Thursday, June 5
Camden, N.J. (Cooper River)
7:36 a.m.
Columbia
vs
IRA National Championship Regatta
Varsity Eight Jumps into Medal Contention with Repechage Victory
6/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Heavyweight Rowing
CAMDEN, N.J. ? Again and again in this magical season of heavyweight rowing, when the Columbia varsity eight has had its back to the wall, it has responded admirably.
And so it was once again Thursday, June 5, on the first day of the IRA National Championship Regatta. The morning heats had not gone according to plan, and the Lion varsity had just once chance left to remain in contention for the Grand Final, and a possible medal. But that one chance had to be a victory.
Coach Mike Zimmer and his rowers had hoped to advance to the correct semifinal via its morning heat. To do so, they had to finish first or second in a field which included the IRA co-favorite U. of Washington and Stanford from the West Coast, plus Syracuse, Dartmouth and Georgetown.
But the Lions were a little stale after that long bus ride from training in northern Vermont, and had been unable to practice the day before due to tornado warnings (!) in South Jersey. That slowed them just enough to finish third, losing the coveted second spot to Stanford by 3.3 seconds.
So the Lions, and all the other teams failing to advance from the morning heats, were consigned to the second round, the Repechage. Only this time, finishing first or second wouldn't do ? this time, only the Repechage winners would move into one of the two championship semifinals.
Three schools stood in Columbia's way ? Holy Cross, George Washington, and another West Coast visitor, Oregon State. The latter figured to provide the toughest test.
"We got off the line well," Zimmer said, "and were up by about four seats on Oregon State after 750 meters." The Ducks had been rowing well, but they weren't prepared for Columbia's speed and power. "From 750 meters to the 1000-meter mark, we opened up significant open water. After 1000, we had a full length on Oregon."
And although the Ducks fought back, closing that gap, they weren't really able to put much of a dent in the Lion lead. Columbia crossed the finish line on the 2000-meter Cooper River course in 5:57.651, nearly a full length better than OSU's 6:01.242.
But the West Coast team had nothing to be ashamed of. Columbia was the only eight in all of Thursday afternoon's rowing to break six minutes!
The Lions will need every ounce of that speed capability in Friday's semifinal, which reads like an all-star cast of collegiate rowing. To reach Saturday's Grand Final, Columbia must finish no worse than third in a field that includes Brown, Cornell, Princeton, Stanford, and Eastern Sprints champion Wisconsin! The other semifinal is no easier, including Cal, Harvard, Navy, Yale, Northeastern and Washington.
The top three in each semi advances to the Grand Final; others go into the Petite Final.
Columbia's second varsity eight had rowed well in its morning heat, finishing third ahead of Yale and Dartmouth, but trailing Cornell and Harvard. The Lion 2V did not row well in the the Repechage, however, its 6:18.512 trailing both Boston U. and George Washington. The freshman eight was fourth of six in its heat and third of four in the Repechage.
Both Columbia crews will row in Semifinals Three or Four, having to make the top three to avoid elimination from the competition.
Thursday's results and Friday's schedule:
Varsity Eight - Repechage
1. COLUMBIA, 5:57.651
2. Oregon State, 6:01.242
3. George Washington, 6:10.385
4. Holy Cross, 6:11.299
(3rd of six in morning heat)
Second Varsity Eight - Repechage
1. Boston U., 6:07.632
2. George Washington, 6:12.416
3. COLUMBIA, 6:18.512
4. Colgate, 6:24.921
(3rd of 5 in morning heat)
Freshman Eight - Repechage
1. Navy, 6:00.965
2. Cornell, 6:00.999
3. COLUMBIA, 6:11.912
4. Michigan, 6:20.201
(4th of six in morning heat)
FRIDAY'S ROWING
Varsity Eights
Semifinal Two, 12:12 PM ( COLUMBIA, Cornell, Brown, Stanford, Wisconsin, Princeton)
Second Varsity Eights
Semifinal Four, 11:48 AM (COLUMBIA, Syracuse, Yale, Georgetown, Colgate)
Freshman Eights
Semifinal Three, 1:24 PM (COLUMBIA, MIT, George Washington, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Penn)
And so it was once again Thursday, June 5, on the first day of the IRA National Championship Regatta. The morning heats had not gone according to plan, and the Lion varsity had just once chance left to remain in contention for the Grand Final, and a possible medal. But that one chance had to be a victory.
Coach Mike Zimmer and his rowers had hoped to advance to the correct semifinal via its morning heat. To do so, they had to finish first or second in a field which included the IRA co-favorite U. of Washington and Stanford from the West Coast, plus Syracuse, Dartmouth and Georgetown.
But the Lions were a little stale after that long bus ride from training in northern Vermont, and had been unable to practice the day before due to tornado warnings (!) in South Jersey. That slowed them just enough to finish third, losing the coveted second spot to Stanford by 3.3 seconds.
So the Lions, and all the other teams failing to advance from the morning heats, were consigned to the second round, the Repechage. Only this time, finishing first or second wouldn't do ? this time, only the Repechage winners would move into one of the two championship semifinals.
Three schools stood in Columbia's way ? Holy Cross, George Washington, and another West Coast visitor, Oregon State. The latter figured to provide the toughest test.
"We got off the line well," Zimmer said, "and were up by about four seats on Oregon State after 750 meters." The Ducks had been rowing well, but they weren't prepared for Columbia's speed and power. "From 750 meters to the 1000-meter mark, we opened up significant open water. After 1000, we had a full length on Oregon."
And although the Ducks fought back, closing that gap, they weren't really able to put much of a dent in the Lion lead. Columbia crossed the finish line on the 2000-meter Cooper River course in 5:57.651, nearly a full length better than OSU's 6:01.242.
But the West Coast team had nothing to be ashamed of. Columbia was the only eight in all of Thursday afternoon's rowing to break six minutes!
The Lions will need every ounce of that speed capability in Friday's semifinal, which reads like an all-star cast of collegiate rowing. To reach Saturday's Grand Final, Columbia must finish no worse than third in a field that includes Brown, Cornell, Princeton, Stanford, and Eastern Sprints champion Wisconsin! The other semifinal is no easier, including Cal, Harvard, Navy, Yale, Northeastern and Washington.
The top three in each semi advances to the Grand Final; others go into the Petite Final.
Columbia's second varsity eight had rowed well in its morning heat, finishing third ahead of Yale and Dartmouth, but trailing Cornell and Harvard. The Lion 2V did not row well in the the Repechage, however, its 6:18.512 trailing both Boston U. and George Washington. The freshman eight was fourth of six in its heat and third of four in the Repechage.
Both Columbia crews will row in Semifinals Three or Four, having to make the top three to avoid elimination from the competition.
Thursday's results and Friday's schedule:
Varsity Eight - Repechage
1. COLUMBIA, 5:57.651
2. Oregon State, 6:01.242
3. George Washington, 6:10.385
4. Holy Cross, 6:11.299
(3rd of six in morning heat)
Second Varsity Eight - Repechage
1. Boston U., 6:07.632
2. George Washington, 6:12.416
3. COLUMBIA, 6:18.512
4. Colgate, 6:24.921
(3rd of 5 in morning heat)
Freshman Eight - Repechage
1. Navy, 6:00.965
2. Cornell, 6:00.999
3. COLUMBIA, 6:11.912
4. Michigan, 6:20.201
(4th of six in morning heat)
FRIDAY'S ROWING
Varsity Eights
Semifinal Two, 12:12 PM ( COLUMBIA, Cornell, Brown, Stanford, Wisconsin, Princeton)
Second Varsity Eights
Semifinal Four, 11:48 AM (COLUMBIA, Syracuse, Yale, Georgetown, Colgate)
Freshman Eights
Semifinal Three, 1:24 PM (COLUMBIA, MIT, George Washington, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Penn)
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