UNIVERSITY A TAKES MEASURE OF SECONDS

The first mile-mark in the program of preparation for the Navy-Princeton tilt, now but nine days distant, was passed yesterday afternoon when Coach Muller's University eight swept to victory over the Junior crew on the Basin.

It is clear that the past week's fare of daily grooming has not been spent in vain, for it was much improved combination that finished a full three lengths ahead yesterday. Prominent among the favorable points in the bearing of the crew was its full spacing, the boat riding well between strokes even under pressure of a high beat. An improvement in the shoot-away of the hands was also noticeable, making possible a stroke of 40 as the shell shot off the starting line.

The race itself was well-rowed and aggressive throughout. Jumping the seconds at the start, University A hammered out a lead of three-quarters of a length by the half-mile mark, steadily increasing this advantage under pressure of a lively 32 stroke as Matthews dropped the beat in the Junior shell to 28. Half a length of open water showed between the crews as Harvard Bridge dropped astern, but the third crew, starting even with University A at the mile mark, soon forced the latter to renewed efforts. At the Henley flags the leaders were neck and neck while the Junior eight had dropped to two lengths behind.

A Battle All the Way

It was a battle all the way down the remainder of the course between the first and third crews, the rival strokes, Brown and Amory, keeping their shells pretty well abreast of each other. Spurt matched spurt for the last couple of hundred yards, but the third eight, rowing only seven-eighths of a mile, had the advantage of endurance and pulled out at the finish a scant quarter length ahead. The Junior eight finished three lengths behind.

In the Freshman four-oar elimination trials, which have been progressing rather slowly during the past two days, Crew D took the measure of B by a matter of a length over the half-mile stretch. The winning four will, together with Crew A, make the trip to Exeter tomorrow. The races against two Exeter four-oars are scheduled for 2 o'clock over a half-mile course.