Men's Crew Defeated In First Race at Henley

The Harvard men's heavyweight crew failed to reach the finals of the 148th Henley Regatta-on-Thames Saturday, falling to the Ridley Boat Club from Canada by three-quarters of a length in the first round of the Grand Challenge Cup for eights.

Harvard qualified for Henley three weeks ago by winning the national collegiate championship, its third in five years but first since 1985, when the Crimson crew went on to capture the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley.

This year, however, it all ended quickly for Harvard, as the heavies were eliminated in the Cup's first race. Harvard made a race of it against the favored Canadians, trailing by only a length at the midway mark. The Crimson rallied to cut the lead in half, but the Canadians held on, finishing in a time of 6:13.

The Soviet Army crew defeated Ridley by two lengths in the final to capture the Cup.

Three weeks ago, at the sixth annual Cincinnati Regatta at Harsha Lake, the two favorites--Harvard and Brown--pulled away from the pack after 500 meters to set the stage for a fierce two-team race over the final 1500 meters.

The two squads raced neck-and-neck until Harvard outstoked Brown to the finish line, winning by a length of five feet--the largest margin of the entire race--in a meet-record time of 5:35.17.

Brown, which captured both the EARC Sprints and IRA Regatta earlier this year, finished second with a time of 5:35.63, while defending champion Wisconsin placed third in 5:41.85.

There is life after Henley for the Crimson. Harvard is currently competing in the World University Games in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, which end July 20.

On the lighter side

The Harvard men's lightweight crew rowed to asecond-place finish in the Lightweight Nationalson the Hudson River in New York City.

The second-place finish was the highest for aHarvard lightweight crew in a championship eventsince the Crimson captured the EARC Sprints in1982.

Harvard finished in 6:10.1 behind Yale, whichtook first with a time of 6:08. Princeton, a squadthat defeated Harvard twice this season, finishedthird in 6:11.7. The Crimson had not edged theTigers since 1982.

Around the World

In other sports action, former All-Americatennis player Larry Scott became the first Harvardplayer since Chauncey Steele in 1970 to compete atWimbledon, sweeping past Greg Holmes of Salt LakeCity in the first round, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (9-7tiebreaker). Scott's stay was short-lived,however, as he fell in his second-round match toMichiel Schapers, 7-6, (7-3), 6-3, 6-2.

NCAA fencing champion Jim O'Neill--one of twoHarvard individual national champions this pastyear--continued to shine in national competition,placing second in the US Championships last month.

Two more Harvard athletes have been named toAll-America squads. Cross-Country runner PaulGompers and hockey star Mark Benning were selectedto the GTE At-Large Academic All-America Team lastmonth. Gompers was named to the first team aftergraduating with a 3.82 grade point average inbiology, while Benning was named to the secondteam after graduating with a 3.25 grade pointaverage in economics and setting a record fordefensemen with 102 assists.

Also, 20 members of the Harvard track teamsspent three weeks abroad in Ireland and England,and 13 members of the Harvard rugby club playedfor the American side in the collegiate World Cupin Australia