Heavyweights Face B.U., Rutgers; M.I.T., Dartmouth Meet Lights

The varsity heavyweight crew will be one of the most untried and unknown of all the boats that will cross the finish line this afternoon when it opens its season against experienced B.U. and Rutgers at 6:30 p.m. But judging from the high spirit displayed yesterday at Newell Boat House, one cannot take its chances lightly.

Whatever the outcome, coach Harvey Love has faced an uphill battle ever since the beginning of spring practice. He has had to find a replacement for the departed Perry Boyden, and today, without really knowing the capabilities of his first boat combination, he has to face two rugged crews who have raced before and know what they can do.

But the outlook is not dim for Love, who is beginning his 12th season as varsity coach. To replace Boyden, Love has tapped sophomore Dick Masland, the stroke of last year's freshman boat. Though light at 6 ft., 2 in. and 169 pounds, Masland has had to outlast three oarsmen from last year's varsity boat for his position and should turn in a solid performance.

With Masland stroking, the varsity went over the course this week in a time that assures them a good chance today. "We know now that we are a respectable crew," Love commented yesterday. "But what they go on to do today, depends on them."

Behind Masland is another sophomore, Harry Pollock, at seven, who rowed in the same position last year. Doug Robertson, up from the JV's, holds down the six spot, and cox Bob Goodwin rounds out the group that faces varsity racing for the first time this afternoon.

The MIT lightweight crew has been publicly optimistic recently, but it could easily find things otherwise after this afternoon's encounter with the Crimson varsity and Dartmouth for the Biglin Cup at 3:30 p.m. The JV race is at 3 p.m.

Coach Larry Collidge has been experimenting with new combinations all week, trying out a different boat every day. Hopefully today's boat, which is much the same that beat Navy and barely lost to Cornell, can turn back the confident Engineers.

Iver Peterson will be stroking after a day on the JV's, and George Welch, Jim MacMahon, Davis Pike, and cox John Kearney will remain in their positions in the stern four. Up from the JV's are Jim Richards at four and Martin Greenacre at bow to fill out the bow four with Dave Straus at two and Mike MacKenzie at three.

Last year in the Biglin Cup, the light-weights squeezed by MIT by three-tenths of a second, and Dartmouth followed about four lenghths behind. Today's race promises to be just as close, and an exciting one to see if the riverbank is not crowded. Dartmouth will not be easy game, however, despite its poor showing last year.

The first freshman lightweights will also face Dartmouth and MIT, and the time of that race is 2:30 p.m. Contests on the Charles will run all afternoon, and in fact, during part of the morning, from 10 a.m. through 12 p.m.