Princeton University
The Childs Cup: Penn & Columbia
#7 Tiger Heavies Reclaim Childs Cup With New York Victory
April 10, 2010 | Heavyweight Rowing
The Princeton heavyweights got the good start they were looking for this season, and they earned a familiar and historic trophy along the way. The Tigers swept Ivy rivals Columbia and Penn in Orchard Beach, N.Y., to regain The Childs Cup.
Princeton had won 41 overall Childs Cups, including 15 in a row, before Columbia stunned the Tigers during the 2009 running of one of the oldest regattas in collegiate racing. It would be a short-lived period without the Cup, as the varsity eight overcame a strong crossing headwind to win in a time of 6:06.0. Columbia put up a strong run, but fell in 6:08.3, while Penn placed third in 6:14.6.
The Princeton 2V raced well and posted the fastest time, but was disqualified for interfering with the Columbia crew. Princeton's finishing time of 6:18.5 would have been enough to win, but the Lions were awarded the victory in 6:24.6.
The Princeton novice eight made a successful debut against Ivy League rivals, winning its race in 6:18.2. Columbia finished second in 6:25.8, while Penn took third in 6:28.2. The Tiger third varsity also picked up a victory, winning in 6:32.9, more than 14 seconds faster than Penn.
A 2V4 boat for Princeton finished in 8:09.3, but fell in a duel with Penn.
Overall, it was a strong first varsity race for head coach Greg Hughes, whose team won a scrimmage against Georgetown last weekend. Princeton did not win a single regatta last season, and will now challenge itself next weekend on The Charles River against both Harvard and MIT in The Compton Cup.
"It was a solid performance by all of our Princeton boats in some tough conditions," Hughes said. "I'm pleased with the way our guys handled things and I'm looking forward to getting back to work."