TEAM OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP: Crimson Back on Top of Heap

It’s never easy living up to the expectations of an illustrious history. And the Harvard men’s heavyweight crew team might reasonably be said to have one of the most illustrious records of college crews out there, with Eastern Sprints championships, IRA titles, and dual racing cups littering the shelves of Newell Boat House like confetti.

But this year’s team did not let the weight of that past bear too heavily upon them. Coming to the end of its season, the Crimson is undefeated in dual races so far, and with not only another Sprints victory under their belts, but also another record time on the course, beating the 2005 varsity eight’s previous record. The team also added a second-place IRA finish, both in the varsity boat and in the team standings.

The team’s 2007 performance clears its name of the slight stain left by last year’s season—the only time in the last five years that the heavyweights haven’t won Sprints despite many returning varsity oarsmen.

“Every boat has its own chemistry,” head coach Harry Parker said after Eastern Sprints. “This year, it’s a little more cohesive and hasn’t changed so much. Last year, we were changing the lineup constantly. I don’t think we really got it until the end.”

Varsity stroke George Kitovitz agreed that there was a perceptible change in attitude.

“Something about this season which maybe wasn’t so strong last year was everyone realized what the goal was and went after it together,” he said.

Whatever the reasons, 2007 has certainly shown the Harvard heavyweights are back to their full glory and has proven once again that whatever momentary glitches might occur, the Crimson is never far away from its favorite perch at the top of the competition for long.

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