Princeton University Athletics
One For The Thumb
May 31, 2003 | Heavyweight Rowing
May 31, 2003
CAMDEN, N.J. - The No. 1 Princeton women's lightweight crew claimed its fifth straight national championship Saturday by defeating No. 2 Harvard in the grand final of the IRA national championships. The Princeton lightweight men placed fifth in the grand final, while the freshman heavyweight boat completed a perfect season with an IRA national title.
For the Princeton women, it was another dual with Harvard for the national crown. Princeton entered the IRAs with four straight wins over Harvard this season, although one had been by less than half a second at this same Cooper River course. While Harvard again proved to be the Tigers' closest competitor, Princeton again proved to be in a class by itself. The Tigers finished in 6:56.12, more than three seconds faster than Harvard.
Like the women's lightweight eight, the men's lightweight eight came into the IRA championships riding the momentum of an Eastern Sprints title. The men were unable to capture the double, though, as four boats topped their time of 6:01.11 in the grand final. Harvard wonm that national title in a time of 5:54.94. Harvard also claimed the heavyweight national title, but Princeton showed it would be a force to be reckoned with in the future. The Tiger freshman boat complete a perfect season with a win in the IRA Grand Final, finishing in a time of 5:57.51.
Women's Lightweight Varsity Eight Grand Final
1 Princeton 6:56.12
2 Harvard 6:59.24
3 Wisconsin 7:02.31
4 Georgetown 7:05.48
5 Stanford 7:11.59
6 Purdue 7:12.33
Men's Lightweight Eight Grand Final
1 Harvard 5:54.94
2 Columbia 5:56.93
3 Georgetown 5:58.74
4 Cornell 5:59.73
5 Princeton 6:01.11
6 Delaware 6:08.98
Heavyweight Varsity Eights 3rd Level Final
1 Dartmouth 5:50.47
2 Stanford 5:52.81
3 Yale 5:53.60
4 Princeton 5:54.13
5 Penn 5:55.23
6 Boston U 5:56.30
Heavyweight Freshman Eights Grand Final
1 Princeton 5:57.51
2 California 6:00.42
3 Harvard A 6:00.56
4 Washington 6:02.68
5 Brown 6:03.06
6 Wisconsin 6:06.96
Heavyweight Second Varsity Eights Petite Final
1 Princeton 6:04.35
2 Cal Davis 6:05.33
3 Michigan 6:08.67
4 Yale 6:10.58
5 Penn 6:11.79
Men's Varsity Pairs Grand Final
1 Wisconsin 7:08.56
2 Princeton 7:12.72
3 Cornell A 7:14.23
4 R Stockton 7:06.76
5 St Mary's 7:15.51
6 Loyola 7:22.75
Men's Open Fours W/Coxswain Third Level Final
1 Wash St. 6:54.92
2 Yale 6:56.35
3 Navy 6:59.39
4 Princeton 6:59.49
5 Ohio St 7:03.80
6 Boston U 7:06.72
Men's Open Fours W/O Coxswain Petite Final
1 Delaware 6:39.84
2 Boston U 6:44.17
3 Princeton 6:44.71
4 Columbia B 6:44.87
5 Navy 6:51.12
6 St Thomas 6:53.23
Men's Freshman Four Petite Final
1 California 7:04.96
2 Rutgers 7:08.36
3 Wisconsin 7:13.93
4 UCLA 7:15.70
5 Columbia 7:17.02
6 Princeton 7:25.40