The men's crew team ended the fall season this past weekend when it finished 59th and 60th at the Head of the Charles Regatta, the year's biggest race. Though the final placing was among the lower echelon of the competitors, the results were due to one-minute penalties for both boats.
Without the penalties, the Jumbos would have finished amidst the top 20 in each of their races.
Among the top collegiate crew teams nationwide, Tufts held a steady pace throughout the race. The regatta spanned a three-mile stretch along the Charles River, culminating near the MIT boathouse in Cambridge. Throughout the race, the men's lightweight eight rowed evenly, maintaining an edge over URI and Notre Dame. The cushion also contributed toward the Jumbos' consistent rowing speed.
The penalties from both boats were due to violations in the water. The eight-person boat was involved in a water skirmish with a Notre Dame boat, where the oars of both boats brushed each other as they headed down the final stretch. Both crews were deducted one minute from their completed finish time. A deduction was also given to the men's lightweight four for a lane violation.
The lightweight four squad was made up of seniors James Winkler and Nate Swinburne, junior Ryan Steeb, sophomore Jim Burke, and sophomore coxswain Sarah Dale. It placed 60th out of 70 boats with a readjusted time of 19:54.298. The Union Boating Club finished in first place with a time of 17:18.390.
In the men's club eight, the Tufts crew of seniors Shane Black-Macken, Raj Marreddy, and Chris Mitchell, juniors Brandon Dickason, Max Bernstein, and Mike Friedberg, sophomore John Goulet, freshman Rob Goldstein, and sophomore coxswain Courtney Keese finished 59th out of 67 boats. They turned in a readjusted time of 17.13.904. Harvard won bragging rights over the Charles by finishing the race in 15:18.278.
In all, the two-day event was comprised of over 400 boats from around the world and drew in thousands of spectators across the river. While Tufts' finishes were not as high as anticipated, the day capped a successful fall season for coach Ben Foster.
"I was satisfied," Foster said. "I think we rowed pretty well and we had a pretty strong performance."
The Jumbos, racing as the Mystic Valley Rowing Association, raced alongside many strong crew teams from across the New England area. Among them were strong Colby and URI boats, as well as competition from boating rivals UNH and Bates, whom the Jumbos have faced earlier this season.
"I think we rowed very well this weekend," Winkler said. "Despite the penalties, we were right at the top of the race. By the time spring rolls around, we should be awesome."
The performance was not the only indication of Tufts' strength on the ergs of the water. From the outset of the season, the Jumbos placed much emphasis on the technical aspects of rowing and worked to maintain their physical output and gradual improvement on their stroke rate. Tufts entered this season with high expectations of itself, as there were many returning sophomores, solid junior members, and a strong core leadership provided by the seniors.
"The team has gelled very well thus far," Foster said. "For winter, we will have to focus on cardiovascular training and fitness to increase our strength and size. I feel pretty strongly about spring season."
After a week off following the Charles, the Jumbos will return to the weight room for winter training. If the members keep their work ethic during the course of their inter-season hiatus, they should provide similar successes on the ergs for the spring sprint season.
"The spring sprints have been what we were preparing for since the start of the fall," Mitchell said. "Once everything is iced over and we go indoors for the winter, we can increase our fitness. We should be looking very good by the time spring hits."
