The Dartmouth crew teams saw mixed results in their respective league championship races over the weekend. In a tense repeat performance of its April 14 matchup, the second-ranked Big Green men's lightweight team finished second behind Harvard University, the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, in the first varsity eight Grand Final at the EARC Sprints on Sunday.
The men's heavyweight team placed sixth in the petite final and 12th overall in the EARC Sprints, while the women's first varsity eight, needing a strong performance to qualify for the NCAA Championships, finished a disappointing sixth at the inaugural Ivy League Championships, effectively eliminating the boat from NCAA consideration, according to captain Jamie Chapman '12.
The men's lightweight team, whose only loss this season came at the hands of Harvard, cruised through its morning heat on Sunday to set up a dramatic final.
"The 1V [lightweight] had a good morning heat, comfortably beating Cornell [University] and Georgetown [University] to go into the final in the best possible position to beat Harvard," captain Ian Accomando '12 said.
In the afternoon final, the Big Green struggled with the wind and choppy water, and the Crimson eventually pulled away in the last 500 meters to win by 2.18 seconds. The Big Green last captured the title in 2007 and has now appeared in the grand final six times since 2006.
The first freshman boat also excelled, upsetting the University of Pennsylvania in the preliminary heats before finishing sixth in the grand final.
"Just making it there was huge in such a competitive field," Accomando said.
The second varsity eight finished sixth in its grand final in a time of 6:24.30, while the third varsity eight finished fourth at 6:50.09. The second freshman eight finished in fifth at 6:58.67.
"The 2V had a disappointing day, having come into the Sprints ranked fourth," Accomando said. "Not what they wanted, obviously, but they rowed hard and without fear and that's really all you can ask."
The first varsity eight, currently ranked second in the nation, will hope to close the two-second gap against Harvard at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships on June 2.
The team entered the season ranked No. 8 in the USRowing Collegiate Poll, only to climb up the national rankings due to wins over top-tier teams such as Yale University, currently ranked fifth in the nation.
The women's team finished sixth overall at the Ivy Championships out of eight teams, tallying 29 points.
Radcliffe College finished first due to its first-place finish in the first varsity eight race.
"We're pretty disappointed," Chapman said. "We take some consolation knowing we're in a very strong league."
The second varsity eight finished fifth in the grand final with a time of 6:40.62, while the first varsity four boat took second in the petite final. The second varsity four boat finished sixth in the grand final.
"For the underclassman, getting the experience, it helps," Chapman said. "It lays a great foundation."
The Ivy League Championship deviated from traditional practice. In the past, the Eastern Sprints determined the league champion. The inaugural Ivy League Championship also featured new green initiatives, including the consumption of eco-friendly products, recycling efforts and pre-tournament outreach to all participants.
The effort is part of the Ivy League's new partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
"Most of our schools have endeavored in a sustainability effort on campus and we wanted to do that for our championship events," Scottie Rodgers, associate executive director for communications at the Ivy League Office, said.
Women's crew was selected as the first event largely due to convenience and timing, according to Rodgers. The league will introduce similar measures at all Ivy championship events in the fall, Rogers said.
In the men's heavyweight EARC Sprints, Brown University took the title with a time of 5:49.60, while Dartmouth finished sixth in the petite final in 6:01.14. The Big Green's best performance came from the freshman boat, which finished third in the petite final behind Boston University and the University of Wisconsin.
"We're really proud of them and really excited to see them develop," captain Joe Polwrek '12 said.
The first varsity boat came into the weekend aiming for a ninth or 10th place finish, which would have automatically qualified them for the IRA Championships, according to Polwrek.
"The results show how tough and competitive our league is, from top to bottom," Polwrek said.
The third varsity four finished in third place in a time of 6:56.63. The heavyweight's best recent performance at the Eastern Sprints came in 2010, when the Big Green entered the race ranked 12th, only to win its heat and secure a spot in the grand final, where Dartmouth placed fifth. Prior to this year's Eastern Sprints, the Big Green was ranked 15th in the nation, according to cMax Rankings.
While the women's season is now complete, the men's heavyweight squad will hit the waters of the Connecticut River on Sunday as it hosts Syracuse University for the Packard Cup.
