In their first competition of the spring season, Dartmouth women's crew teams overcame poor rowing conditions to win three of four races Saturday. The varsity squad split two races against a strong Boston College team, while the novice squads swept Boston College and Northeastern.
The Charles River was very choppy and wind conditions were harsh during the competition. Although the conditions were not conducive to rowing, the Big Green adapted well.
The first varsity squad took an easy victory and set the competitive tone for the rest of the Dartmouth team.
The Dartmouth women paced Boston College by nearly 20 seconds in the race. Their 7:21.2 time bested the Terriers who posted a 7:41.2.
"It was a strong race and a very solid and aggressive way to start the spring season," captain Anna Sjogren '06 said after the race.
The second varsity fared worse, however. After jumping out to an early lead, the second squad struggled to maintain the advantage during the final 500 meters. A determined Boston College team won by six seconds, with a time of 7:47.2.
Witnessing mixed results from its varsity counterpart, the women's novice team topped both Boston College and Northeastern on the Charles. Pacing Northeastern by eleven seconds, the Big Green first novice eight stole the easy victory with a time of 7:24.5.
The second novice eight squad did even better, posting an 8:01.1 time and beating Northeastern by 20 seconds.
After an impressive first showing, head coach Wendy Levash expressed her excitement about the novice team. "This year's novice team is a spunky, tough group and we are excited to watch them progress through the rest of the spring," said Levash, who, like her novice rowers, is in her first season with Dartmouth women's crew.
With the strong showings of both varsity and novice squads, everyone seems enthusiastic about the upcoming season.
Levash said that she is confident that the Dartmouth women's crew team can compete with the best in the nation.
"The team has made tremendous progress in improving their technique, strength and endurance all year," she said. "We are optimistic about this season and are excited to test our speed each weekend against some of the nation's fastest crews. There is a lot of talent and potential on our squad; we are working hard to turn that into boat speed."
Sjogren reiterated Levash's sentiments and was pleased with the strong weekend showing. She looks forward to upcoming races against Boston University and Yale this weekend on April 8 at Derby, Conn. Dartmouth will then host Radcliffe and Syracuse in Hanover on April 15.
