Princeton University Athletics
Rowing Notes: Crash P Video Posted; Alum Makes Oxford Blue Boat
March 11, 2010 | Heavyweight Rowing
While members of all four Princeton rowing teams continued preparations for the 2011 season with the annual Crash P, a former member of the heavyweight squad is getting ready for one of the biggest races of the year across the Atlantic.
Crash P is a boathouse-wide 2k erg race, and it took place at the Shea Rowing Center during the last weekend of February. Local video expert and friend of Princeton rowing Doug Myers filmed the event; his work can be seen on the link above.
Meanwhile, former Tiger rower Matthew Evans '09 was recently named to the Oxford Blue Boat and will compete in the annual Boat Race against Cambridge on April 3. Evans will compete in the 6-seat for Oxford, which won the 2009 competition but trails 79-75 in the all-time series. You can find more information on The Boat Race here. You can also read a brief interview with Evans below.
Evans' former coach, Curtis Jordan, is also back in competition. He led his NSW crew to victory in the Kings Cup interstate 8+ race at the Australian rowing championships. Former rower Sam Loch '06, a member of his 2006 Ivy League and Henley champion, was sitting in the seven seat.
- Did you always know you'd want to row at Oxford, or did you consider just focusing on studies?
It's almost impossible to spend any amount of time rowing at a high level without knowing about the Boat Race. I grew up in England so the event carried even more resonance with me, particularly as I rowed for 4 years in high school. Whilst at Princeton, two friends and former Tigers rowed represented Oxford: in 2008, Will England '07, and in 2009, Alex Hearne '06. The wonderful thing about Oxford has been that it provides me with a way to further develop my interests in China and row at the same time.
- Were you confident you'd qualify for the boat, or were you at all surprised to make it?
At the start of the year I was far from certain that I'd make the Blue boat (top boat). The pedigree of oarsmen here is a step above that in collegiate rowing. For instance, last year's boat featured 5 ex-Olympians, amongst several other athletes who'd already represented their country at the world championships at senior or U23 level, including Alex Hearne '06. This year as I met my teammates for the first time, I counted 3 ex-Olympians and numerous other U23 representatives and medalists. So right from the start I knew that I'd have to improve considerably just to make the boat.
The selection process takes place throughout the year through various erg tests and seat races, so slowly the the possibility of a place in the boat got larger. However, your seat in the boat is never secure until you're sitting on the start line. So to that extent, I still have to stay on my toes to keep my position in the boat. It's a dynamic that makes sure everyone in the crew is committed to improving and making the boat faster as we prepare to race Cambridge.
- How excited are you to compete in this event, and what have your teammates said to you about the event?
I'm extremely excited to compete in the Boat Race. There are so many aspects to the race that make it special, both as an athletic challenge and as an event. As an athletic challenge, in no other rowing race is it so important to get ahead of your opposition as quickly as possible. Because we race on a winding river with a stream, there is a constant battle to get the fastest line in the river. Even though the race is over 4 miles long, if you don't start as fast as you can, you risk having the opposition get in front of you and dominating the fastest line on the river. Equally, if you sustain that maximum effort for too long and don't manage to get ahead, you risk blowing up after the first mile or two and having the other crew row away in the second half of the race. Furthermore, going into the race you have no idea how fast your opposition is. There are no heats, or semis, everything is decided in one race.
As an event, the Boat Race is unique both for its tradition and the audience that it draws. I've never performed in front of 100,000 people before. It's hard not to get excited by sheer scale and popularity of the race. Both the athletic and public aspect of the Boat Race are things that my current teammates have highlighted as unique and challenging about the race. As someone who has rowed for 8 years, the athletic challenge of the race is big, but it's not overwhelming-- after all, that's what training twice a day prepares us for. However, the pressure of performing to the absolute best of your ability with all the surrounding distractions will be something new, and is a challenge I'm looking forward to meeting.