April 9, 2005
The U.S. Naval Academy men's lightweight crew swept all four races on the Orchard Beach Lagoon today, and Rutgers won the Wit Cup for the first time since 2000.
Navy, one of the nation's top-rated lightweight crews, was victorious in the varsity, second varsity, first freshman, and second freshman races. The Middies won the varsity race in 5:57.36, holding off strong early and mid-race challenges from Columbia.
Rutgers moved past the Lions near the conclusion of the race, and held on to finish second in 6:01.81 to Navy's 5:57.36. Columbia was third in 6:04.39.
By finishing ahead of Columbia, the Scarlet Knights snapped the Lions' four-year hold on the Wit Cup, and captured it for the first time since 2000.
"With the speed we showed early, it's hard to understand how we could lose to Rutgers," head lightweight coach Marc DeRose said. "While we were attempting to stay with Navy, Rutgers seemed to slip in the back door. We've got to go back to work."
The Columbia first freshmen also made a good run at Navy. In fact, the Lions led almost the entire race. But with 300 meters to go, the Middies "cranked it up", as DeRose said, and pulled ahead of Columbia. At such an early stage of the season, though, the freshmen have not yet begun to practice closing sprints, and could not speed up to overtake Navy.
The Navy first freshmen were timed in 6:02.38 to Columbia's 6:09.42, with Rutgers well back, in 6:28.04. Columbia also finished second in the second freshman race, and Rutgers took second in the second varsity event.
Columbia will hit the road tomorrow (Sunday) when it meets Harvard, Delaware, and Georgetown on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J., beginning at 9 AM. Next Saturday, the Lions are in Derby, Conn., for the Dodge Cup with Yale and Penn.
The results:
Varsity Eights - 1. Navy, 5:57.36 2. Rutgers, 6:01.81 3. Columbia, 6:04.39
Second Varsity Eights - 1. Navy, 6:07.18 2. Rutgers, 6:12.79 3. Columbia, 6:32.06
Freshman Eights - 1. Navy, 6:02.38 2. Columbia, 6:09.42 3. Rutgers, 6:28.04
Second Freshman Eights - 1. Navy, 6:13.36 2. Columbia, 6:21.76 3. Rutgers, 6:24.33
