Sopho-More Than You Can Handle

Though the Crimson heavyweights may not have had a stellar season last year, there was one area in which they shined: the freshman squad’s record in spring 2008 was the stuff dreams are made of.

The first freshman boat went undefeated in dual racing and finished up the season in similarly spectacular style, with victories at Eastern Sprints and the Harvard-Yale Regatta, a semifinal place in Henley Royal Regatta’s Temple Cup, and a third-place finish at IRAs to very strong California and Washington teams.

“Bill [Manning] is a really good coach, and he was able to keep us in line and keep us in the right mentality throughout the season,” said sophomore Benjamin French, who stroked the first freshman boat to success last year.

“Sprints finals were kind of an epic moment, just in terms of commitment to the race and how we felt afterwards,” he added. “I feel like it had the most anticipation—the Sprints heat was a bit shaky for us, and that’s really what made the final great.”

The second freshman boat also had a successful season, going undefeated in its dual racing against other freshman boats and claiming another gold at Sprints.

Three of its members­—Christian Wood, Ryan Bucke, and Conner Griffith—joined current senior Matt Webb to form a four, which took first place in the Grand Final of the open fours at IRAs.

“Winning Eastern Sprints was a really great experience,” Bucke said. “But definitely winning IRAs, winning the national championships, was [my favorite part of the season].”

He added that the comaraderie of the sophomore class probably helped them achieve their peak performance last season.

“It’s a very talented group of guys, and I feel that as a class we’re very close,” he said.

“That really helps a lot and brings the squad together as you do literally spend so many hours training per week,” he added.

Captain Teddy Schreck said that the new sophomores have already begun to make their presence felt.

“They’ve actually really contributed a lot even in just the first month on the varsity,” he said.

“Having guys like Christian and Ryan [and Conner] work so hard and develop themselves so much even inspires returning varsity rowers,” he added.

Schreck added that one of the best aspects of rowing was the equal opportunity it gave all team members each year to move into any boat through hard work and improvement.

“It’s a clean slate every year, which is something we appreciate,” he said. “That competitive attitude will really drive motivation throughout the year.”

French and Bucke agreed that it is a very different feeling being part of the varsity squad.

“As a sophomore, you’re kind of at the bottom of the food chain ...you’ve got to get your bearings at first,” French said.

“Varsity life is different from freshman life both academically and athletically,” he added.

“It is a much bigger squad,” Bucke said. “There’s a great team spirit, and the seniors especially have been really welcoming.”

The Head of the Charles this weekend will be the first test for the new members of the varsity racing alongside its veterans. With the first freshman boat returning in its entirety as a championship eight entry, and several other championship and club eights competing, expectations may be building among followers of the Crimson.

“We’re definitely looking forward to it,” Bucke explained. “And there’s already the atmosphere building.”

But, as Schreck added, the results are not about individual boats.

“People are more interested in seeing boats succeed across the board,” the captain said. “It really is something that we do use in the fall to set goals.”

With this injection of new blood into the varsity and a new year’s beginning, the future looks promising for Harvard rowing in the coming nine months.

“We have all the tools to make it work, we just have to put them together,” Schreck said. “I think we are in a very good position this year.”

“Really, the best part about crew is just being able to put in tons of effort,” French, who is stroking the sophomore championship eight. “The most exciting thing about this year is we have the chance to work hard again, and if we do it right, to see some success in the summer.”

—Staff writer Alexandra C. Bell can be reached at acbell@fas.harvard.edu