Penn rowing seeks to end difficult stretch

It’s all hands on deck for Penn rowing this weekend.

After a strong performance ultimately resulted in a loss last weekend in the Childs Cup races, the heavyweight squad will take on Yale and Columbia this weekend for the Blackwell Cup. Meanwhile, the lightweight and women’s crews, are looking to find some success in the Wood-Hammond trophy races and Clemson Invitational, respectively, after challenging early seasons.

Last weekend, the Penn heavyweights rowed against Princeton and Columbia in the Childs Cup races. In the main varsity eight race, which dates all the way back to 1879, Penn was unable to overcome Princeton and finished second.

After the Quakers took an initial lead, the Tigers managed to edge themselves ahead to retain a comfortable lead for the rest of the race. Penn went on to hold off a late push from Columbia to retain second place.

While never satisfied with a loss, heavyweight coach Greg Myhr commended the performance of his crew.

“I think we raced pretty darn well,” he said.

He went on to give credit to the Tigers, a crew he believes is one to look out for this season.

While Princeton also won the second and third varsity eight races, Penn was able to reply by capturing the fourth and fifth.

The Columbia crews, which participated in all but the last race, were not able to overcome Princeton or Penn in any of the races.

This weekend, the Lions will get a second chance to test Penn as the two — joined by fellow Ivy rival Yale — will race it out for the Blackwell Cup in Overpeck, N.J.

Much like Princeton and California, a team to whom Penn lost out in the San Diego Crew Classic earlier in the season, Myhr sees Yale as one of nation’s top threats this spring. Last year, the Bulldogs won the cup’s main varsity eight race.

Myhr is confident that if things go well this year, the Red and the Blue will present a serious challenge for the cup.

“If we do our our job right, it will very much be a three boat race,” he said.

Columbia is also not an opponent to take lightly, as the Lions managed to relegate Penn to third place in last years Blackwell Cup.

“They remain a very dangerous crew,” Myhr noted.

For the lightweights, Yale and Columbia also stood in the way last weekend in the Dodge Cup races in Ridgefield Park, NJ.

While a historic win took place, it did not come from the Quakers. Columbia finally managed to break Yale’s decade-long winning streak for the Cup.

Penn finished third, and the crew is still struggling a few weeks into the spring season. The Quakers have been pressed to find speed as the season swiftly progresses.

This weekend, the Quakers will take Princeton and Georgetown on for the Wood-Hammond Cup, which signifies another opportunity to break this season’s trend of losing efforts.

Last year, the crew finished second behind Princeton and ahead of Georgetown.

The women, after a short break, will race in the Clemson Invitational this weekend in Clemson, S.C.

The Quakers will join about 20 other top crews from around the country, including the likes of Cornell, Harvard and Syracuse.

Much like the lightweights, they hope to show some strength to build confidence as the season quickly progresses.

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