Saturday, April 3
Princeton, N.J.
10:30 a.m.
Columbia
at
Princeton, Georgetown
Lightweights Barely Short of Runner-Up Spot in Hotly-Contested Northern Debut
4/3/2010 9:00:00 PM | Lightweight Rowing
PRINCETON, N.J. — The Columbia varsity men's lightweight rowers demonstrated clearly Saturday that all their weeks of preparation had truly been worth it, for the Lions came tantalizingly close to a major upset in their race with Princeton and Georgetown.
Indeed, for most of the 2000-meter race, Columbia stayed within a length of the two talented varsity eights. Only at the end was Princeton able to pull comfortably ahead and Georgetown nudge its bow across the finish line second.
"It was frustrating," head coach Scott Alwin said, "encouraging but frustrating."
Rowing on its on-campus home course, top-ranked Princeton was well favored in the race, but the Tigers were forced to fight hard to hold off Georgetown. The Hoyas, in turn, could not shake the Lions.
The race had not started that way, as Columbia fell behind early. Nearly a full length behind Georgetown after 500 meters of the Lake Carnegie course, Columbia made up distance markedly in the middle 500s.
"We rowed very well there," Alwin said. "Our moves were very effective. We actually went up 1-2 seats on Georgetown." The coach marveled at the temerity of his team. "We started our closing attack in the third 500!" he noted. "Only in the final 250 meters did they pull away."
The Hoyas edged the Lions by just one second, 5:50.7 to 5:51.7. Both eights were just behind Princeton's 5:46.9.
"Princeton is ranked first," Alwin said, " and I think they will stay there all season. For the first 1250 meters we were overlapping Princeton. To stay with a team like Princeton that long in the race, makes me very happy."
The Lions also stuck closely to the Tigers in the second varsity eights, only falling behind in the final 500 while beating Georgetown easily.
"Princeton's second varsity has the talent to be a varsity eight," Alwin, a former Princeton assistant coach, observed. "We hung on, overlapping them through the third 500.
"Our guys stayed very close. They earned their stripes today. In fact, both varsity eights did. They went from being nine guys in a boat, to a crew."
Alwin could have been able to say that about his freshman eight, but they were weakened badly when one key rower was ill.
"[The freshmen] showed us a lot today," Alwin said. "They showed they know how to fight and scrap. I'm looking forward to seeing them when all nine are healthy."
The lightweights face Navy next Saturday in their home debut at Orchard Beach.
The results:
Columbia vs. Princeton and Georgetown
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Lake Carnegie, Princeton, N.J.
Varsity Eights
1. Princeton, 5:46.9
2. Georgetown, 5:50.7
3. Columbia, 5:51.7
Second Varsity Eights
1. Princeton, 5:53.9
2. Columbia, 6:03.2
3. Georgetown, 6:13.0
Freshman Eights
1. Princeton, 6:05.6
2. Georgetown, 6:07.3
3. Columbia, 6:17.9
Indeed, for most of the 2000-meter race, Columbia stayed within a length of the two talented varsity eights. Only at the end was Princeton able to pull comfortably ahead and Georgetown nudge its bow across the finish line second.
"It was frustrating," head coach Scott Alwin said, "encouraging but frustrating."
Rowing on its on-campus home course, top-ranked Princeton was well favored in the race, but the Tigers were forced to fight hard to hold off Georgetown. The Hoyas, in turn, could not shake the Lions.
The race had not started that way, as Columbia fell behind early. Nearly a full length behind Georgetown after 500 meters of the Lake Carnegie course, Columbia made up distance markedly in the middle 500s.
"We rowed very well there," Alwin said. "Our moves were very effective. We actually went up 1-2 seats on Georgetown." The coach marveled at the temerity of his team. "We started our closing attack in the third 500!" he noted. "Only in the final 250 meters did they pull away."
The Hoyas edged the Lions by just one second, 5:50.7 to 5:51.7. Both eights were just behind Princeton's 5:46.9.
"Princeton is ranked first," Alwin said, " and I think they will stay there all season. For the first 1250 meters we were overlapping Princeton. To stay with a team like Princeton that long in the race, makes me very happy."
The Lions also stuck closely to the Tigers in the second varsity eights, only falling behind in the final 500 while beating Georgetown easily.
"Princeton's second varsity has the talent to be a varsity eight," Alwin, a former Princeton assistant coach, observed. "We hung on, overlapping them through the third 500.
"Our guys stayed very close. They earned their stripes today. In fact, both varsity eights did. They went from being nine guys in a boat, to a crew."
Alwin could have been able to say that about his freshman eight, but they were weakened badly when one key rower was ill.
"[The freshmen] showed us a lot today," Alwin said. "They showed they know how to fight and scrap. I'm looking forward to seeing them when all nine are healthy."
The lightweights face Navy next Saturday in their home debut at Orchard Beach.
The results:
Columbia vs. Princeton and Georgetown
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Lake Carnegie, Princeton, N.J.
Varsity Eights
1. Princeton, 5:46.9
2. Georgetown, 5:50.7
3. Columbia, 5:51.7
Second Varsity Eights
1. Princeton, 5:53.9
2. Columbia, 6:03.2
3. Georgetown, 6:13.0
Freshman Eights
1. Princeton, 6:05.6
2. Georgetown, 6:07.3
3. Columbia, 6:17.9
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