Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Day Three
Heavyweight Freshmen Upset Harvard, Earn Medal At IRA Championships
June 05, 2010 | Heavyweight Rowing
It's easy to understand why heavyweight coach Greg Hughes is excited about the future of the Princeton program. The Princeton novice eight took on the best boats in the nation and placed third in the IRA grand final. The Tigers knocked off former unbeaten and EARC champion Harvard to earn the final spot on the medal stand.
After surging to second at the EARC championships, Princeton qualified for the grand final Friday morning and prepared itself for a big final race. Washington won the grand final in 5:35.80, while California placed second in 5:37.62. Princeton battled a pair of Ivy opponents and Stanford for bronze, and it came up with its best effort to get it done. Princeton took third in 5:38.09, while Cornell finished less than .2 of a second behind. Harvard placed fifth in 5:41.98, while Stanford ended sixth.
"It was an exceptional race for that group," novice coach Spencer Washburn said. "They knew they had serious challenges in front of them with tough East Coast crews like Harvard and Cornell in front of them and powerful West Coast crews in Cal and Washington. They stepped up to the plate and committed to each other and the race plan and went out and executed really well. I was extremely proud of the way they handled the pressure and handled that big stage.
"All year, this group has gotten better every week. They got better in the fall and hit indoor training consistently throughout the winter. We had some near misses in the spring, especially in Sprints, and to be so close to Harvard was a big motivating factor for these guys. It was an incredibly gutsy race today; the guys earned their way on the medal podium with effort and courage. I'm extremely proud of them for both today and what they did all year. I think they are going to have a big impact on the program next year and for years to come."
The was the first Princeton novice eight since 2003 to come away with the medal from this regatta; that should be a positive sign for the program, considering the impressive careers of the Class of 2006. That group ended up winning an EARC/Ivy title and a Henley crown in 2006 and placed second at the IRA national championships.
"I'm really proud of the group," Hughes said. "It was a great way to end the season. They got better every race and finished it with their best race."
The Princeton varsity eight placed sixth in the petite final in 5:39.49, while the second varsity took second in its petite final in 5:45.89. The open four placed second in the petite final in 6:35.62, while the varsity four placed sixth in the petite final in 6:44.27.