Princeton University Athletics
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Lightweights Look For Better Memories In Ithaca, Face Top-Ranked Big Red
April 10, 2015 | Men's Rowing - Lightweight
CASEY WARD on TIGERCAST l NATIONAL POLL l PLATT CUP HISTORY
Senior captain Casey Ward is in his third year as a member of the varsity eight with the men's lightweights, and he has plenty of experiences that have helped shape him as a competitor.
There have been more than enough to remind him that anything is possible in his sport, which has historically been wide open and featured thrilling finishes at both the Sprints and IRA Championships. Even last season, when Cornell was the clear power in the sport, a gritty run by Harvard nearly shocked them in the IRA final.
It's a second here, a strong push there, that can make all the difference, and it's why he has put in every ounce of work that he has over his career.
“To see how performance varies, and how tight it is, is mind-blowing,” said Ward, a guest on this week's TigerCast podcast on GoPrincetonTigers.com. “You know that when you practice every day, when you watch your nutrition and weight, and you're trying different lineups, the coaching staff and rowers alike are striving to gain milliseconds. It's half a second, half a percentage point of performance.
“I think our guys embrace that, and they relish the challenge,” Ward said. “At the same time, we recognize the gravity of the situation. When you drop a race like we did last week to a really, really good crew like Columbia, you see that as the standard now.”
Second-ranked Columbia topped fourth-ranked Princeton by more than nine seconds on Lake Carnegie, though the Tigers did retain the Murtaugh Cup during the regatta with a win over Navy. Though Princeton and Columbia raced four times last season, the total margin between the two boats was smaller than the one from last Saturday,
It was an impressive performance by Columbia, and it certainly gives Princeton an idea of where it needs to go over the next month.
The first step comes this Saturday, and it happens at a site of one of Ward's least favorite memories from his Tiger career, Cayuga Inlet.
“Cornell is a really good, really deep team,” he said. “Anybody who is a junior or senior on our team right now has a vivid memory of the 2013 season when we went to Ithaca and got swept. We're focused on going to Ithaca this week and landing a punch against a really good Cornell squad, and trying to test ourselves to see where we stand against a really tough opponent.”
Cornell had seven of the 11 first-place votes in the most recent lightweight poll, while Columbia received the other four. Princeton has an opportunity to show that it belongs on that tier by handing the Big Red its first loss since 2013.
While Ward is looking forward to that opportunity, he knows the experience of the weekend itself will be invaluable for his team. This weekend starts a three-week road stretch, and it will begin to challenge his team in uncomfortable conditions.
“To race in a new environment, on a challenging race course that has two turns, will be a great opportunity to go and try to perform under pressure in an environment that isn't comfortable,” Ward said. “Racing on Carnegie is not always the best practice for Sprints or the IRAs. It is our home course and, in my opinion, it is irrefutably the best course in the league. It's buoyed, straight and fair. But Worcester isn't the most ideal course either, so going to Ithaca and have this opportunity against a tough opponent will be invaluable.”
This will be the 50th edition of the Platt Cup regatta. While Princeton has had a significant edge in the all-time series (36-13), Cornell has won each of the last three races, including a win of 4.1 seconds last year.