.7 seconds [5:50.6]. In the 2F/4V fours competition, Yale finished in a time of 6:42.5 with two Brown boats trailing at 6:44.2 and 7:02.8. The Yale four included one oarsman recruited for the day from the Yale LWs.

Last year’s second and third varsity boats both raced and fell to Brown’s second varsity. The Brown JV posted at time of 5:46.45 compared to 5:51.86 for the Yale JV and 5:54.11 for the Yale third varsity when the three boats raced on the Seekonk River in Providence, R.I.

The morning wrapped up with the varsity eight event. The #12 Yale varsity jumped to an early lead to hold a three-seat advantage on the reigning Ivy League champions by the thousand-meter mark.

#3 ranked Brown however walked back on the Yale eight in the second thousand to take the win by 1.8 seconds. The Bears’ bow-ball crossed the line in 5:38.0 while Yale’s finished in 5:39.8.

Though still a loss, the varsity’s performance is a remarkable improvement on last year’s 9.9-second loss.

The Bulldogs are back in action at home next weekend when they host the #16 ranked Dartmouth Big Green in competition for the Olympic Axe.

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It’s been a difficult stretch for the #1 ranked Yale women’s crew. First, there was the rising water on the Housatonic River at the Gilder Boathouse from a heavy rainstorm early in the week. Then several team members came down with a stomach virus that kept them from being at full strength for a busy weekend of racing. Through it all, though, the Bulldogs persevered.

On Friday, The varsity eight captured the Cayuga Cup for the ninth straight year, despite running into some trouble midway through the race. Yale’s oars side-swiped a bridge near the 1,000-meter mark forcing stroke Taylor Ritzel to have to stop rowing. The Bulldogs had an open-water lead at the time and still managed to cruise to a 2.5-second victory over second-place Cornell. Yale finished in 6:27.4, while the Big Red came in at 6:29.8. Syracuse was third in 6:46.2.

In the second varsity, the Bulldogs won by more than two seconds, finishing with a time of 6:30.8. Cornell was second in 6:33.2 and Syracuse placed third (6:57.6).

The varsity four had the easiest time, cruising to a nearly 11-second victory over second-place Syracuse. The Bulldogs second varsity four also finished first.

Cornell won the third varsity eight race.

On Saturday on the Cayuga Inlet, Yale faced its first test against a nationally ranked opponent this season.. The Bulldogs varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four all were victorious over seventh-ranked Michigan State in the morning. Yale then swept Buffalo in the afternoon.

Against Michigan State, Yale’s varsity eight got off well and had a comfortable lead at the midway point. The Spartans made a push over the second 1,000 meters, but the Bulldogs held them off, finishing in 6:16.3. The Spartans crossed the line in 6:18.6.

Yale’s second varsity also got off to a strong start and won by an identical 2.3-second margin as the varsity. The Bulldogs finished in 6:37.6

The varsity four cruised to a nearly three-second victory, completing the 2,000-meter course in 7:20.1. The Spartans came in at 7:23.2.

Michigan State captured the second varsity four with a time of 7:31.3. The Bulldogs finished in 7:42.9.

Yale’s third varsity eight was scratched due to illness.

Against Buffalo, Yale cruised to comfortable victories in all four races. The varsity eight won with a time of 6:28.9, nearly 10 seconds faster than the Bulls. The second varsity also had a nearly 10-second winning margin (6:34.3 to 6:45.1). Yale’s varsity four won by almost 25 seconds and the third varsity eight was victorious with a time of 6:54.4.

Yale races for the first time at home next Saturday, hosting un-ranked Boston University and #16 Dartmouth in competition for the Class of 1985 Cup.

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The un-ranked Navy women’s crew team saw each of its top boats in each race advance and perform well in the finals at the Murphy Cup on Saturday on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

Navy’s best performance came in the varsity four race, as it placed second with a time of 7:28.08, only 3.33 seconds behind first-place Loyola. The Midshipmen crossed the finish line ahead of defending Patriot League champion Bucknell with a difference of 2.39 seconds.

The Midshipmen also finished second in the second varsity eight race, as they produced a 6:51.09 clocking to land behind only Bucknell’s 6:43.46 showing.

Navy’s first varsity boat delivered a third-place time of 6:51.01 in the finals, which was only 6.22 second behind Bucknell’s winning time and 3.69 seconds off of second-place St. Joseph’s.

The novice eight boat for the Midshipmen came in fifth place during the finals with a 7:14.80 clocking.

Navy Coach Mike Hughes remarked, “All of our `A’ boats won their heats to advance to the finals, which is always a good thing. Our varsity four boat was able to beat Bucknell and our first varsity eight boat was never out of the race. We believe that we’re within striking range for later in the season.”

Navy will return to action this Friday and Saturday, as it will compete at the George Washington Invitational.

Navy’s 14th ranked HWs will open their Spring season at the same regatta.

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In a truly epic battle on the Tideway, Cambridge confounded the bookies by coming from behind to win the 156th Boat Race. Their victory denied Oxford the hat-trick, and increased the Light Blues overall advantage in the series – Cambridge have now won 80 races against Oxford’s 75.

Oxford won the toss and chose the Surrey station – always the safer bet when the forecasts promised squally showers with the wind swinging round to the south west. Off the start, their stroke, Charlie Burkitt, took the crew off at 47 strokes a minute against Cambridge at 45, and along the boat houses Oxford began to eke out a small advantage. But as the crews settled at 37 and got into their race pace beyond Beverley Brook, Cambridge – on the inside of the Middlesex bend – had drawn level.

Oxford now moved into a solid rhythm which gave them a canvas advantage by the time the crews reached Barn Elms. Despite being warned for their steering by umpire Simon Harris, they reached the Mile Post a second ahead of Cambridge, with both crews now rating 35.

Mile Post – Oxford 3 mins 37 sec, Cambridge 3 min 38 sec.

Oxford were now determined to maximise the advantage of the inside of the Hammersmith bend and, despite a slight push from the Light Blues, went half a length clear at Harrods, and maintained the edge at Hammersmith Bridge, where there was a margin of two seconds between the crews.

Hammersmith Bridge – Oxford 6 min 30 sec, Cambridge 6 mins 32.5 sec.

As Cambridge now dug deep on the outside of the curve to prevent the opposition moving away. Maintaining the higher rate past St Paul’s boathouse they began to close the gap, and Oxford upped their own rate to 36 to stave off the attack. As the forecast choppy conditions prevailed down Corney Reach, so the pressure from Cambridge proved relentless – they continued to close past Chiswick Eyot and narrowed the Oxford lead to just 0.5sec at Chiswick Steps.

Chiswick Steps – Oxford 10 min 26 sec, Cambridge 10 min 26.5 sec.

Cambridge went for another push at the Crossing, which proved the crucial point in the race and this time the Dark Blues could not respond. For the first time Cambridge took the lead, finding new reserves of power in their confident stroke, while an air of desperation crept in to the Oxford boat.

Cambridge reached Barnes Bridge two seconds up and the Dark Blues faced the monumental task of moving round the outside of the final bend to recapture the lead.

Barnes Bridge – Cambridge 14 min 30, Oxford 14 min 32 sec

In a final push Oxford upped the rate to 36 and began to close, but a confident response from Cambridge put the result in no doubt. The Light Blues pushed the rate back up to 38 to move away and cross the line four seconds clear in 17 mins 35 secs, 1 1/3 lengths ahead of the Dark Blue.

GOLDIE END ISIS WINNING STREAK

Goldie [Cambridge] won the Reserve Race for the first time in three years after a 2 length victory over Isis [Oxford].

The Goldie crew, which included Australian rower Hardy Cubasch who competed in the Blue Boat last year, finished in a time of 18 mins 03 seconds, having started on the Middlesex station. Isis finished in 18 mins 06 seconds, 3/4 length back of the Cambridge boat.

Isis edged out to an early lead at Hammersmith Bridge, but Goldie pushed ahead and remained in front until the finish.

Goldie, who weighed over 40kg more than Isis, put a halt to Dark Blue dominance with a powerful finish that saw them edge away from the Oxford boat to finish first.

The Goldie crew, coxed by the only female in today’s two races Liz Box, dug deep to ensure Isis did not make it three wins in a row in the 46th encounter between the two boats.

Isis suffered difficult preparations as they were forced into a late crew change this morning with Doug Bruce, who was in the two seat of the 2009 winning Isis crew, coming into the four seat in place of Ben Snodin who fell ill with a virus overnight.

But it was a good day for Australian Hardy Cubasch, who was unable to retain a seat in the Blue Boat this year, as he will have had his disappointment eased somewhat leading his crew to victory.

Cubasch lost the toss earlier in the day and had to set off from the Middlesex station, with the Surrey station being seen as the favoured of the two enjoying the advantage of the long middle bend.

Goldie took advantage of the shorter first and last bends to cross the line well clear of the Isis boat setting up the main event very nicely for this afternoon.

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Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” slogan inspired Cambridge to defy the odds and beat Oxford in the University Boat Race, said their leader, who worked on the US president’s election campaign.

Cambridge crew president Deaglan McEachern [University of California – Berkeley] said “Yes We Can” was his final message to his fellow oarsmen before they won the 156th Boat Race, beating their rivals for the first time in three years.

McEachern, a history student who worked as an intern on Obama’s campaign, was on the losing side in last year’s race but was always confident the Light Blues had what it took this time.

“I knew this crew had a chance to win and I told them to go out there and take it,” the American said.

“All we really wanted was a chance to win. We went out there, executed what we had planned and trained for and came away with the victory.

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The winning Cambridge Light Blues included three Canadians and two from the USA [Wisco and Cal].

The losing Oxford Dark Blue boated one Canadian [Princeton], three Americans [#3 and #4, Wisco Cox] and one German, who rowed at Harvard.

Former Harvard Crimson oarsmen Simon Gawlik ’09, Cameron Winklevoss ’04 and Tyler Winklevoss ’04 were at #7,#4 and #3 for the losing Oxford Dark Blue. William Rueter ’09 and Moritz Hafner ’09 raced as the bow pair in the losing Isis crew [Oxford}

Hafner rowed for the lightweight squad at Harvard, winning
a silver medal at Sprints and at the IRA National Championships as the stroke of the lightweight varsity eight. This summer he competed at the World Cup in the pair and placed sixth in the eight at the World Championship in the German national boat.

Can we say that the North Americans made the difference in the Cambridge win in the 156th Boat Race?

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In other EARC LW racing this weekend:

On Lake Carnegie, with significant favorable current, #1 Princeton took 4 of 5 races from #5 Georgetown and #7 Columbia, losing only the 2nd Frosh race to Georgetown. In the 1V, the Tigers [5:46.9]retained the Fosburgh Cup, finishing 4 seconds ahead of Georgetown [5:50.9] and 4.8 seconds in front of Columbia [5:51.7] in 3rd.

In 5 to 8 knots of headwind and adverse current on their home course on the Charles River, #2 Harvard swept 4 races from un-ranked Delaware. In the 1V, the Cantabs [6:16.2] finished well ahead with open water back to the trailing Blue Hens [6:25.6].

In the same waters and similar conditions in Cambridge #11 ranked Dartmouth 1st varsity [6:22.4] defeat Nick Baker’s Penn Quaker LWs [6:24.5] by 1/2 length. #12 MIT Beavers [6:30.4] finished open water back in third.

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Go to www.theboatrace.org for lots of good stuff including a video of the full 2010 race. Make sure you check out the site for historical art and cartoons of The Boat Race from the Thomas E. Weil Collection at the River and Rowing Museum at Henley.

For more detail of all of these races and more see articles from Navy and Yale Sports and as always www.row2k.com for news and results.

GO BLUE … Cheers!

Best Regards,

Coach and TB406

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From Navy Sports:

Navy Defeats Yale for Eads Johnson Trophy
The Midshipmen won three races on Saturday afternoon

Navy men’s lightweight crew

April 3, 2010

PRINCETON, N.J. – The Navy men’s lightweight crew team defeated Yale in the first varsity race to claim the Eads Johnson Trophy on Lake Carnegie in Princeton, N.J., on Saturday afternoon.
In the showcase event of the day, Navy’s first varsity boat completed the race in 5:39.8 to edge Yale by 1.5 seconds. The Midshipmen hoisted the Eads Johnson Trophy for the first time since 2007 and now own a 4-3 all-time record against Yale in the trophy race.

Heading into the first varsity contest, the Mids had won two of the other four contested races. Navy’s first freshmen boat defeated Yale by 2.2 seconds with a time of 5:49.1, prior to which it boasted the largest margin of victory for any race on Saturday, 10.8 seconds, with a 6:04.0 showing in the second freshmen event.

The Midshipmen were nipped by 4.2 seconds in the second varsity race, 5:48.8-5:53.0, and 3.4 seconds in the third varsity competition, 5:52.7-5:56.1.

Navy will return to action next Saturday, April 10, when it heads up to Pelham, N.Y., to take on Columbia at 7 a.m.

NAVY vs. YALE – April 3, 2010 – Princeton, N.J.
1st Varsity (Eads Johnson Trophy) – Navy 5:39.8, Yale 5:41.3
2nd Varsity – Yale 5:48.8, Navy 5:53.0
3rd Varsity – Yale 5:52.7, Navy 5:56.1
1st Freshmen – Navy 5:49.1, Yale 5:51.3
2nd Freshmen – Navy 6:04.0, Yale 6:14.8

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From Yale Sports:

Apr 4, 2010

Yale Wins Two of Five Against Navy

Princeton, N.J. – The Yale lightweight crew team won two of its five races against Navy, in the seventh annual installation of the Johnson Cup. The races were held on Saturday, Apr. 3, on Lake Carnegie in Princeton, N.J. The Bulldogs won the Second Varsity Eight and the Third Varsity Eight races, but fell in the Second Freshman Eight, the First Freshman Eight, and the Varsity Eight. Yale’s loss in the varsity race gave Navy the Johnson Cup for the first time in the last three years.

In the first race of the day, the Second Freshman Eight race, Navy pulled out a comfortable win, beating Yale with a time of 6:04.0. Yale finished in 6:14.8. In the Third Varsity Eight race, the Bulldogs finished ahead of Navy with a final time of 5:52.7. The Midshipmen finished in 5:56.1. In the First Freshman Eight race, Navy narrowly defeated Yale with a time of 5:49.1. Yale finished in 5:51.3. In the Second Varsity Eight race, Yale was able to cruise to victory with a time of 5:48.8, almost five seconds ahead of Navy. Finally, in a closely contested Varsity race, Navy edged out Yale with a time of 5:39.8. Yale finished in 5:41.3.

Next weekend, the Bulldogs will continue their season against MIT and Georgetown. The race against MIT will determine the winner of the Joy Cup.

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· 2010 – Navy {41} – Yale {31}

· 2009 – Yale {46} – Navy {26}

· 2008 – Yale {41} – Navy {31}

· 2007 – Navy {40} – Yale {32}

· 2006 – TIE – Navy {36} – Yale {36}

· 2005 – Navy {43} – Yale {24} [2F fours race DNF after boat swamps]

· 2004 – Navy {42} – Yale {30}

[Based on 1st and 2nd place points in Vogel Cup]

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You can find information on the Vogel Cup and the points formula at http://www.yale.edu/rowing/vogel_cup.htm

First Second Third
Varsity 20 10 5
Second Varsity 10 6 3
First Freshman 10 6 3
Third Varsity 3 2 1
Second Freshman 3 2 1
From Yale Sports:

Apr 3, 2010

Yale Wins Three of Five in Opener Against Brown

DERBY, Conn.- Yale’s heavyweight crews opened their season with three wins over Ivy League rivals Brown. The Bulldogs won the morning’s first three events: the four, the third varsity eight and the first freshman eight. The last two—the second varsity and varsity events—were claimed by Brown. The Bears topped the Bulldogs in the varsity event by 1.8 seconds.

The first race of the morning pitted a Yale 4+ comprised of two varsity oarsmen, one freshman and one lightweight against two Brown fours that are normally their 4V/2F eight. The Yale coxed four was put together earlier in the week when the opportunity presented itself for the oarsmen not in the eights to race. Coxed by senior Ian Schmertzler, the four featured junior Benjamin Ortiz in stroke, senior Nolan Maher in three, sophomore lightweight Max Micali in two and freshman Jon Morgan in bow.

By the thousand-meter mark the Yale four was up by a length on the nearest Brown four. They held on to win the race in a time of 6:42.5. Brown A took second place 1.7 seconds later in a time of 6:44.2. Brown B finished in 7:02.8.

The Bulldogs followed up this win with another: the third varsity eight. The Yale eight started with the advantage of the stagger, but by the end of the first thousand found itself down three seats on the Brown eight. Coxswain Morgan Welch called a power-ten with 750 meters to start getting the Bulldogs even with the Bears. Welch then called another move at the 700-meter mark. The eight rowers responded and from there the Yale eight didn’t look back.

The Yale eight continued to take seats down the rest of the course to finish almost eight seats up on the Brown crew, storming up nearly twelve seats in the second thousand.

“The boat did a phenomenal job of staying composed and then really going after it in the sprint. I couldn’t be more proud of this boat,” noted senior James Tormey.

The third varsity eight was comprised of sophomore Patrick O’Malley (stroke), senior Dominique Fenton (seven), senior James Tormey (six), sophomore Jonathan Martin (five), sophomore Keith Pfirrman (four), junior George Morgan (three), sophomore Alexander Krey (two), junior Simon Warren (bow) and sophomore Morgan Welch (cox). The Yale eight topped Brown by 2.7 seconds with a time of 5:50.6 to 5:53.3.

The third event of the morning was the freshman eight. The Bulldogs picked up a close win, beating the Bears by 1.3 seconds. Yale finished the 2000-meter course in a time of 5:49.5 to Brown’s 5:50.8.

The freshman eight had the inside lane, so they started down on Brown but had almost walked up even by the turn.

“We had a big move at the halfway point, taking the lead, but Brown came back a bit meaning we had to answer with a big sprint,” noted freshman Tom Lynam.

The sprint paid off and the Bulldogs were able to hold off their opponent to cross the line first. This year’s winning eight featured Don Leatherwood (stroke), Viktor Romanov (seven), Grant Stegelmann (six), Harry Picone (five), Tom Lynam (four), Harry Simperingham (three), Ian Suvak (two), Philippe Mastroyannis (bow) and Ian Forsyth (cox).

The fourth event of the morning saw the Yale second varsity eight fall to Brown’s by 6.3 seconds. The Bears completed the course in 5:47.7, while the Bulldogs finished in 5:54.0.

Senior Antonio Sirianni noted, “We had the intensity to hang with a very strong Brown crew for the first half of the race. Now we need to find the technical composure necessary to finish the job.”

That eight was comprised of junior Duncan Logie in stroke, junior Benjamin Grant in seven, junior Nathaniel Reeve in six, senior Antonio Sirianni in five, sophomore Django Broer-Hellermann in four, junior Daniel Klassen in three, sophomore Joseph Alagna in two, junior Patrick Vergara in bow and Emma McBurney as cox.

Sirianni, from Buffalo, N.Y., added, “We’re disappointed but looking forward to racing them again at Eastern Sprints.”

The morning wrapped up with the varsity eight event. The Yale varsity jumped to an early lead to hold a three-seat advantage on the reigning Ivy League champions by the thousand-meter mark.

Brown however walked back on the Yale eight in the second thousand to take the win by 1.8 seconds. The Bears’ bow-ball crossed the line in 5:38.0 while Yale’s finished in 5:39.8.

Though still a loss, the varsity’s performance is a remarkable improvement on last year’s 9.9-second loss. In the Yale varsity eight for the dual against Brown were sophomore Benjamin Bowles (stroke), senior Henry Cole (seven), junior Marcos Carzolio (six), junior Derek Johnson (five), sophomore Thomas Dethlefs (four), junior Matthew Ramlow (three), senior Lucas Spielfogel (two), junior Alex Mastroyannis (bow) and senior Rebecca Burgoyne-Allen (cox).

The Bulldogs are back in action at home next weekend when they host the Dartmouth Big Green.

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From Yale Sports:

Apr 2, 2010

No. 1 Bulldogs Overcome Sickness, Mishap To Top Cornell & Syracuse

Yale Wins Cayuga Cup For Ninth Straight Year

ITHACA, N.Y. – Not even illness or a slight mishap midway through a race can slow down the top-ranked Yale women’s crew. Head Coach Will Porter was forced to juggle his lineups due to a stomach virus that has hit his team, but the Bulldogs still managed to win four of five races against Cornell and Syracuse on Friday afternoon on the Cayuga Inlet.

The varsity eight captured the Cayuga Cup for the ninth straight year, despite running into some trouble midway through the race. Yale’s oars side-swiped a bridge near the 1,000-meter mark forcing stroke Taylor Ritzel to have to stop rowing. The Bulldogs had an open-water lead at the time and still managed to cruise to a 2.5-second victory over second-place Cornell. Yale finished in 6:27.4, while the Big Red came in at 6:29.8. Syracuse was third in 6:46.2. The Bulldogs were without senior Alice Henly, a four-year member of the varsity who was sick. She was replaced by Mary Pat Wixted.

In the second varsity, the Bulldogs won by more than two seconds, finishing with a time of 6:30.8. Cornell was second in 6:33.2 and Syracuse placed third (6:57.6).

The varsity four had the easiest time, cruising to a nearly 11-second victory over second-place Syracuse. The Bulldogs second varsity four also finished first.

Cornell won the third varsity eight race.

“We had to scramble a bit to fill our boats, but I’m pleased with the way we raced,” Porter said. “It showed even in a weakened state, we can still race at a high level.”

The Bulldogs don’t have a lot of time to recover. They face seventh-ranked Michigan State on Saturday morning on the Cayuga Inlet and then meet the University of Buffalo in the afternoon.

“We showed a lot of character today, and tomorrow will post a similar challenge,” Porter said.

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Apr 3, 2010

No. 1 Bulldogs Top No. 7 Michigan State, Buffalo

Yale Notches First Victory Over A Ranked Opponent

ITHACA, N.Y. – It’s been a difficult stretch for the Yale women’s crew. First, there was the rising water on the Housatonic River at the Gilder Boathouse from a heavy rainstorm early in the week. Then several team members came down with a stomach virus that kept them from being at full strength for a busy weekend of racing. Through it all, though, the Bulldogs persevered. On Saturday on the Cayuga Inlet, Yale faced its first test against a nationally ranked opponent this season and passed with flying colors. The Bulldogs varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four all were victorious over seventh-ranked Michigan State in the morning. Yale then swept Buffalo in the afternoon.

“I’m very proud of the effort from our team,” said Yale head coach Will Porter. “We had to deal with a lot of adversity and handled it very well.”

Yale’s second varsity also got off to a strong start and won by an identical 2.3-second margin as the varsity. The Bulldogs finished in 6:37.6

The varsity four cruised to a nearly three-second victory, completing the 2,000-meter course in 7:20.1. The Spartans came in at 7:23.2.

Michigan State captured the second varsity four with a time of 7:31.3. The Bulldogs finished in 7:42.9.

Yale’s third varsity eight was scratched due to illness.

Today’s races conclude a busy two days for the Bulldogs, who beat Cornell and Syracuse in four of five races on Friday.

“This will help us when we get to the end of the season,” Porter said. “Hopefully we will be battle tested.”

Yale races for the first time at home next Saturday, hosting Boston University and Dartmouth.

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From Navy Sports:

Navy Produces Solid Showing at Murphy Cup
Each of Navy’s ‘A’ boats won their heats to advance and competed well in the finals

Navy women’s crew

April 3, 2010

PHILADELPHIA – The Navy women’s crew team saw each of its top boats in each race advance and perform well in the finals at the Murphy Cup on Saturday on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.
Navy’s best performance came in the varsity four race, as it placed second with a time of 7:28.08, only 3.33 seconds behind first-place Loyola. The Midshipmen crossed the finish line ahead of defending Patriot League champion Bucknell with a difference of 2.39 seconds. The Mids had advanced to the finals with nearly a 10-second victory over second-place Drexel during the morning heats

The Midshipmen also finished second in the second varsity eight race, as they produced a 6:51.09 clocking to land behind only Bucknell’s 6:43.46 showing. Navy defeated second-place George Washington by nearly four seconds during the trials to earn a spot in the afternoon finals.

Navy’s first varsity boat delivered a third-place time of 6:51.01 in the finals, which was only 6.22 second behind Bucknell’s winning time and 3.69 seconds off of second-place St. Joseph’s. During the morning trials, the Midshipmen edged host Temple by 0.47-second to win the race and move onto the finals.

The novice eight boat for the Midshipmen came in fifth place during the finals with a 7:14.80 clocking. Navy earned a spot in that race by virtue of its first-place time of 6:58.03 in its heat, which was nearly eight seconds faster than second-place George Washington.

“A lot of positives occurred today,” stated Navy head coach Mike Hughes. “All of our `A’ boats won their heats to advance to the finals, which is always a good thing. Our varsity four boat was able to beat Bucknell and our first varsity eight boat was never out of the race. We believe that we’re within striking range for later in the season.”

Navy will return to action this Friday and Saturday, as it will compete at the George Washington Invitational.

MURPHY CUP RESULTS – April 3, 2010 – Philadelphia, Pa.
– FINALS –
First Varsity Eight – Bucknell 6:44.79, St. Joseph’s 6:47.32, Navy 6:51.01, Drexel 6:51.18, Colgate 6:55.46, Temple 6:58.50
Second Varsity Eight – Bucknell `A’ 6:43.46, Navy 6:51.09, St. Joseph’s 6:57.85, George Washington 7:04.41, Drexel 7:08.44, Delaware 7:09.65
Varsity Four – Loyola `A’ 7:25.05, Navy `A’ 7:28.38, Bucknell `A’ 7:30.77, Lafayette `A’ 7:40.85, Bucknell `B’ 7:47.62, Drexel 8:03.62
Novice Eight – Bucknell 6:59.74, St. Joseph’s 7:02.36, Delaware 7:02.97, Loyola 7:13.91, Navy `A’ 7:14.80, George Washington 7:21.60
– HEATS –
First Varsity Eight – Navy 6:37.77, Temple 6:38.24, Philadelphia, 6:47.85, Dowling 7:02.38, Pittsburgh 7:29.14
Second Varsity Eight – Navy 6:43.00, George Washington 6:46.81, Bucknell `B’ 6:49.98, George Mason 6:57.33, Villanova 7:17.75
Varsity Four – Navy `A’ 7:12.33, Drexel 7:21.68, Temple 7:36.04, Lehigh `B’ 7:42.08, Dowling 7:57.10
Varsity Four – Bucknell `A’ 7:21.72, Fordham `A’ 7:28.51, Navy `B’ 7:33.31, George Mason 7:37.35, Duquesne 7:49.63
Novice Eight – Navy `A’ 6:58.03, George Washington 7:05.81, Fordham 7:10.55, Lafayette 7:17.34, Penn State `A’ 7:23.74, Rutgers (Camden) 8:32.92
Novice Eight – Bucknell 6:47.46, Loyola 6:58.86, Drexel 7:18.60, Navy `B’ 7:22.96, Temple 7:27.06, Richard Stockton 8:11.59

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From www.theboatrace.org:

2010 RACE REPORT

Oxford won the toss and chose the Surrey station – always the safer bet when the forecasts promised squally showers with the wind swinging round to the south west. Off the start their stroke, Charlie Burkitt, took the crew off at 47 strokes a minute against Cambridge at 45, and along the boat houses Oxford began to eke out a small advantage. But as the crews settled at 37 and got into their race pace beyond Beverley Brook, Cambridge – on the inside of the Middlesex bend – had drawn level.

Cambridge reached Barnes Bridge two seconds up and the Dark Blues faced the monumental task of moving round the outside of the final bend to recapture the lead. In a final push they upped the rate to 36 and began to close, but a confident response from Cambridge put the result in no doubt. The Light Blues pushed the rate back up to 38 to move away and cross the line four seconds clear in 17 mins 35 secs.

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CAMBRIDGE WINS THE 2010 BOAT RACE

Cambridge has won the 2010 Boat Race by 1 1/3 lengths in a time of 17 mins 35 seconds.

Times:

Mile Post – Cambridge 3 min 38 sec, Oxford 3 mins 37 sec

Hammersmith Bridge – Cambridge 6 mins 32.5 sec, Oxford 6 min 30 sec

Chiswick Steps – Cambridge 10 min 26.5 sec, Oxford 10 min 26 sec

Barnes Bridge – Cambridge 14 min 30, Oxford 14 min 32 sec

Finish – Cambridge 17 min 35, Oxford 17 min 39

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Bowden blames himself for Boat Race defeat

OXFORD coach Sean Bowden believes he has only himself to blame as he saw his crew soundly beaten by pre-race underdogs Cambridge.

DESPAIR ON THE THAMES: Oxford didn’t have enough to overcome university rivals Cambridge in the 156th Boat Race (Getty Images)

The Dark Blues were favourites to take victory for a third consecutive year but could not hold on to the advantage starting at the Surrey station had given them over the first part of the course.

Bowden, who has coached Oxford to seven wins in 11 years, had insisted before the race that his experience would be enough to give his crew the edge on the Thames.

But the former Light Blues’ coach is now left questioning whether he could have done anything differently to improve Oxford’s preparations in the lead up to the 156th race.

“We thought it was going to be close as Cambridge are a really strong crew with some strong athletes and so the result isn’t a massive surprise,” said Bowden.

“There was quite a bit of clashing and that doesn’t help when you’re leading, but that’s what happens in a race and it’s just how it is in the Boat Race.

“You’re always thinking was there something we did wrong in our preparations? But we had a very good run in with no problems.

“You look back and it was a close race, therefore we must have had a chance to win and we’ll look back in our preparation and see what we have to re-examine and focus on for next year.

“The guys are absolutely devastated but they gave it everything and believed they had a good chance to win and they’ll have to dig deep.

“Rhythmically I thought we rowed well. The quality of rowing was good and I can’t fault what we did in the first six to seven minutes.

“We just didn’t have a big enough engine to push away and win the race when we needed to.”

After the opening bend Oxford had opened up a three-quarter of a length lead but as the race approached Barnes Bridge, Cambridge cox Ted Randolph urged his side on to take the lead for the first time and they opened up the advantage on the final stretch.

And Oxford president Dutchman Sjoerd Hamburger knows his crew had their chance to take the race by the horns and build up an unassailable lead.

“We had at least an opportunity and we had a canvass overlap but we couldn’t finish it off and slowly we ran into trouble,” said Hamburger, who rowed in the five seat in last year’s winning boat.

“We started really, really well on their bend and took more on our first part of the bend but we just couldn’t finish it and perhaps gave it too much at the beginning.

“We need to look at it again and talk it over.

“We kept on fighting and I am extremely proud of the boys. Everyone gave their all, but it wasn’t enough. It’s more than painful.

“There was a clash along the way and we both got warned. No-one really won or lost the clashes, it just happens.

“All credit to Cambridge. They raced an incredible race and they were better than we were.”

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By Agence France-Presse, Updated: Sunday, April 04, 2010 1:14 AM
Obama inspires Cambridge to Boat Race victory

Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” slogan inspired Cambridge to defy the odds and beat Oxford in the University Boat Race, said their leader, who worked on the US president’s election campaign.

Obama inspires Cambridge to Boat Race victory

Cambridge crew president Deaglan McEachern said “Yes We Can” was his final message to his fellow oarsmen before they won the 156th Boat Race, beating their rivals for the first time in three years.

McEachern, a history student who worked as an intern on Obama’s campaign, was on the losing side in last year’s race but was always confident the Light Blues had what it took this time.

“I knew this crew had a chance to win and I told them to go out there and take it,” the American said.

“All we really wanted was a chance to win. We went out there, executed what we had planned and trained for and came away with the victory.

“We proved we are a tough crew out there,” the Hughes Hall student said. “The whole race is a confidence game.”

In Saturday’s race, Oxford won the toss and had the early lead on the River Thames but the Light Blues stayed in touch on a long outside bend then pulled clear towards the finish to win by a length and a third in 17 minutes and 35 seconds.

Cambridge now lead the world-famous annual duel between England’s oldest universities by 80 wins to 75. The 1877 race was declared a dead heat.

For Oxford coach Sean Bowden it was a first defeat since 2007 and only his fourth in 12 years as Dark Blues coach.

“The guys are going to be absolutely devastated,” he said.

“They gave it everything and believed they had a good chance to win and they’ll just have to dig deep.”

Oxford won the toss and chose to start on the southern Surrey side of the River Thames, a safer bet in the choppy conditions.

They opened up an early advantage on the first bend as they passed Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham Football Club, which should have favoured Cambridge on the Middlesex side.

The Dark Blues were half a length ahead as they went past the Harrods furniture warehouse landmark.

Cambridge then began to creep back after they passed under Hammersmith Bridge.

Oxford maintained the inside line as they went around the Barnes peninsula on the Surrey side but failed to press home their advantage on the long bend and pull away from the Light Blues.

The crews were neck-and-neck with the blades close to clashing with a mile and a quarter to go.

Cambridge then opened up a six-foot lead and were about half a length up at the final bridge.

The Dark Blues began to close slightly but Cambridge held onto their lead, putting in 38 strokes a minute to take victory by two seconds at the Chiswick Bridge finishing post.

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From Row2k:

USRowing Collegiate Poll
March 31, 2010

University of Washington earned the top spot in this year’s first USRowing men’s varsity eight poll, while the University of Wisconsin topped the women’s lightweight eight poll. Princeton University earned the top ranking in the men’s lightweight eight poll.

The defending IRA champions from Washington earned eight first-place votes to take the top spot in this season’s first men’s varsity eight poll. The University of California ranked second, earning the remaining four first-place votes. Brown University, Harvard University and Syracuse University rounded out the top five.
Princeton earned nine of 10 first-place votes to top the first men’s lightweight eight poll of the season. The Tigers are coming off an IRA title in 2009. Harvard University earned the other first-place vote to rank second. Yale University, United States Naval Academy and Georgetown University rounded out the top five.

Men’s Varsity Eight
Team (1st-Place Votes) Points
1. University of Washington (8) 236
2. University of California (4) 232
3. Brown University 216
4. Harvard University 201
5. Syracuse University 184
6. Boston University 165
7. Princeton University 151
8. Northeastern University 149
9. University of Wisconsin 141
10. Stanford University 134
11. Cornell University 115
12. Yale University 114
13. Columbia University 109
14t. George Washington University 68
14t. United States Naval Academy 68
16. Dartmouth College 54
17. University of Pennsylvania 48
18. Oregon State University 37
19. Temple University 25
20. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 23
Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: Trinity College 15, Georgetown University 11, University of Michigan 11, University of California at San Diego 6, Gonzaga University 3 and Rutgers University 3.

(This weeks men’s varsity eight voters: Craig Amerkhanian, Topher Bordeau, Michael Callahan, Chris Clark, Rick Clothier, Greg Hughes, Greg Myhr, Todd Pearson, John Pescatore, Dave Reischman, Steve Todd, Mike Zimmer)

Men’s Lightweight Varsity Eight

Team (1st-Place Votes) Points
1. Princeton University (9) 180
2. Harvard University (1) 170
3. Yale University 162
4. United States Naval Academy 158
5. Georgetown University 145
6. Cornell University 140
7. Columbia University 134
8. University of Pennsylvania 120
9. St. Joseph’s University 114
10. University of Delaware 113
11. Dartmouth College 100
12. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 87
13. University of California 77
14. Marietta College 60
15. Sonoma State 58

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: University of the Pacific 39, Georgia Tech 23, Washington University 14, Boston College 9, Drexel University 8, Holy Cross 8, University of Michigan 7 and University of Puget Sound 6.

(This weeks men’s lightweight eight voters: Scott Alwin, Nick Baker, Ted Benford, Charley Butt, Rob Canavan, Andy Card, Marty Crotty, Chris Kerber, Evans Liolin, Steve Perry)

Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association/USRowing
March 31, 2010

Yale University topped this week’s USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I Coaches poll, while Western Washington University and Williams College claimed the top spots in the Division II and III polls, respectively.
Yale University earned 10 first-place votes to remain atop the Division I team rankings. The University of Virginia received seven first-place votes to rank second, while Stanford University earned eight first-place votes to rank third. The University of California and Brown University rounded out the top five.

Women’s NCAA Division I Team Rankings

Team (1st-Place Votes) Total Votes Previous Week
1. Yale University (10) 457 1
2. University of Virginia (7) 450 3t
3. Stanford University (8) 448 2
4. University of California 438 3t
5. Brown University 358 5
6. Princeton University 340 8
7. Michigan State University 336 7
8t. University of Washington 328 6
8t. University of Southern California 328 10t
10. University of Michigan 261 9
11. Clemson University 229 12
12. Ohio State University 197 10t
13. University of Wisconsin 181 13
14. Washington State University 171 16
15. University of California at Los Angeles 156 NR
16. Dartmouth College 89 17
17. University of Tennessee 84 19t
18. Oregon State University 81 15
19. Harvard University 70 14
20. University of Notre Dame 58 NR

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: University of Pennsylvania 40, University of Louisville 32, University of Iowa 30, University of Minnesota 29, Gonzaga University 15, University of Texas 11, University of Central Florida 9, Columbia University 8, Bucknell University 4, University of Buffalo 3, Northeastern University 3, Syracuse University 1, Indiana University 1, Boston University 1, University of California at Davis 1, University of San Diego 1 and University of Rhode Island 1.