Oarsmen Storm Past Brown; MIT Upsets Lights

"It's hard to beat a Harry Parker heat in these conditions"

A dropping spectator, after watching the race

Consistency and technique are two words which summarize Harry Parker's coaching styel, and on the gusting, white-capped walkers of the Charles River Saturday they reaped wonderful dividends for Harvard's heavyweight crew.

Consistency is what characterizes Parker's record at Harvard 84-8 over 21 years Technique is what two generations of Harvard oarsmen have had drilled into their consciousness, Parker style.

Matched against Brown Saturday Harvard's formula once again paid off. The Crimson surged into an early lead and kept its comport in the rough waters to beat a strong Bruin boat by five seconds, 6:10.5 to 6:15.8.

The victory gained Harvard the Stein Cup for the 19th straight year, preserving Parker's perfect record over Brown.

It might well have ended differently Brown came to Cambridge with justifiably high hoped, having edged Yale last weekend to rise out of the ranks of second-rate Eastern crews. In that race the Bruins showed themselves to be sprinters, surprising Yale by coming on strong in the last 500 meters, Saturday, however, Brown couldn't move on the Crimson in the rough water and Harvard won with open water to spare.

The weather, as well as Harvard's tenacity, combined to make Brown Coach Steve Giadstone's return to Cambridge--he coached the Crimson lightweights for several years-- very miserable. "The conditions played into our hands," Harvard stroke Andy Sudduth agreed afterwards.

The 2000-meter race was really won in the first quarter Harvard was more aggressive at the start, staking out a six-seat lead after 500 meters. In the last two-third of the course water conditions were appreciably water conditions were appreciably worse, making a Brown surge more difficult, especially against the consistency of Harvard's 35 strokes per minute.

Senior Michael Ryan, Harvard's five-man, provided the epitaph for Brown. "The technique that Harry [Parker] inculcates us with allowed in to keep our rowing at a very consistent level, which was better than Brown could do in Saturday's conditions."

The Crimson lightweights fared less well than the heavies Saturday, as their late surge just missed clipping a surprisingly strong MIT boat at the finish line. The narrow three-sent victory copped the Biglin Bowl for the Engineers, the first time Harvard has last this race since 1980.

Dartmouth, a token entrant in this regatta (having never won it) since its inception in 1955, limped to the finish line well behind the two Cambridge boats.

MIT utilized good strategy on the 2000-meter course, getting off the lane quickly and then rowing at a quicker cadence (371/2 stokes per minute) then the Harvard boat. While tiring in the final stage of the race MIT was aided by a strong tailwind and managed to hang on for the win.

The Crimson lights, after surrendering a boatlength lead halfway through the race, started moving on the Engineers at the 1500-meter point. In the last 60 strokes Harvard increased its cadence and closed the gap--almost. "We just ran out of space," bow man Justin Kermond said yesterday. "In a tailwind situation like Saturday's it's a lot harder to catch a boat."

The Crimson will get a chance to avenge its unexpected loss to MIT at the Eastern Sprints next month, where Harvard is the defending champion.

THE NOTEBOOK: The severity of the water conditions Saturday forced the shifting of the race course 500 meters downstream, so the boats finished at the MIT Boat-house.

Stain Cup, Charles River

Varsity 1 Harvard 6:10. 5:2. Brown 6:15. 8. JV 1 Brown 6:08 5:2. Harvard 6:09, 2. Third Boat 1 Harvard 6 11 3, 2. Brown 6:19, 0. Freshmen 1 Harvard 6:02, 0, 2, Brown 6:04 0.

Biglin Bowl, Charles River

Varsity 1 MIT 5:47, 2. 2. Harvard 5:47 6, 3 Dartmouth 5.55.6, JV. 1. MIT 6:29 2 2. Harvard 6:30 2 3 Dartmouth 6 33, 9. Third Boat 1. Harvard 2 MIT Freshman 1 Dartmouth, 2 Harvard 3. MIT.