Oct. 25, 2004
BOSTON, MASS. -- The Columbia varsity men's heavyweight crew made its debut under new coach Mike Zimmer in the Championship Eights race at the famed Head of the Charles Regatta.
Columbia rowed the 2.5 mile course in 11:51.352, adjusted to 12:01.352. It gave the Lions 35th place in the 37-boat field, ahead of Marietta and Santa Clara. However, the Lions' original time was within fractions of a second of several crews which placed ahead of them, including Temple, Boston U., Ohio State, and the Yale Boat Club.
European crews captured three of the first five places in the prestigious race. The Cambridge University Boat Club was first in 10:43.026, beating the Dutch Rowing Federation by more than three seconds. Two U.S. college eights, Princeton and California, were third and fourth, while Great Britain's Oxford Brooks University was fifth.
The Columbia freshmen will make their collegiate debuts next Saturday in the Head of the Schuylkill in Philadelphia.
