Women's Crew Coach Graves Resigns

"It's time to move on." Carie Graves said yesterday about her decision to resign from coaching the Harvard women's crew team.

Graves, who has served in her present capacity for six years, said that after coaching the Crimson for the rest of the spring she plans to begin training full-time for the 1984 Olympic crew competition.

"That's her major reason for leaving," said Associate Director of Athletics Patricia Miller. "She feels she needs full time to train for the Olympics."

A two-time member of the U.S. Olympic squad (in 1976 and 1980). Graves' departure has received mixed reactions from team members. The Crimson oars women voiced their best wishes for their mentor's success but added that the team will miss Graves' rowing expertise.

"Everyone on the team is sad to see her go." Crimson Captain Elizabeth Reid said. "We're just hoping to find someone that could do one half of what she's done for the team."

Miller said late yesterday that a "wide open search has begun" to find Graves' replacement. "She has a wealth of experience behind her coaching." Miller added "I think she does a very fine job, and it will be difficult to find someone to do such a good job."

When she became the first woman to coach a crew team in the United States six years ago. Graves brought with her the experience of rowing on the two best women's eights ever produced by the United States.

Reid said the team has little preference as to whether the new coach is a man or a woman. "The feeling is that basically we're not going to get another Carie, so it doesn't matter," Reid said.

In her six years at the helm. Graves has complied a 10-9 overall record and, as team members attest, has provided the inspiration for many key victories. In 1981, her team won England's Henley Royal Regatta. Graves' wealth of experience in the rowing world has been the Crimson's key asset, team members concurred yesterday.

"To be that qualified and experienced and also still rowing is just so much," Reid said "It makes for a unique situation that I don't think anyone's expecting to duplicate."

Now 30, Graves stroked the U.S. women's eight to a silver-medal finish in the 1975 World Championships in England and manned the six oar in the American boat which captured the bronze medal at Montreal in the 1975 Olympics. She again made the Olympic team in 1980 but did not compete because of President Carter's call for a boycott of the games.