Penn Takes Eastern Lightweight Crown With Varsity Last

Pennsylvania's varsity 150-pound crew followed the example of their powerful big brothers by annexing the Eastern title in their division at the EARC lightweight championships on the Charles Saturday.

The Quakers crossed the finish line half a length ahead of M.I.T. in a race marred for the Crimson by a snapped rudder wire which forced coxswain George Notter to drag his hands on the starboard side to steer for the last half mile. As a result, the varsity boat finished 18 seconds behind smooth-stroking Penn, whose excellent time was 6:42.4.

Favored Cornell captured the junior varsity championship, defeating Princeton and the third-place Crimson in 6:44. The Yardling boat's impressive late race bid to catch Yale failed by less than five feet as stroke Bob Foley found difficulty in raising the cadence. The Elis finished in 6:59.2 with third place Princeton trailing the leaders by nearly two lengths.

Winds Rise, Temperature Drops

Ideal rowing conditions for the morning trials changed to biting easterly winds as the temperature dropped in the afternoon. The whitecaps in the Basin forced Col. Howard W. Robbins, veteran referce, to postpone the finals until late in the day.

In the varsity race, the Crimson was never much of a threat to early leaders M.I.T., Penn, and Navy and were at least a length behind at Massachusetts Avenue Bridge when the rudder line broke. Navy faded as the race continued and Princeton and Cornell moved ahead.

Cornell led throughout the entire J.V. race, thwarting bids by both the Crimson and Princeton.