Five Lightweight Crews Race at Columbia Today

Three varsity and two freshman light-weight crews begin their season at Columbia this morning.

The races will be held at 9 a.m. during high tide since at low tide there is not enough water to float a shell on the New York Athletic Club's trial course at Orchard Beach Lagoon in Pelham, N.Y.

Last year's freshman stroke, Lawrence Terry, will pace the varsity boat.

Seniors Bruce Stevenson and Charlie Spencer will handle the seven and four positions; juniors Gilbert Vincent, captain Jon Eddy, and Mike Radetsky will row three, two, and bow; sophomores Sandy Bolsters and Al Gauld will be at numbers six and five. Sophomore Brian Sullivan will cox.

"We are drawing a great deal of strength and depth from the four sophomores in the first boat," says Coach Bill Weber. "This speaks well for our crews in the next two or three years."

This spring the lightweights have been posting impressive times over short distances. If they can sustain these times over longer distances, the outlook is bright for the season. Weber is pleased. "According to the clock we're looking good, but that remains to be proved in races," he says.

With a new coach this year, Columbia is a question mark. The Lions dropped their opening race to Princeton last week. Weber describes their time as "not very impressive," though he admits this could have been largely due to racing conditions.

Behind stroke Fraser Walsh and cox Al Bartlett, Harvard's junior varsity has a tremendously fast racing start and has been pushing the varsity hard.

The third boat, though it has recently switched oarsman Bob Freedman from the port to the starboard side, is developing into "quite a smooth boat with lots of spirit," according to Weber. Sophomores Chris Cutler is stroking with junior Chip Mills as cox.

Freshman coach Rick Davis, a graduate student in the Education School, describes his squads as "untested." In each of the two boats there are only two oarsmen who have had previous rowing experience in prep school, an unusual situation for college freshman squads.

Captain Terry Considine will stroke the first boat, with Bill Terranova coxing. Brooks Mostue strokes the second boat and Dick Tetkun coxes.