New School, Old Hat

One has already raced at Henley.

For another, this will be his fourth Head of the Charles.

A third has spent his last two years rowing at Deerfield Academy.

So what's the common bond between these three rowers? All three are freshman, and all will be rowing in the Head tomorrow.

Peter Hunnewell, Peter Olrich and Nestor Carbonell are part of the eight-man freshman lightweight crew team rowing in the Youth eights Divsion for Harvard at the Head of the Charles.

After attending St. Paul's Prep, Hunnewell took a year off from school and raced in an eight-man crew at Henley, England for the Princess Elizabeth Cup--only to lose in the finals. In the same year, the Harvard varsity took the Grand Challenge Cup.

The Charles River is familiar territory for Olrich. The freshman from Newton, Mass. is participating in his fourth Head after racing singles for the Cambridge Boat Club the past three years. Last year, he finished a respectable eighth place in the Club Singles Division.

Commenting on the achievements of his fellow rowers, Carbonell said, "I was paddling in the Connecticut River while others were at Henley."

All three were quick to note the varied experience of their boat.

"I think we have more experience than other crews," Olrich said, "which is very important."

"We have raced really well against the varsity team," Hunnewell added. "Our boat is real good."

Another point on which they agreed was the sense of team spirit, both in and out of the boathouse.

"The boat is a good group of guys and we all get along well," Carbonell said. "We support each other and it's rare to see this in the boathouse."

"After a good practice," Olrich noted, "we're so psyched up, that we just want to yell and scream. It's not cockiness at all. We're just excited."

This freshman crew, like all the other crews, is basically still going through a training period. During the fall, practices are in the afternoon and last approximately one to one-and-a-half hours. The Yardlings train with the varsity and have long races--about four miles--on a low cadence.

The winter period will place more emphasis on weight training and using the rowing machines to improve power and speed.

"I don't know if I'm really looking forward to the winter," Hunnewell said.

With a group of novices vying for spots on the boat, competition should increase as the season progresses. By the spring, the status of the boat will be established and its members will be prepared to row well throughout the season.

"We don't know how good we will be in the spring," Olrich said, "but our races against the varsity have gotten better."

As for the Harvard crew program, the consensus is one of satisfaction.

"The coaches are great becuase they encourage everyone," Carbonell said. "They're giving everyone a chance."

"There's so much talent in the program," Olrich noted, "that the coaches can let the cream rise to the top and still have a very solid program."

And as for specific goals, all three freshmen agree on one--"Beat Princeton."

And what if tomorrow's race proves to be successful?

"Last year there was a party in the Yale trailer," Olrich said. "I think there's no question who I'll be with this year."