Crew teams fight through cold

Spring Fling partiers weren't the only people who braved the harsh elements Saturday.

All three rowing teams traveled across the East Coast experiencing inclement weather for various cups, but none returned victorious.

The women's rowing team headed to Syracuse, N.Y., for the Orange Challenge Cup, where it fell to Northeastern and Syracuse.

"It was really cold and windy," Penn coach Barb Grudt said. "The races were delayed, and we had to clean out ice in the tracks of the boats."

The Quakers recorded a 7:37.51 finish, behind Northeastern's 7:18.32 and Syracuse's 7:32.75.

"I think they went out with pretty clear expectations for how to execute the race," Grudt said. "They did not accomplish their goal. We will be working on committing to winning this week. It's the realization that you don't just want to do something, you have to make it happen."

Saturday, the Red and Blue host Cornell and Rutgers in the Class of '89 Plate.

"Next week will have three similar crews each with a chance of winning," Grudt said.

The men's heavyweight team finished second in the Childs Cup, falling to Princeton but beating Columbia.

The Quakers edged Columbia by 2.3 seconds, recording a time of 6:42.5.

But neither team could catch Princeton, currently the top-ranked team in the U.S. Rowing Collegiate Poll, blew away the competition, posting a time of 6:21.5.

"Princeton has a phenomenal crew this year, and we all respect the hard work they have put in to get to this point," senior captain Nate Allen said.

"As always, Columbia raced aggressively, and we look forward to seeing them again next Saturday."

The Quakers will now turn their attention to the Blackwell Cup against Yale and Columbia at Orchard Beach, N.Y., Saturday.

As always, the crew is assiduously preparing for its next competition.

"The biggest strength we have right now is that this team is ready to move forward and prepare for a win next weekend in the Blackwell Cup," Allen said.

The lightweight crew finished third in the Matthew-Leonard Cup behind Harvard and Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y.

The Crimson won the cup with a time of 6:29.7, while Cornell and Penn finished with times of 6:38.8 and 6:41.9, respectively.

The Red and Blue will compete for the Dodge Cup Saturday against Yale and Columbia at Mercer Lake, N.J.

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