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Defending Eastern Champ Heavyweight Crew Faces Uncertain Season With Optimism
March 28, 2007 | Heavyweight Rowing
It would be easy for head coach Curtis Jordan and the men's heavyweight crew program to talk about inexperience in 2007. After a brilliant season last year, which included wins at Eastern Sprints and Henley, there are more questions right now about the first varsity boat than there are answers. But there is also a lot of drive and optimism within the successful program, and a plethora of talented rowers that could make Princeton a dangerous squad when the upcoming postseason rolls around.
"I know we have an enthusiastic young group," Jordan said days before Saturday's season opener against Navy (schedule below). "They are working really hard, and that drive and enthusiasm will take us a lot further. Things will have to fall in place for us to win as many races as we hope, but we'll take it week by week."
Jordan believes in his roster, which is loaded with as much talent as it has inexperience. Only Will England and Glenn Ochal return from last year's Eastern champion, although 2007 captain Chris Richbourg did compete at Henley when Steve Coppola went off to train with the national team. Those three will lead a boat that will come together in time and could feature a mix of all three classes.
"Individual talent is on thing, but like all teams, the synergy aspect plays a big role," Jordan said. "Six guys can't carry an eight-man boat."
Jordan knows he will have to track the confidence level of his team as the season unfolds, especially if it takes some early-season lumps. It's a different role than last season, when his role was "to not screw things up." But what these rowers lack in varsity experience is being made up in work ethic and enthusiasm, and Jordan believes that the team could find a contending varsity eight as the season progresses.
It will draw from a sophomore class that won seven races last season as well as a handful of upperclassmen who are competing hard for seats left over by the brilliant Class of 2006. Outside of the returning trio from Henley, everybody knows they are competing for seats in the prestigious Princeton varsity eight, and Jordan likes the way the competition has united his program, as opposed to dividing it.
The Eastern field will be deep, although there likely won't be a dominant figure the way Princeton was in 2006 and Harvard was prior to that. Yale, Brown, Harvard and Princeton are all in the first national poll Top 6, while Penn is building on an Eastern freshman title last year. Several teams will be in the hunt by season's end, and Jordan is confident that the character of his rowers will translate into a strong team by that time.