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Volume CXXXII, Number 22 |
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Crew strokes to 2nd in President's Cup
MADELINE POTT
STAFF WRITER
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| A women's crew team pulls its weight down the Androscoggin. (Courtesy of James Birney) |
Never resting-not even on Easter Sunday-Bowdoin's rowing team went head-to-head against Colby and Bates to compete in the annual President's Cup. Bates hosted the regatta on the Adroscoggin River.
All three schools competed for cups in the novice and varsity fours categories for both men and women, as well as cups for novice and varsity eights for men and women. After borrowing an eight-person from Bates, Bowdoin entered rowers in each race, except for the men's novice eight.
After a successful President's Cup in 2002, the rowing team returned defending three cups-the men's and women's varsity fours cup and the women's novice fours cup. Bowdoin captured the varsity fours cups again, but the novice women's and men's cups both went to Colby.
Three crews were entered in the men's varsity fours event, which proved to be a heated race. The men's varsity boat, coxed by Ben Needham '05 and stroked by Gordon Clark '03, Tyler Lange '03, Chad Pelton '04, and Colin Drake '04 won with a time of 7:13.2. The winning boat was neck and neck with Bowdoin's second varsity boat the entire length of the 2000-meter course, pulling through at the last minute to beat a crew from their own school by a mere second.
Bowdoin's varsity women, coxed by Meredith Harris '05 and stroked by Katie Chandler '04, Jess Reuben '03, Kacy Karlen '05, and Eliza Lende '05 crossed the finish line first with a winning time of 8:11.3, sealing the win with a gap of just six seconds ahead of a Colby crew.
The two novice women's boats lost to Colby, who pushed through the finish a full eight seconds ahead of other crews. Betsy Bradford '06, member of the first novice boat, said, "it was a reuniting row for our boat, and even though we came in second, I think we were all pretty pleased. We rowed harder than we ever have." The men's novice crew also lost to Colby, while beating both Bates crews.
Bates and Colby performed considerably better than Bowdoin in the eights races. Keep in mind, however, that Bowdoin trains and usually races in fours shells.
Sophomore coxswain of the men's eight, Ben Needham, said, "Changing things up and getting in the eights for us and the fours for Bates and Colby is always fun." Bates won the men's eight race, beating Colby by only a second, but Colby struck back in the varsity women's eights race, taking home the trophy.
Earning a total of 30 points, Colby claimed the President's Cup. Bowdoin tallied 22 points and came in second place, while Bates finished last with 17. The Bowdoin crew not only came home with two cups but also an eight boat-courtesy of a Bates team that graciously lent its services. The team hopes to compete in an eight at the New England Rowing Championships to be held May 3, 2003 in Worcester, Massachusetts.
This weekend, the team will travel down to Lowell for the New England
Fours Championships.
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