Princeton University
Eastern Men's Sprints
Men's Lightweights Claim Bronze At 2007 Eastern Sprints
May 13, 2007 | Men's Rowing - Lightweight
The final six competitors for the 2007 Eastern men's lightweight championship knew the winner would come from a bunched field. Less than six seconds was the gap between first and last in the grand final, and Princeton found a spot high enough for the medal stand. The Tigers finished third to Dartmouth and Cornell, but held off Navy by more than a second to claim the bronze medal one season after missing the Eastern grand final.
Racing on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass., the Tiger first varsity took care of its first piece of business by claiming second in its semifinal heat (the top three made the grand final). With a field full of teams that spent the season beating each other, each squad knew it would have a chance. Dartmouth, which knocked off defending national champion Cornell late in the season, continued its strong form by winning in 5:38.89. The Big Red earned second in 5:40.47, while Princeton claimed bronze in 5:41.14. The Tigers held off Navy, Harvard and Georgetown by at least a second to earn bronze.
The Princeton second varsity was also in a tight race for bronze, but it came up just short. As Navy (5:43.76) edged Cornell for gold, Princeton and Yale raced for the bronze. The Bulldogs took it in 5:45.74, while Princeton finished fourth in 5:46.17. Harvard took fifth, more than three seconds behind the Tigers.
The top Princeton finish of the day came in the first novice, where the Tigers placed second to Yale in a time of 5:49.74. The Bulldogs won in 5:47.95, while Navy finished third in 5:54.58. With a 2006 novice title and a 2007 novice silver medal, the future certainly looks promising for Greg Hughes' Tigers.
Princeton also finished a close third in the Jope Cup competition, which is the trophy for "Overall Lightweight Supremacy" at the Sprints. Navy, Cornell and Princeton were the only three programs to place all of their boats in the grand finals and the competition for trophy came down to these three. Navy won with 32 points, Cornell was second with 31 points, and Princeton was 3rd with 30 points.
The third varsity claimed fifth in a time of 6:10.60, while Navy won the race in 5:58.72.
Princeton will return in three weekends to compete for the IRA national title at Cooper River in Camden, N.J.