The men's heavyweight crew team got back in the win column this weekend with an impressive home victory over Syracuse.
Right from the start of the race, it was apparent that the Big Green meant business as they pulled out to an early lead. By the 800 meter mark they had already managed to put open water between themselves and the Syracuse boat.
From there on in, Dartmouth was never seriously challenged as it cruised to a 14-second victory.
"Once we pulled through them they pretty much fell apart," co-Captain Tom Gilmore '96 said. "We rowed really well, but Syracuse is also a step behind the top boats in the country."
This week's big victory couldn't have come at a better time for the Big Green as they are only one week away from the culmination of their season -- the Eastern Sprints.
Gilmore said the team will probably practice hard on Monday and then gradually taper off its workouts throughout the week to be ready for next weekend's competition.
"Since it's an Olympic year, some of the top guys in the country have been training with the Olympic team, and it's evened out the competition. Nobody has really stood out this year, so we think we have as good of a chance to win Sprints as anybody," Gilmore said.
Gilmore also noted that Dartmouth was less than a second slower than Brown, a traditional powerhouse. Undoubtedly, this bodes well for the chances of the team at Sprints.
"This week's win proved that we are as fast as we thought we were," Gilmore said. "We're right within striking distance. We just have to perform on race day. It should be exciting."
