Ratzeburg Wins Sprints As Cornell Crews Sweep All Varsity, JV Events

WORCESTER, May 19--Cornell's Big Rod crews shut out the best the East could offer is nearly every event--almost taking the World Champion Germans in the process--in the EARC Sprint Championships here today on Lake Quinsigamond, leaving only the freshman heavy-weight and lightweight titles to Harvard.

West Germany's Ratzeburg Rowing Club completed its spring sweep of eastern colleges with a decisive one-length victory over Cornell in the big varsity heavyweight event, but living up to its advanced billing wasn't really that easy.

Facing high winds in the morning trial beats, the high-stroking Germans barely qualified. They lost to Cornell by half a length, and just nosed out Wisconsin by two feet for second place and a ticket in the finals. The race was their first defeat in America.

German Victory Decisive

There wasn't much doubt about the German victory in the finals, however, as they welcomed the afternoon's smoother conditions for their extremely high stroke and never gave the Big Red a chance.

But Cornell took the Worlester Bowl, since Ratzeburg was ineligible, just as they took three other major events--the varsity lightweights, and the JV heavy weights and lightweights. As though that weren't enough, the Ithicans placed second only to Harvard in both freshman events.

In the lightweight varsity final, M.I.T. was the favorite, but the inspired Cornell eight upset the previously undefeated Engineers by just a feet. Given an outside chance o win, coach Fred Cabot's Crimson 150's rowed a good race for solid third place.

Stroked by sophomore Galen Brewster, the varsity lightweights jumped ahead at the start of the final, but couldn't hold their lead. Losing ground, the Crimson upped the stroke at the 1000-meter mark but Cornell and M.I.T. slowly pulled out in front.

The biggest disappointment of the day, however, was the failure of the Crimson heavyweight varsity to make the finals. IN a round of morning upsets that equal led Ratzeburg's defeat. Penn, Columbia and Harvard--all seeded second--failed to qualify.

Beaten in the trial race by Princeton and Brown, who lost to the Crimson three weeks ago, coach Harry Parker's heavyweight drew an unlucky lane that was unprotected from the wind, but Brown rowed all-out to win the heat. The Crimson managed to stay ahead of highly-regarded Penn, who defeated Harvard and gave Ratzeburg a scare last week, but neither qualified.

Harvard Salvages Success

But while Cornell took four major events, and both the heavyweight Rowe Cup and lightweight Jope Cup, the undefeated Crimson freshman heavies and lights salvaged some success for Harvard by winning the two other major titles.

One of the most impressive crews of the day, coach Laury Coolidge's freshman eight proved itself the best in the East with a length victory over Cornell. The freshmen took off at the start and never let up, finishing with a time that would have fared well in the varsity heavyweight final.

The freshman lightweights also remained undefeated for the season, beating omnipresent Cornell by half a length.