Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Third-Ranked Women's Lightweights Excited For Rematch With #2 Racliffe
April 17, 2015 | Women's Rowing - Lightweight
KNECHT CUP RECAP l NATIONAL POLL l CLASS OF 1999 CUP HISTORY
The Princeton women's lightweight rowing team made one big statement last weekend at the Knecht Cup. They know they can make an even bigger one Saturday on the Charles River against the reigning national champion.
Princeton upset then third-ranked Boston University and went toe-to-toe with Radcliffe before falling just short in a thrilling Knecht Cup final on Mercer Lake last Sunday. The result sent Princeton to No. 3 in the latest national poll, and they will get an immediate rematch with the Crimson Saturday morning in the Class of 1999 Cup regatta.
“I don't think any of us could be more excited to have another shot at Radcliffe right off the bat,” sophomore Christina Warren said. “I know that Radcliffe was not expecting to see us compete with them like we did this weekend, and I think we showed that we really are a force to be reckoned with this year. We learned that we have the speed to compete with the best of the best, and that it's finally time to start holding ourselves to our own standard.
“That being said, it's going to be tough to take down Radcliffe, but I know that we have the speed and the guts take back the Class of 1999 Cup, especially after this weekend,” Warren said.
Princeton, which moved to No. 3 in the latest national poll, has only raced twice this season, but those have given the Tigers a chance to see the top boats in the country. After falling to No. 1 Stanford at the season-opening San Diego Crew Classic, the Tigers faced more than half of the national Top 10 last weekend, including Boston University and Wisconsin. Not only did the Tigers handle that moment in impressive fashion, but they took down multiple boats that beat them at the IRAs on the same course.
“The races really pushed all of us physically and mentally, and I think we had some really exciting breakthroughs,” Warren said. “We had a little bit of a frustrating race on Saturday, but we were able to take what we thought we did well in the race and build on that, and further take what we thought didn't go so well and improve those things in the final on Sunday. The fact that we were able to do that with such young athletes in the boat makes me feel really confident and excited about what the Tiger Lights can accomplish this year.”
Warren isn't overstating the amount of youth in the boat. Seven of the nine members of the varsity eight, including freshman coxswain Megan Mirabella, are underclassmen. While that bodes well for the future, it is also a testament to how invaluable those other two rowers are — senior co-captains Becky Kreutter and Julia Wendt.
“Becky and Julia have been instrumental to our success this season so far,” Warren said. “They have seen the lightweight field evolve over the years and know better than anyone how tough some of these other teams are, which us younger athletes haven't had a chance to experience yet. Since most of our boat consists of freshmen and sophomores, the pair have really promoted the kind of team culture necessary for growth as athletes and teammates.
“Becky and Julia have really done an incredible job keeping all of us pushing forward, staying positive, staying excited, and keeping us training hard with the right attitudes.”