The women's varsity eight crew team edged out Wesleyan at the finish line this past Saturday, defeating the team on the 2,000−meter course in what became the highlight of an exciting, daylong regatta.
The girls were up against top competition this weekend, including Bates and Wellesley, which each sent boats to the NCAA tournament last spring.
"We never stopped believing that we had the potential to be competitive," senior tri−captain Rachel Steward said.
Though the team lost to Wellesley, its defeat of Wesleyan was an exhilarating race, with the Jumbos finishing in 6:59.1 and the Cardinals just behind in 7:04.0.
"In the first varsity boat, our goal was to put it on all the line, but the Wellesley crew was just too fast," Steward said. "[Before] starting the second race against Wesleyan — which was coming off a loss to Bates — we talked about the [previous] race and our coxswain Gillian Hodes gave us feedback, which really paid off. … It was a really exhilarating and powerful feeling to see the other crew falling behind."
Coming down the final stretch in their bout against Wesleyan, the girls widened their margin of victory with a 30−stroke move toward the finish.
"Our stroke ratings and speeds didn't jump around or slide down as much as they did in the first race," said Steward, pointing out that the major difference between the two races was technical consistency.
The team hopes to build on this weekend's results, and it is optimistic about the remainder of the season.
The men's varsity crew team struggled this weekend, as it hosted a total of 12 races at the Shoemaker Boathouse Saturday, a day which offered "optimal conditions" for good rowing, according to junior Chris Park.
"Water conditions were great with almost no head or tail wind, and the water was still," Park said.
The racing day for the varsity eight was designed tournament−style, starting off with a total of four teams. While New Hampshire raced Wesleyan, Tufts took on Bates. Unfortunately for Tufts, the Jumbos time of 6:32.4 was not quick enough to stick with the Bobcats, who posted a time of 6:12.1.
Next up, Tufts faced the UNH team, which was coming off a loss to Wesleyan. As a tired Tufts squad rowed a time of 6:40.1, a surprisingly aggressive UNH team rowed a fast 6:04.2. Tufts ended its day with two losses, while Wesleyan won both of its races. The other two schools broke even.
The squad was faster in its first run, Park said, but the feel of the boat was better in the second, keeping a steady balance and avoiding any drag to one side. In future weeks, the team looks to combine this balance with the speed it showed in its first race of the day.
Saturday was a challenge from the beginning, but the losses were somewhat expected. The team knows that it must improve before the ECAC National Invitational Championships on May 8.
"We faced some tough crews with a lot of talent and some serious depth," senior captain Eugene Kim said. "We have a lot of water time between now and ECACs and a lot of progress ahead of us"
While the relatively small varsity team engaged in its mini−tournament, the larger novice crew team showed promise in its own races. The men's four boat defeated New Hampshire by an impressive 21 seconds, posting up a time of 7:23.2. The eight boat finished the race in 6:48.0, defeating New Hampshire, which was disqualified for cutting a turn in an attempt at catching the Tufts boat.
"We were successful because we kept our cool … went back up to the locker room … and really focused during the second race which definitely paid off," freshman Ian McConnell said. "The boat felt lighter [throughout the race]."
Though this past weekend was extremely busy, rest is unheard of for the Tufts crew teams. Both the men's and women's teams are vigorously preparing to host NESCAC foe Middlebury on April 16 on the Malden River Resort, in what should be a memorable showdown.
