Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Men's Lightweights Look To Build Off Successful Fall, Competitive Preseason
March 24, 2008 | Men's Rowing - Lightweight
Princeton men's lightweight coach Greg Hughes and his deep squad decided to raise the level of competition within the program for the 2008 season. Following a successful fall season, including a collegiate win at the Head of the Charles, and heading into another wide-open racing season, Princeton has put a premium on training -- and that won't change as the season opens this weekend.
"Last year, we had six guys really locked in to the top boat," said Hughes, who is entering his third year as head coach at his alma mater. "This year, I really think the top 16 are all pretty tight, and it has led to good competition within the team. The good thing about these guys is that they can go hard out there, and then they can leave it out there."
Hard racing is nothing new for Princeton, which has claimed a spot on the medal stand at either IRAs or Eastern Sprints in each of Hughes' first two seasons. Greater consistency is one thing the team will be shooting for this season; over those same two years, Princeton also missed out on of one the two postseason grand finals.
"I've always felt like, for the first few weeks, we are training with races every weekend," Hughes said. "We still have almost a couple months before Easterns, and we'll use the time to work hard and get stronger. I like that we're facing Navy in the first weekend, because I know they'll be ready to race. We know we need to prepare to go against one of the best programs in the league."
Princeton and Navy both picked up wins in the fall. When the Tigers won the Head of the Charles, Navy was the next collegiate program to finish. One week later, the Midshipmen won the Princeton Chase, while the Tigers finished less than two seconds behind. Both teams are expected to be strong this season, but in the world of men's lightweight rowing, you'd be wise to not count anybody out.
"It's a pretty tight group, and I think the fall results showed that," Hughes said. "Cornell is the defending champion, and you know they'll be in the mix. With (former Princeton assistant coach) Scott Alwin at Columbia now, I expect them to be tough. The field will be deep and tough once again."
Because of the tough league competition, Hughes felt even stronger that the team needed to compete for spots in the varsity eight. One such competitor is senior captain Taylor Washburn, who Hughes believes adds plenty more to the team than just his talent.
"There is no question he has been a standout for the last two seasons," said Hughes of Washburn, whose brother Spencer replaced Alwin as the lightweight assistant coach. "Now that he is a senior, Taylor has taken on the leadership role in more than just performance, but also in the way we get things done. He has talent, but much of his success has come from how hard we work, and I think that lesson has reached the whole team. Instead of coming in for 1-2 hard days each week, guys are coming in every day."
Hughes hopes that also translates into success when the postseason rolls around.