'Cliffe Crew Takes Eastern Sprints, Then Celebrates With Victory Guzzle

LAKE BESECK, Conn.--The champagne was flowing on the banks of Lake Beseck as the Radcliffe heavyweight crew in both the fours and eights divisions swept aside all opposition en route to capturing the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Sprints Championship yesterday.

In the eights contest stroke Alison Hill, Allison Hall at seven, Wikki Royden at six, Jenny Getsinger at five, Connie Cervilla at four, Katie Moss at three, Marie Adams at two and Judy Ames at the bow slot, got off to their best start of the season, moving out a little bit on the other five boats by the first 30 strokes of the race. It was upon settling that the powerful Radcliffe eight simply rowed through the other boats, with only Yale hanging in close.

But by the 500-meter mark, Radcliffe had opened a full length on the Elis and was well on its way to gaining its second consecutive sprints title.

Psychological Warfare

Radcliffe's final time was 3:55.6 into a stiff headwind. The varsity four, with stroke Barbara Norris, Anne Robinson at three, Robin Lothrop at two, Sarah Kuhn at bow, and coxswain Amy Sacks, took a come-from-behind victory. A bit of psychological warfare ensued before the race began as the crews were lined up at the stake boats. The B.U. stroke, in the lane next to Radcliffe, yelled across, "Listen, girls, they have the finesse, but we have the power."

To which Radcliffe cox Sacks replied, "Keep praying, B.U." However, Radcliffe found itself in the uncomfortable position of being one length behind the B.U. second boat after the first 30 strokes of the race.

"We were watching out for the B.U. first boat," said stroke Norris. "And we didn't see their B boat move out on us." But after the settle, Radcliffe began to eat into the B.U. advantage, so that by the 400 meter mark, Radcliffe had pulled even. By the 500-meter point, Radcliffe had opened up a four-seat advantage, and was moving on every stroke. By the 750 mark, Radcliffe had a length of open water, and school was out for the beleaguered Terriers.

The Radcliffe lightweight boat of Coxswain Barbara Galton, stroke Dottie Kent, Lia Lent, Roxanne Malenbaum, Janet Gilmore, Chanan Tang, Martha Tullis, Meredith Beck and Katie McIntyre lost to the B.U. lightweights by nearly a length.