Eight proved to be the lucky number for the men's lightweight and women's crew teams' first varsity boats, whose octets took second and third, respectively, in the Grand Finals at the Eastern Sprints this past weekend. The men's heavyweight crew team failed to send its first varsity boat to the Grand Finals, but it qualified for the IRA National Championships and placed several boats in the top 10 of their respective divisions.
Women's team captain Emily Dreissigacker '11 said she was experiencing "a mix of nervousness and excitement" leading up to the Sprints, as the team which was ranked seventh in the country going into the regatta has had mixed results throughout the season. The first varsity boat had its eyes on defeating the number six Columbia University in order to advance to the Grand Finals, according to Dreissigacker.
Ultimately, the women not only topped Columbia in their heat but placed third in the Grand Finals the first time the team has medaled in the first varsity race since 1992. Princeton, which has performed consistently well throughout the season, took home the first place prize in the varsity eight race. The women's second varsity boat also made it to the Grand Finals and finished fourth, just behind Brown University.
Dreissigacker said she was "psyched" about the team's overall performance.
"Getting a medal has been my goal since freshman year," she said. "This is what everyone's been working towards."
As a result of the team's outstanding day, it is now in contention to qualify for the NCAA National Championships. Though Dreissigacker said the selection process for the Championships is plagued by politics, she expressed hope that after its performance at Sprints, the team would have a good chance of qualifying.
Dreissigacker said that whether or not the team receives an NCAA bid, she was ecstatic with how the team has progressed over the season.
"The work of everyone goes into making a boat fast," she said. "It's not just the work of the nine girls who are in that boat it's everyone pushing each other to make each other faster."
The lightweight team dominated the waters of Lake Quinsigamond, Mass., in every division, placing all five of its boats in the Grand Finals and finally taking second to Harvard University in the first varsity race.
The first varsity boat came out of the gates in full force, maintaining a steady lead and ultimately knocking out Princeton University to take first in its heat. Captain Phil Henson '11 said beating Princeton in the preliminary rounds was "a pretty good boost for [the team's] confidence."
In the Grand Finals, the first varsity boat remained in third or fourth place for the majority of the race but was eventually able to edge out Yale University in the final stretches for the second spot.
Henson attributed the team's performance to the balanced attitude it sustained throughout the race.
"We didn't freak out," he said. "We stayed relaxed, and trusted our race plan."
The men's team also qualified for the IRA National Championships in Cherry Hill, N.J., which will showcase even more of the top crews in the nation. The lightweight team will spend the next few weeks trying to shave off time so that it can finally top Harvard, which it lost to by only 1.5 seconds this past weekend.
"We're happy with getting second, but a little bittersweet because it's not the color that we wanted," Henson said. "We're definitely going to be chasing Harvard down for the gold at IRAs."
The men's heavyweight crew team, which was seeded 10th before Sprints, had a more disappointing day than its counterparts, sending only one boat the second freshman crew to the Grand Finals. The first varsity boat ended its race in eighth place, qualifying the team for entry in the IRA National Championships. Harvard finished first in the men's heavyweight competition.
"We put together our two best races of the year," captain Alex Pujol '11 said. "So we can be really happy about that."
Pujol said he was most proud of every crew's intensity. The first varsity boat's defeat of top teams Cornell University and the United States Naval Academy in the Petite Finals was a huge accomplishment, according to Pujol.
With the Eastern Sprints now under its belt, the team will move on to train for its next two meets, with one this coming week against Syracuse University and IRAs in three weeks.
At Syracuse, the Big Green will traverse what Pujol called one of the toughest courses in the league.
"I think we'll be pretty well matched with [Syracuse]," he said. "They're a fast group, so it should be a close race. I'm excited."
