Princeton University Athletics
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Heavyweights Take Show On The Road, Compete For Carnegie Cup on Cayuga
April 24, 2015 | Heavyweight Rowing
LIVE AUDIO l CARNEGIE CUP HISTORY l NATIONAL POLL
WATCH PRINCETON WIN THE CONTENT CUP l CHILDS CUP
There is no question that capturing the Content Cup on Lake Carnegie was a special experience for the third-ranked Princeton heavyweights. But they also know that neither Eastern Sprints nor the IRA national championships will be held on their beloved home course, so they are ready to test themselves this weekend in less comfortable conditions.
And, just like last weekend, they will do so against a team ranked just below them in the national poll.
Princeton will race both No. 4 Yale and No. 10 Cornell Saturday morning on the Cayuga Inlet during the 93rd Carnegie Cup regatta. Racing is scheduled to begin at 8:40 am, with the varsity eight showdown set to go at 9 am.
This will be the first road race of the season for the undefeated heavyweights, though senior coxswain Jameson Pesce believes that the Tigers will be prepared for the challenge.
“While Nationals is nearby, both our Eastern Conference race and Nationals both happen on the road, so this race will be an important test for us to practice being off of Carnegie,” Pesce said. “However, we had a lot of away races last year, and I think we're ready to take the challenge on. The upperclassmen will certainly need to step up and help the freshman understand how to approach this unique challenge.”
Both the course and the opponents will be a challenge, but the Tigers can turn to one of their own coaches for advice on dealing with the Cayuga Inlet. Assistant coach Matt Smith, in his first year on the staff, came to Princeton after a successful stint as an assistant coach for the Big Red.
As for the opponents, these are the challengers that will get Princeton ready for the biggest races of all.
“While we always feel like we have a chance to contend in the big races, there's no better test than to go up against the best,” Pesce said “Harvard, Yale, Brown, and many of our other opponents are ranked in the top ten, and to test yourselves against them is a wonderful opportunity. These teams know how to win and have done so frequently while I've been here, so whenever we race them, win or lose, we learn something about ourselves and what we need to do to improve and find the speed necessary to win Sprints.”
Princeton has the most wins in the series with 37, while Cornell stands second with 34. Yale is third with 21, but the Bulldogs are also the current Cup holder after an impressive victory on Lake Carnegie last weekend. The Bulldogs used a blazing start to grab a lead they would never relinquish. While there is still one week to go in the season, the victor between Princeton and Yale this weekend would have the inside track to the top seed at Sprints.
Of course, the Big Red can't be counted out, either. Cornell has only won this race three times since 1992, but those have come in three of the last four showdowns on the Cayuga, including each of the last two.
Princeton knows full well that recent history means nothing in these races. After all, the Tigers had only won two Content Cups this century prior to defeating Harvard by open water last weekend. History is fun to talk about before and after, but it bears no significance during those 2,000 meters.
“The history of the race doesn't matter much to me, and I think most of the guys, while we're racing,” Pesce said of last weekend. “We could be undefeated, or never have won a Cup before, and we'll still want to win when we're lined up with an opponent. That being said, it was very motivating to join the ranks of only a few Princeton crews, and after the race was done, it was special to see the response from alums and realize that you're part of something bigger than just your season.”