PRINCETON, N.J. — In their last event of the season, Penn’s heavyweight crew team successfully navigated the Princeton Chase. Penn’s A boat led the race to the first checkpoint, although Princeton ended up clinching first place. Nevertheless, Penn came in at second, out of 41 boats, with a time of 12:16.267. Their B boat followed close behind in third, with a time of 12:30.974.
“Those are big milestones,” coach Al Monte said. “I’m feeling really optimistic.”
As a whole, this race marks another successful run for the heavies. The crew kicked off the fall season with the Navy Day Regatta, where they took first in the JV 8+ and 8+. The following week, they traveled to Boston for the Head of the Charles, taking 7th of 18 in the Championship 4+ and 11th of 30 in the Championship 8+. Their penultimate race was the Head of the Schuylkill, and with first place finishes in the Championship 8+, Club 8+, Championship 4+, Frosh/Novice 4+, and Champ 2- the team showcased their sheer strength. As a whole, the fall season set the crew up for a great spring start.
Reflecting on the season and the Princeton Chase as a whole, Coach Monte said that the winter season marked an important transition period for the team.
“We’re excited for the winter training season,” Monte said, noting that the team’s emphasis during the period will be on “controlling the controllables.” The team knows that the winter season will make or break their success in the fall, and are excited to “do some damage well.”
The Heavies will be back on the water starting from March, rowing through to June, where they will finish their year with the IRA National Championships. Expectations are high.
“This is the best squad I think we've had in quite a long time … at least probably since 2002,” Monte said.
Eyes are also on the largely international freshman class, who played a big role in the team’s successful fall campaign. “They've taken control of the program in a large way … these international recruits are a big leg up,” senior James Votruba-Drzal said, “Some of them have been rowing even longer than I have.”
Moreover, with 14 rowers graduating in the summer, the senior members are ready for their last hurrah.
“The whole squad is excited for the spring season especially,” senior Jack Theodore said. “We’ve got a big year coming up … this is our chance to leave our mark.”
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