Rowers Are Prepping for National Titles Once Again

The Charles River has thawed. The crew season has begun.

And as always, Harvard and Radcliffe are in the hunt for the national title on almost every level of competition.

The Heavyweights

Men's heavyweight coach and legend Harry Parker (in his 30th year at Harvard) is speaking with guarded optimism about the upcoming season.

"There's a chance we can do very well," Parker said. "We could be stronger than we were last year."

Last year, Parker took his boat to third place finishes at the Eastern Sprints and the National Collegiate Championships, finishing behind Pennsylvania and Northeastern both times.

Harvard also lost dual races to the Quakers and Wildcats, while defeating every other opponent.

This year, Penn and NU are still at the top. Harvard, Cornell and Navy represent the second tier, but all five teams have a legitimate shot to win the national championship.

Currently, Parker's lineup has sophomore Didzis Voldins at stroke, junior Bill Cooper in the seven seat, followed by junior Ethan Ayer, senior Captain Steve Trafton, Bill's twin brother John, sophomore Colin Chant, sophomore Adam Holland, junior Lars Mellemseter in bow and sophomore coxswain David Weiden.

Four sophomores in the first boat seems like a lot, but Parker downplayed any talk of a youth movement.

"It's not an intentional decision," Parker said. "Whoever's rowing well will be on the boat. This is not an unusual move... I think we did this last year."

Radcliffe, on the other hand, is senior-heavy and looking to improve on last year's fourth place finish at nationals.

Unfortunately, it will have to contend with Boston University, which has created what Captain Amy Constable termed "a mini-dynasty."

"BU is supremely confident," Constable said. "I would love to beat them."

Despite the Terriers' pre-eminence, Constable ranked the Black and White (Radcliffe colors) among the top three crews in the country.

"Princeton is good," Constable said, "but we have big rowers. I have to say we are very strong."

Constable herself is out for the season with a back injury, and is joined on the injured list by senior Carrie Edwards. Edwards, recovering from knee surgery, is currently rowing on the JV squad.

"Carrie is normally our stroke," Constable said. "She will make a difference if she can come back."

Without Edwards, Coach Liz O'Leary's current lineup looks like this: junior Rachel Lerner at stroke, followed by senior and Acting Captain Kristi Stoddard, junior Meg Brooks, sophomore Tilde Hajek, junior Sasha Foster, senior Wendy Svatek, senior Rachel Greene and Kathryn Patton in bow.

The prospects for a national championships are good, put Constable cautioned against high expectations.

"Ultimately, we hope to win, but that's not a prerequisite for a sucessful season," she said. "We just want to row our best."

The Lightweights

Men's Coach Charlie Butt, the defending national lightweight champion, doesn't like the phrase, "favored to repeat."

"No, we're not favored to repeat," Butt said. "You can never tell what's going to happen. Things haven't shaken out yet."

But with five returning oarsmen, the chances look good. Butt admits as much.

"We have a good boat, a very strong boat," he said. "But we have to work to win."

Princeton and Yale are expected to be the major competition.

The Radcliffe lightweight team's future is looking equally rosy, according to senior Captain Karen Lane.

"We're looking pretty fast," Lane said. "We haven't been on the water for long, but we have a good attitude."

The lightweights, who row in fours, are anchored by three senior rowers: Ginny Marston at stroke, Lane in the three seat and Julie Wong in the two seat.

Sophomore Julie Copaken is in the bow and sophomore Laura Marx coxes.

In its only race of the season so far, the boat finished second in the Augusta Regatta, behind Washington.

"We finished second, but there was some controversy over the curves in the course," Lane said.

The Novices

Both novice coaches sound particularly happy about the upcoming season.

With just two experienced rowers, Men's Novice Coach Al Flanders is very pleased with the progress his team has made.

"There's a lot of potential," Flanders said. "They've improved so much in the past two weeks."

Radcliffe Coach Novice Holly Hatton is similarly enthused.

"Technically, we're very good," Hatton said. "I'm very excited."