Lightweights Overwhelm Princeton by Two Lengths

It only took six strokes for Harvard to brush aside any wild ideas that Princeton really was going to make a serious challenge for the Goldthwait Cup.

Roaring out of the start at a powerful 44 cadence, the Crimson jumped to a quick half-length lead before the startled Tigers could mutter "Ohmygoditshappeningagain!!" Then, having beaten Princeton at its own quick-start-let-em-have-it game, the Crimson whipped off a sizzling first 500 at an incredible 37 cadence to open up a convincing lead.

Harvard's performance enabled the Crimson decisively to turn back the strongest challenge that the lights will face this season. Harvard streaked home in a very fast 6:02 for the 2000 meters, topping the Tigers by 8.1 seconds. Yale, which was pathetically outclassed by the two "Superboats," wallowed home five lengths later at 6:22.

Harvard settled for the body of the race at a steady 34-35 pace, but the letdown came far too late to make any difference for the Tigers. By the 1000-meter mark the Crimson had open water on the desperate Tiger eight, who, despite a strong and smooth performance, could not gain on the streaking Crimson boat.

Harvard moved steadily away from Princeton from them on. By the time the sprint for the last 20 strokes came up. Harvard had a commanding one-and-one-half-length lead, which they increased to nearly two full lengths by the finish.

Crimson coach Steve Gladstone, beaming from ear to ear after the triumph, called the Crimson victory "unquestionably our best performance of the year."

Enormous Lift

"This gives us an enormous lift," Gladstone said after the race. "Up until today there were some serious questions about what would happen against an outstanding crew. This week we've finally begun to realize that we can move this boat--we've got the confidence now."

And for the crews that the Crimson will face in next Saturday's Eastern Sprint competition, that confidence destroys any hopes to unseat the reigning sprint champions.

For Princeton coach Woody Fischer, Saturday was another setback in a long line of frustrations at Harvard hands. "We rowed a pretty fair race," he said after the Crimson triumph, "but we were just outclassed."

"I was surprised by their initial speed off the line," he continued. "I kind of suspected that they would pay for it sometime or another--but they never did."

Certainly not, and it didn't take a degree in social relations to notice the wistful tone of his voice. Another highly-touted Princeton lightweight conglomerate had bitten the dust, and one could sense the frustration in Fischer's words. Fischer had watched from the launch in disbelief as Harvard took an early lead, and when the Crimson moved out by more than a length. Fischer's head dropped in utter dejection. It was that decisive a Harvard victory. And it is a long way back to New Jersey.

The JV race was tension-filled and close from start to finish.

The Crimson pulled even at the 1000-meter mark, and from there to the end it was all downhill for Princeton. At 1200 meters, Harvard moved into a three-seat lead, which they steadily increased until the finish. Harvard came in at 6:17.5, a little over a length in front of the Tigers, who finished at 6:23.

In the freshman race, an impressive Princeton eight that is rapidly becoming the class of the East, streaked past the Yardlings to win with an outstanding time of 6:05. Harvard finished nearly nine seconds behind the Tigers.