Mather Upsets Eliot in Crew

An upset-minded Mather House eight nipped Eliot House by one seat in yesterday's House intramural rowing regatta on the Charles.

The Mather victory marked the first time in 21 years that the "A" boat title has failed to go to either Eliot or Kirkland House.

Most prognosticators felt the battle would be between Eliot and Kirkland, each of which won the preliminary heats last week. But it was not to be, as Mather took three quarters of a length by the 500-meter mark and then held on, covering the 1500 meters a scant one second ahead of Eliot.

"We knew we had a really good chance, but we thought that Kirkland would be in there too," said Mather coxswain Maurice McWhirter after the race. Kirkland, though, was a distant sixth, never a factor in the race.

Quincy edged Currier for third place, while Lowell finished fifth. Winthrop House suffered a broken oarlock in the 15th stroke of the contest, but the referee did not call the race back, costing them a shot at the title and leaving them seventh.

It was the first year there has been a separate women's category, and 11 crews competed for the title. Dunster House, the favorite after easily wining its heat last week, edged out Eliot House with only ten strokes to go enroute to a nine-tenths of a second win.

"We were behind Eliot pretty much the whole way, but there was a lot of cinfidence that we could pull it out," number seven Allison Hall explained yesterday.

In the men's "B" boat race, Lowell House walked away with the event for the second consecutive year. Quincy House finished a distant second in the field of eight.