Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
The Childs Cup: Columbia and Penn
Players Mentioned
Third-Ranked Heavies Retain Childs Cup, Eye Showdown With No. 4 Harvard
April 11, 2015 | Heavyweight Rowing
Princeton moved to 4-0 on the season by defeating both eighth-ranked Penn and 18th-ranked Columbia Saturday morning in the Tigers' Ivy League opener. The Tigers won on Lake Carnegie in 6:03.8, while Penn finished second in 6:10.5. The Lions finished third in 6:16.2.
“I think we executed the race pretty well but on the whole could have handled the conditions better,” junior Fred Vystavel said. “We let the cross-headwind gusts affect us a little too much but there has been an improvement on that front since last weekend's race against Navy, where we faced similar gusts of wind. Though frustrating, we now have a clearer sense of the areas in our rowing that need to be improved — areas that tend to really show up in trickier conditions.”
The victory marks Princeton's sixth straight Childs Cup win, as well as its 48th overall in a series that dates back to 1879. While gold medals at Sprints and IRAs are the ultimate goal of any racing seasons, these Cups are highlight moments along that journey.
“Coming into the varsity boat this year has definitely altered my perception on dual races,” Vystavel said. “It is difficult to get a sense of connection with the history of the these trophies without racing in the varsity and so it's pretty special to actually be able to play a role in the contesting of each one, especially one with as much history and tradition as the Childs Cup. We're pumped to retain it this year after a good race against runner-up Penn.”
Princeton earned wins in the top three races of the morning. The second varsity remained undefeated with a win in 6:08.2, a time that topped Penn by more than 14 seconds. The third varsity also had a strong performance, winning by nine seconds in a time of 6:15.2.
The Tigers can now turn their focus towards next weekend and the Compton Cup, when they host fourth-ranked Harvard, the reigning Ivy League/Eastern Sprints champion. Harvard has won every Compton Cup since 2006, but Princeton did edge the Crimson in the 2014 IRA grand final.
Princeton knows that it still has a long way to go before the 2015 IRAs; it has plenty to improve upon before next Saturday. And it has been that mindset that has helped the Tigers get out to such a strong start this season.
“Boat development over the past couple of weeks has been consistent and the attitude of the boat is good,” Vystavel said. “Despite the long winter I think the level of rowing is decent but there is still lots of work to be done before we head into the big ones later this spring.”
First Varsity
Princeton 6:03.8
Pennsylvania 6:10.5
Columbia 6:16.2
Second Varsity
Princeton 6:08.2
Pennsylvania 6:22.3
Columbia 6:26.4
Third Varsity
Princeton 6:15.2
Pennsylvania 6:24.6
Columbia 6:52.0
Fourth Varsity
Pennsylvania 7:00.5
Princeton 7:04.6
Columbia 7:10.8
Fifth Varsity
Pennsylvania 6:48.6
Princeton 6:51.1
LINEUPS
1V
C Pesce
8 Mead
7 Barakso
6 Masters
5 Konttinen
4 Vystavel
3 Eble
2 Hamp
1 Benstead
2V
C Barton
8 Goldman
7 Barker
6 Octeau
5 D¹Agonstino
4 Livingstone
3 Chance
2 Northrop
1 Francis
3V
C: McFall
8: Stein
7: Lord
6: Grimberg
5: Bernhard
4: Bartolucci
3: Toch
2: Guyett
1: Meder
4V
C: Coates
8: Johnston
7: Romeyn
6: Bradbury
5: Wambersie
4: Ruscus
3: Dauson
2: Lindburg
1: Evans
5V
C Sola
8 Helmers
7 Ferguson
6 Lawton
5 Whitlow
4 Vaughn
3 Moskovitz
2 Lowery
1 Segal