The men's lightweight freshman crew travels to Worcester, Mass., this weekend to compete in its final and most important race of the year, Eastern Sprints. The undefeated top freshman boat comes in as the top seed in a field that includes six other Ivies, as well as Navy, Georgetown, Rutgers and MIT.
Dartmouth's primary foes at this year's championships are second-seed Princeton and third-seed Yale. Dartmouth has not faced Princeton this year, but the top boat did beat Yale just three weeks ago on the same course Dartmouth will be racing on Sunday.
The weather conditions are not certain, but if the weather is bad and choppy waters result, first boat strokeman Austin Whitman '99 believes the team will be ready. "We're probably the most prepared of any crew because of the horrible conditions on the Connecticut River this year," he said.
In the second boat division, Dartmouth comes in on a losing streak. After going undefeated all spring, its last two races have yielded losses to Yale and Cornell. Cornell, Yale and Princeton are seeded ahead of Dartmouth in their division.
"We've been coming together as a team very well in the past few days, and if we take that momentum into this weekend we will do very well and upset the higher seeds," second boat strokeman Dave Wagner '99 said.
This race is the season finale for the Dartmouth lightweights. "Everyone knows that this is the last race of the season, so we must be fully focused throughout," Seven Seat Jeff Munsie '99 said.
"We've been training since September for this six-minute race," Whitman added.
Munsie also explained that practices were made progressively easier this week "in order to assure that we can pour everything we have into the race." The team began its formal taper row yesterday, and will taper again today, before both boats make the trip down to Lake Quinsigamond tomorrow morning.
Adding fire to the freshmen's desire for the coveted title of best collegiate crew in the nation, is the departure of coach Chris Schmidt. After five years of service to the Dartmouth freshmen lightweights, Schmidt is moving to Portland, Oregon over the summer.
"We want to do this not only for ourselves, but for him as well," Whitman said.
Schmidt has never had a freshman lightweight boat crowned Sprints champion. In fact, under Schmidt's reign, it was not until this year that Dartmouth had ever beaten Yale during the regular season. This year also marks the first time in his tenure that he has had a boat seeded any higher than third.
"Coach Schmidt has been a fantastic coach," Whitman said. "He's done incredible things for rowing here."
Twice in the last five years, freshmen boats have finished second at sprints but Schmidt believes this year just may be Dartmouth's year. "I think we have a great shot at winning" he said.
If both boats can muster the concentration and inner strength to power through their 2,000 meter sprints flawlessly, then this will be their year, and medals are bound to be shining from their necks.
