Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Day One
Players Mentioned
Top-Ranked Women's Lights Eye Nation's Biggest Prize At IRA Championships
June 03, 2011 | Women's Rowing - Lightweight
The Princeton women's lightweight crew turned heads during the first week of its regular season. It made believers during its EAWRC championship weekend. Now it's looking for perfection as it readies for Saturday's national championship race on Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J.
The top-ranked Princeton Tigers, coming off their first Eastern Sprints championship since 2003, qualified for Saturday's IRA grand final by winning its semifinal heat against both Radcliffe and Georgetown by more than five seconds. Princeton, which went 8-0 on the regular season, finished its heat in 6:40.57, while Radcliffe took second in 6:45.97.
Now the Tigers can turn their attention on the grand final (Saturday, 11 a.m.), which will feature its biggest rivals in the sport.
Of course, it was their performance at IRAs last year that has going a long way in creating the team that has been so successful this season. Co-captains Lauren Sykora and Emma Bedard both credited their medal-stand effort in both postseason races last year (silver at EAWRCs, bronze at IRAs) as a springboard into this season, and that positive momentum was evident immediately.
In the season-opening weekend in California, Princeton defeated Wisconsin by more than 10 seconds and Stanford by more than 11 seconds in back-to-back races. That earned the Tigers the top ranking in the USRowing collegiate poll, and they never relinquished that spot.
Their biggest test came three weeks ago on this same Cooper River course, when Princeton lined up as the top seed for the EAWRC championships. Knowing they would get a much faster Wisconsin crew, the Tigers came out strong and ultimately won the title by nearly four seconds.
On Saturday, the Tigers know they will have to do it again, and they'll need to hold off the reigning champion Stanford Cardinal as well. Stanford topped Wisconsin by more than four seconds in the second semifinal heat, though both teams were the clear frontrunners for the two automatic berths in the finals.
Princeton will have a clear view on both, as the Tigers will come from Lane 3, in between Wisconsin (2) and Stanford (4). Radcliffe can never be discounted and could make a charge at the medal stand from Lane 5.
The Princeton varsity four will also row for gold Saturday, though the Tigers took the long road to qualification. After falling less than three seconds behind Radcliffe in its semifinal heat, Princeton won its repechage by more than 20 seconds and will row from Lane 1 of the grand final at 8:09 a.m.