Saturday, March 27
Philadelphia, Pa.
9:50 a.m.
Columbia
at
Yale, Penn (Connell Cup)
Third Varsity Eight Paces Women's Rowers at Connell Cup
3/27/2010 7:00:00 PM | Women's Rowing
PHILADELPHIA — Making its northern debut against national powerhouse Yale and homestanding Penn proved difficult for the Columbia women's crew, which won just one of five races at the Connell Cup Regatta on the Schuylkill River, a historic victory by the third varsity eight.
Head coach Melanie Onufrieff was disappointed, but hardly disheartened by the results.
"Each [race] is a step," she noted. "Each day builds toward the next.
"We were up and down today, but we saw some good things to build from. We got to see our rowers race, and to race on a [difficult] course. That's what they've been working on, to learn how to go straight to the finish."
Although Yale, a potential national champion, won each race comfortably, Columbia and Penn waged battles up and down the course. The two crews were divided by fewer than four seconds in three of the five races, the Lions finishing in front twice, although they were excluded (disqualified) in one.
That race, among second varsity eights, saw Columbia beat Penn, 6:27.5 to 6:31.7, just 1.7 seconds behind Yale. "It was a great race," Onufrieff said, "the tightest of all." Unfortunately, the Lions were disqualified for a steering miscue at the start of the race.
Columbia finished just 2.8 seconds behind Penn in the varsity eights for the Connell Cup, after rowing even through half the 2000-meter competition. The Quakers pushed out to a lead in the third 500, but could not shed the Lions.
The third varsity eights race, taking the place of the novice eights which will no longer be contested by EAWRC schools, was ripe for the taking, as several rowers from both Penn and Columbia were competing in their first 2000-meter event ever.
Just as Yale jumped out to an early lead on the way to a 6:39.8 win, Columbia got out fast ahead of Penn and stayed there, winning in 6:51.2, 3.5 seconds better than the Quakers.
The A and B fours races, Onufrieff said, were "strikingly similar" to the varsity eights. Columbia got off to solid starts, only to see Penn overtake the Lions in the third 500.
Columbia revisits the New Jersey Turnpike next Saturday morning, meeting Princeton and Georgetown at the Tigers' lair.
The results:
The Connell Cup
Columbia, Penn, Yale
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Schuylkill River, Philadelphia
Varsity Eights
1. Yale, 6:10.1
2. Penn, 6:21.6
3. Columbia, 6:24.4
Second Varsity Eights
1. Yale, 6:25.8
2. Penn, 6:31.7
3. Columbia, 6:27.5*
*Columbia completed the race, finishing second, but was excluded for a steering miscue at the beginning.
Third Varsity Eights
1. Yale, 6:39.8
2. Columbia, 6:51.2
3. Penn, 6:54.7
Varsity Fours A
1. Yale, 7:00.1
2. Penn, 7:19.2
3. Columbia, 7:32.8
Varsity Fours B
1. Yale, 7:19.6
2. Penn, 7:31.2
3. Columbia, 7:32.8
Head coach Melanie Onufrieff was disappointed, but hardly disheartened by the results.
"Each [race] is a step," she noted. "Each day builds toward the next.
"We were up and down today, but we saw some good things to build from. We got to see our rowers race, and to race on a [difficult] course. That's what they've been working on, to learn how to go straight to the finish."
Although Yale, a potential national champion, won each race comfortably, Columbia and Penn waged battles up and down the course. The two crews were divided by fewer than four seconds in three of the five races, the Lions finishing in front twice, although they were excluded (disqualified) in one.
That race, among second varsity eights, saw Columbia beat Penn, 6:27.5 to 6:31.7, just 1.7 seconds behind Yale. "It was a great race," Onufrieff said, "the tightest of all." Unfortunately, the Lions were disqualified for a steering miscue at the start of the race.
Columbia finished just 2.8 seconds behind Penn in the varsity eights for the Connell Cup, after rowing even through half the 2000-meter competition. The Quakers pushed out to a lead in the third 500, but could not shed the Lions.
The third varsity eights race, taking the place of the novice eights which will no longer be contested by EAWRC schools, was ripe for the taking, as several rowers from both Penn and Columbia were competing in their first 2000-meter event ever.
Just as Yale jumped out to an early lead on the way to a 6:39.8 win, Columbia got out fast ahead of Penn and stayed there, winning in 6:51.2, 3.5 seconds better than the Quakers.
The A and B fours races, Onufrieff said, were "strikingly similar" to the varsity eights. Columbia got off to solid starts, only to see Penn overtake the Lions in the third 500.
Columbia revisits the New Jersey Turnpike next Saturday morning, meeting Princeton and Georgetown at the Tigers' lair.
The results:
The Connell Cup
Columbia, Penn, Yale
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Schuylkill River, Philadelphia
Varsity Eights
1. Yale, 6:10.1
2. Penn, 6:21.6
3. Columbia, 6:24.4
Second Varsity Eights
1. Yale, 6:25.8
2. Penn, 6:31.7
3. Columbia, 6:27.5*
*Columbia completed the race, finishing second, but was excluded for a steering miscue at the beginning.
Third Varsity Eights
1. Yale, 6:39.8
2. Columbia, 6:51.2
3. Penn, 6:54.7
Varsity Fours A
1. Yale, 7:00.1
2. Penn, 7:19.2
3. Columbia, 7:32.8
Varsity Fours B
1. Yale, 7:19.6
2. Penn, 7:31.2
3. Columbia, 7:32.8
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