Sunday, May 18
Worcester, Mass. (Lake Quinsigamond)
9:35 a.m.
Columbia
vs
Eastern Sprints (EARC)
Men's Crews Make History as Varsity Heavies and Lights Reach Grand Final
5/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Heavyweight Rowing, Lightweight Rowing
WORCESTER, MASS. ? For the first time in the 62 years of rowing's Eastern Sprints, Columbia's heavyweight and lightweight varsity eights both made the Grand Final ? the final six teams which qualified to compete for the championship. The double Grands provided the highlight of the 2008 EARC Sprints, held on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass.
While the men's lightweight eights have often reached the Grand Final in the past 15 years, most recently in 2006, the varsity heavyweights had not reached their Grand Final since 1955. But the heavyweights' superb 2008 season, which included a 10-1 record and five Cup victories, presaged a trip to the Grand Final. The lightweights had not enjoyed as much success, but had done well enough for the EARC lightweight coaches to rank them seventh in the EARC.
"Making the Grand Final was a step in the right direction," said head lightweight coach Scott Alwin, who produced a Grand Final team in his first season as a head coach. "We had a perfectly executed race in the morning to make the Grand."
The lightweights had to finish in the top three in their morning heat to make the Grand Final. Standing in their way were Yale, Navy, Georgetown, Penn, and Delaware.
Georgetown and Penn figured to be the most immediate obstacles, but the Lion lightweights handled both with aplomb, rowing 6:12.37 for 2000 meters to top both Georgetown, 6:16.062, and Penn, 6:20.169. Yale and Navy were well in front.
Columbia had actually fallen behind early in the race, but fought back. "You've got to give our three seniors credit," Alwin said. "They did a great job. They showed a maturity and composure which we needed when we fell behind early." The seniors were Sam Barnett and Ryan Wood, rowing seats four and five, and coxswain Colleen Leth.
The varsity lightweight Grand Final quickly divided into two separate races ? Cornell, the eventual champion, Yale and Princeton in one "race" and Columbia, Dartmouth and Navy in the other.
The Lions fought to stay even with Dartmouth and Navy, and catch up to the leaders, but could not sustain either effort. "We weren't able to have a second race like that first one on the morning," Alwin noted.
The varsity heavyweights also rowed brilliantly in their morning heat. The sixth-ranked Lions were paired in Heat 1 with Brown, Syracuse, Boston U., Holy Cross and George Washington.
Their chief concerns were Syracuse and B.U,., both of whom had fallen victim to Columbia in the same race, the Doc Lusins Trophy at Syracuse.
But Brown and Columbia quickly made it a two-team race, leaving the Orange and the Terriers well behind. The Lions nearly overtook the Bears in the closing moments, losing the heat by just three seconds, 6:02.31 to 6:05.996. Syracuse was third in 6:10.247.
The heat was rowed in the sunshine which bathed the morning session. By the time Columbia took to the water for the Grand Final 6:30 later, the sky was overcast and intermittent rain poured down. The conditions matched the gloom of the huge Columbia crowd, as the Lions fell behind early and finished sixth in the Grand Final.
"You gave to make a mental leap for a Grand Final," veteran head coach Mike Zimmer noted. "If you don't, you can get in a hole very quickly."
The Lions found themselves in that "hole" virtually from the start of the race, and were unable to climb out.
"They were surprised by the speed of the race," Zimmer said. "Good crews make good crews go faster."
"They earned their spot in the Grand Final with a great race in the morning heat," the coach said. "They may have had a letdown after that."
Several other men's crews raced at the Sprints. For the first time in memory, all made their events' Petite Finals; not one Columbia boat was relegated to a Third Level Final.
The heavyweight boats, and the varsity lightweights, will have another opportunity for "redemption" at the IRA National Championship Regatta and National Lightweight Championship June 5-7.
The results:
Eastern Sprints (EARC)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Lake Quinsigamond, Worcester, Mass.
The Heavyweights
Varsity Eights - Grand Final
1. Wisconsin, 6:09.719
2. Brown, 6:13.21
3. Princeton, 6:13.381
4. Yale, 6:17.816
5. Northeastern, 6:19.206
6. COLUMBIA, 6:25.941
The Lightweights
Varsity Eights - Grand Final
1. Cornell, 6:17.735
2. Princeton, 6:20.445
3. Yale, 6:22.161
4. Navy, 6:28.67
5. Dartmouth, 6:33.484
6. COLUMBIA, 6:36.771
Note: The remaining results will be added later.
While the men's lightweight eights have often reached the Grand Final in the past 15 years, most recently in 2006, the varsity heavyweights had not reached their Grand Final since 1955. But the heavyweights' superb 2008 season, which included a 10-1 record and five Cup victories, presaged a trip to the Grand Final. The lightweights had not enjoyed as much success, but had done well enough for the EARC lightweight coaches to rank them seventh in the EARC.
"Making the Grand Final was a step in the right direction," said head lightweight coach Scott Alwin, who produced a Grand Final team in his first season as a head coach. "We had a perfectly executed race in the morning to make the Grand."
The lightweights had to finish in the top three in their morning heat to make the Grand Final. Standing in their way were Yale, Navy, Georgetown, Penn, and Delaware.
Georgetown and Penn figured to be the most immediate obstacles, but the Lion lightweights handled both with aplomb, rowing 6:12.37 for 2000 meters to top both Georgetown, 6:16.062, and Penn, 6:20.169. Yale and Navy were well in front.
Columbia had actually fallen behind early in the race, but fought back. "You've got to give our three seniors credit," Alwin said. "They did a great job. They showed a maturity and composure which we needed when we fell behind early." The seniors were Sam Barnett and Ryan Wood, rowing seats four and five, and coxswain Colleen Leth.
The varsity lightweight Grand Final quickly divided into two separate races ? Cornell, the eventual champion, Yale and Princeton in one "race" and Columbia, Dartmouth and Navy in the other.
The Lions fought to stay even with Dartmouth and Navy, and catch up to the leaders, but could not sustain either effort. "We weren't able to have a second race like that first one on the morning," Alwin noted.
The varsity heavyweights also rowed brilliantly in their morning heat. The sixth-ranked Lions were paired in Heat 1 with Brown, Syracuse, Boston U., Holy Cross and George Washington.
Their chief concerns were Syracuse and B.U,., both of whom had fallen victim to Columbia in the same race, the Doc Lusins Trophy at Syracuse.
But Brown and Columbia quickly made it a two-team race, leaving the Orange and the Terriers well behind. The Lions nearly overtook the Bears in the closing moments, losing the heat by just three seconds, 6:02.31 to 6:05.996. Syracuse was third in 6:10.247.
The heat was rowed in the sunshine which bathed the morning session. By the time Columbia took to the water for the Grand Final 6:30 later, the sky was overcast and intermittent rain poured down. The conditions matched the gloom of the huge Columbia crowd, as the Lions fell behind early and finished sixth in the Grand Final.
"You gave to make a mental leap for a Grand Final," veteran head coach Mike Zimmer noted. "If you don't, you can get in a hole very quickly."
The Lions found themselves in that "hole" virtually from the start of the race, and were unable to climb out.
"They were surprised by the speed of the race," Zimmer said. "Good crews make good crews go faster."
"They earned their spot in the Grand Final with a great race in the morning heat," the coach said. "They may have had a letdown after that."
Several other men's crews raced at the Sprints. For the first time in memory, all made their events' Petite Finals; not one Columbia boat was relegated to a Third Level Final.
The heavyweight boats, and the varsity lightweights, will have another opportunity for "redemption" at the IRA National Championship Regatta and National Lightweight Championship June 5-7.
The results:
Eastern Sprints (EARC)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Lake Quinsigamond, Worcester, Mass.
The Heavyweights
Varsity Eights - Grand Final
1. Wisconsin, 6:09.719
2. Brown, 6:13.21
3. Princeton, 6:13.381
4. Yale, 6:17.816
5. Northeastern, 6:19.206
6. COLUMBIA, 6:25.941
The Lightweights
Varsity Eights - Grand Final
1. Cornell, 6:17.735
2. Princeton, 6:20.445
3. Yale, 6:22.161
4. Navy, 6:28.67
5. Dartmouth, 6:33.484
6. COLUMBIA, 6:36.771
Note: The remaining results will be added later.
Players Mentioned
Columbia Classics Shorts - Lightweight Rowing 2014 Eastern Sprints
Tuesday, April 20
Feature: LWROW | 2019 Season Preview
Thursday, March 28
Race Archive: Columbia vs. Harvard 2V | LWROW 4/8/18
Sunday, April 08
