Crew Prepares for Eastern Sprints

Harvard sports fans do not typically get to see their teams in the top ranks in the country. But Harvard and Radcliffe crew fans do.

The Harvard and Radcliffe crews leave home water this weekend to race in the ERAC and the EAWRC sprints, where all the crews are well-positioned for high finishes.

Harvard Heavyweights

Harvard travels to Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass. to compete in the Eastern Rowing Association Championship on Sunday.

The No. 3 Varsity eight enters the regatta seeded behind Brown and Princeton with a record of 5-1. Its season so far has included a victory over Brown, the defending Eastern champion, and a tough loss to Princeton by a margin of 2.6 seconds.

The Crimson benefits from the experience of four returning varsity rowers: senior stroke Sam Brooks, senior captain Jason Craw, junior Hugo Mallison, and junior Wayne Pommen.

The freshman boat is seeded first after its 7-1 season, its only setback a two-secoond loss to Princeton on Apr. 21.

The 2V and 3V boats are both seeded seventh and the 2F boat is seeded second.

Last year, all of the Crimson crews except the freshman second boat placed fourth.

The pressure is on the Harvard varsity eight with a streak of 37 straight appearances in the Grand Final on the line.

The varsity eight will face No. 4 Penn, No. 9 Cornell, No. 10 Syracuse and No. 15 MIT in morning trials. Only the top two teams from the heat will advance to Grand Final.

With its fourth straight undefeated season on the Charles River, Harvard is poised for a high finish in Eastern Sprints and ready for the Harvard-Yale regatta on June 3, America's oldest intercollegiate event and longest crew race.

Harvard Lightweights

The Crimson enters this weekend seeded second, behind nemesis Yale, who leads all the varsity rankings.

The Harvard varsity has a record of 6-2, having dropped races only to Yale and Columbia. The Crimson will have to face No. 6 Columbia along with No. 3 Georgetown, No. 7 Navy, No. 10 Penn and No. 11 M.I.T. in the morning trials. The top three teams will advance to the Grand Final.

The Harvard third varsity and the first and second freshman boats are seeded fifth. The second varsity boat is ranked third.

Last year, the varsity, second varsity and second freshman crew all took third place. The third varsity boat won its division and the first freshman boat placed fourth.

The Harvard lightweight crews have won a combined 65 Eastern Sprints titles, 23 of which belong to the varsity boat. The JV boat has won 24 crowns, the most of any crew in any division.

The Harvard lightweight streak of racing in the Grand Final leaves no doubt about the Crimson's potential this weekend-the varsity boat has raced in the Grand Finals in all 55 years of Eastern Sprints.

Radcliffe Heavyweights

The Radcliffe crews travel to Camden, N.J. this weekend to race on the Cooper River in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges Sprints.

The varsity boat has a record of 6-5 for the spring, including a 3.6-second loss to No. 1 Brown. The Black and White will have to face Brown in the morning trials with No. 7 Rutgers, No. 12 Northeastern, No. 13 Columbia and No. 18 M.I.T. also in the heat.

The Radcliffe varsity four is ranked first with a perfect 10-0 record for the spring. The second varsity and the first novice crews are seeded second behind Brown and Cornell respectively. The second novice boat is ranked third.

Last year, the varsity boat took second place, its highest finish since winning the 1989 title. The varsity four took fourth while the second varsity placed fifth and the novice crew was second.

Radcliffe has been invited to compete in the NCAA Championship in each of the last three years. With its current ranking, the Black-and-White have not secured an NCAA berth. A high finish this weekend would help its case.

Radcliffe Lightweights

The Black and White are ranked third behind No. 1 Princeton and No. 2 Wisconsin going into this weekend.

The Radcliffe crew, captained by senior Laura Heyns, holds a record of 4-2 with losses to Princeton and Wisconsin.

In the 2000 race, the Black and White placed third. The crew has won nine Eastern Championships.