Harvard-Radcliffe Lightweight Rowing Snatches The Class of 1999 Cup Back From Princeton

Last weekend, the No. 1 Harvard-Radcliffe lightweight crew team bested the No. 2 Princeton Tigers to reclaim the coveted Class of 1999 Cup for the first time in six years.

With picture-perfect boating conditions, the Black and White set out to challenge Princeton on the Tigers’ home water at Carnegie Lake, N.J. A day of tight racing ensued, with the Harvard-Radcliffe athletes winning all events except the V4+, demonstrating the depth of the team from Cambridge, Mass.

Returning to the water with the same lineup that won the Head of the Charles Regatta in October, it was Harvard-Radcliffe’s race to lose in the V8+. As one of the top teams in the country, the Black and White wanted to show up after a long winter semester off the water.

“It’s not the easiest thing, being indoors for months and months on end, and this winter was especially long. It felt like the river had been frozen forever,” said assistant coach Katherine Kelley.

Yet despite months off the water, Harvard-Radcliffe showed up strong, beating the Princeton boat by 2.60 seconds, setting a time of 6:52.9.

Coach Kelley emphasised the importance of the entire program to the V8’s success.

“It’s not just the varsity eight winning, but from the entire program pulling from the top and pushing from the bottom. It comes from the support staff, the training staff, the lift staff, strength and conditioning. It is a much bigger group than just that varsity,” Kelley added.

The second varsity four and double both captured the win against the Tigers, posting times of 7:59 and 8.32 respectively. Notably, freshman Louisa Carter, a walk-on from Cambridge, Mass., rowed exceptionally well in the second four. Harvard-Radcliffe’s unique commitment to encouraging walk-ons supports the team in its continued quest for growth.

“Walk-on culture, especially for a team that’s this small, I think, just encourages the love for the sport. When you have a large PR from a walk-on athlete versus a smaller PR from a varsity athlete, they’re celebrated in the same way,” said Kelley.

Despite the first four being pipped at the post by Princeton, on the whole, the team raced exceedingly well, setting it up well for the rest of the season. Kelley has no doubts about the squad’s drive and determination to win.

“This team is unlike any other that I’ve coached in, that every single one of them is so incredibly driven and so incredibly passionate and determined in what they’re doing, and that makes my job and Coach John’s job really easy. I don’t have to ask anybody to care,” the assistant coach said.

This weekend, the team will travel to New Jersey to compete in the Knecht Cup. There, it will face lightweight crews from across the country, giving the team a real measure of the competition this season.

— Staff writer Matilda C. Genieser can be reached at [email protected].