Heavies Brace for Invasion Of Kansas Tuttle Creek Ten

When the late Dr. Karl T. Compton former president of MIT, initiated the Compton Cup crew race in 1933, he must have envisioned the top crews in the East--Harvard, MIT and Princeton--racing down eastern rivers to fame, glory and a coveted Compton Cup.

Alas, this season we have a powerful crew off Lake Carnegie, two boats off the Charles which rank with the best in the East, and a fastly improving boat from Tuttle Creek.

Tuttle Creek?

Yes, for the first time in history, the "Tuttle Creek Ten" from Manhattan, Kansas will attempt to burst Compton's eastern supremacy bubble this afternoon on the Charles against the original trio.

It will be an uphill struggle for the Wildcats from Kansas State, as eight varsity oarsmen, a coxswain and coach Don Rose--"the Tuttle Creek Ten"--pin their hopes on a borrowed shell, overconfident opponents, and the element of surprise.

The Crimson has won nine straight Compton Cups and his installed as the favorite today with MIT and Princeton expected top finish in a dead heat for second.

The Tigers have lost to eastern champions Navy by eight seconds in their debut and by a two-second margin to Penn last Saturday.

MIT. Harvard's neighborhood rival on the Charles, lost a close race to powerful Northeastern last weekend when its stoke jumped his slide 25 strokes from the finish. The Huskies, who had been trying to catch the stubborn Engineers during the body of the race, stroked by a limp MIT shell.

Harvard was impressive at Providence last Saturday as they powered to an eight-second victory over an outmanned Brown squad.

The unknown quantity is of course the western strangers--the "Tuttle Creek Ten." In its first test this season, the midwest terrors disposed of washburn University and St. Thomas's College. Last week, at the Springfield Rowing Development Association Rowing Regatta, the Wildcats left Minnesota Notre Dame, Purdue. Nebraska and demoralized Washburn back in its wake.

"We have managed to win, but these crews didn't really know how to row." Rose said. "You know we're a long way from Tuttle Creek--that's where we row," the "Ten's superior officer said.

"Yeh. I know it sounds pretty hick," he continued. "I'm trying to get it renamed Lake of the Flint Hills or Lake Eisenhower."

He argued the merits of the two possibilities for the "Ten's future practice area. "You know Kansas is Ike's home state and it would be good to honor a native son, especially since Ike did so well."

"But lake of the Flint Hills Sounds so much more romantic than this Tuttle Creek. Now I don't have anything against Mr. Tuttle or whoever he was but in my mind it just don't hack it." Rose concluded.

And so as the members of the "Tuttle Creek Ten" settled into their quarters at the old Cambridge Armory across the hall from the MIT campus police, visions of DOC Compton's Cup passed through their heads and they wondered if next year they'd defend as "Ike's Ten" instead.