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No. 3 Heavies Hope For Carnegie Magic In Compton Cup Showdown v. #4 Harvard
April 17, 2015 | Heavyweight Rowing
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There was a period of time when the Compton Cup would only travel one way each year. From 1995-2002, the visiting crew would bring the historic trophy and ultimately leave it with the host school.
In a series between two of the nation's most historic rowing programs, that was the one period when the home course truly seemed to mean something. Jamie Hamp, the senior captain of the third-ranked Princeton heavyweights, wants it to mean something again this Saturday when fourth-ranked Harvard puts its oars in Lake Carnegie.
“This is a big week for us, especially since the Compton Cup history is so lopsided in favor of Harvard,” Hamp said. “We've had focused training, and we'd really love to get this one.”
The history of the rivalry belongs to Harvard, which owns a 62-14-1 advantage in the all-time series (MIT won in 1962). The Crimson has won eight straight in this series, a stretch that dates back to 2006, which also happens to be the last time Princeton won the Eastern Sprints and Ivy League title.
It's no coincidence that those both happened the same year; if you plan to win Sprints, you know the road goes through Harvard. Since the 2006 IRA grand final, the Tigers had gone winless against Harvard until the 2014 IRA final; that Princeton boat, comprised of numerous rowers who will return to the varsity boat this weekend, topped the Crimson for a fourth-place finish last spring on Mercer Lake.
“It was a step forward for the program,” said Hamp, who rowed in the 2-seat that day. “Say what you will, but it was the first time the program beat Harvard in several years. Getting fourth on the team points trophy was a really good sign of things to come. I'm hoping we can show that those results meant something.”
Since No. 1 Washington and No. 2 California don't race until the following weekend, this is the highest-ranked showdown in the sport so far this season. Both teams are unbeaten, and Harvard is coming off an impressive win over sixth-ranked Brown the previous weekend.
“It's always exciting to get to race fast teams,” head coach Greg Hughes said. “There is a lot of history and tradition in the Compton Cup. For our guys, it's exciting to get to race that event, and to get to race it here, especially for our seniors. Harvard is good, and we'll be ready.”
Princeton's last Compton Cup win on Lake Carnegie came in 2001, and that ended a period when the Tigers won four straight Harvard races at home. Last season's race on the Charles River was a thriller, with the Crimson posting a victory by less than one second.
Saturday will also begin a 15-day stretch when the Tigers will race teams currently ranked fourth (Harvard), fifth (Yale), sixth (Brown) and ninth (Cornell). Those will lead to the May 17 Eastern Sprints, an event dominated by the Crimson over the last decade.
Harvard remains the great obstacle for Princeton, and the Tigers can't wait to challenge its Ivy rival once again Saturday morning.