Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Goldthwait & Vogel Cups: Yale and Harvard
Players Mentioned
No. 3 Lightweights Win H-Y-P Regatta, Retain Goldthwait, Vogel Cups
April 25, 2015 | Men's Rowing - Lightweight
The third-ranked Princeton men's lightweight rowing team enjoyed controlling both the Goldthwait and Vogel Cups so much over the past 12 months that they weren't ready to let either one go. In the only Princeton-Harvard-Yale regatta in rowing, the Tiger lightweights won four of five races, including the first varsity showdown, to retain both Cups for another year.
The Goldthwait Cup, which goes to the winner of the first varsity race, would not come easily against two other boats ranked in the Top 6 of the latest USRowing national poll. Princeton, which has now won four straight races, retained the Cup in 5:36.26, just over a second faster than sixth-ranked Yale (5:37.41). The Bulldogs, competing on their home course at the Housatonic River, topped Harvard by about 2.5 seconds.
Princeton started the varsity race in Lane 1, which left the Tigers trailing early due to a staggered start. They made up the stagger quickly against Harvard, and were able to draw even with Yale by the turn. At that point, it was a straight shot over 1,000 meters, and all three boats stayed within range the whole time.
"We really had to stay internal until the course came back in our favor," head coach Marty Crotty said. "The boys did a really good job of getting into their race and doing what they had to do. We used Harvard in Lane 2 to stay engaged, and made up the stagger on them early. When the turn started to work our way in our favor, guys made strong effort to end the race. Yale hung in there, and then it was just two crews in a classic H-Y-P battle gutting it out."
Yale made a strong push over the final 500 meters and drew very close, but Princeton's final 20 strokes were enough to clinch a second straight Goldthwait Cup in 5:36.26. Yale finished second in 5:37.41, while Harvard, which never lost touch with either boat, finished third in 5:39.96.
"The Goldthwait Cup has always been hotly contested between Princeton, Harvard, and Yale," senior William Downing said. "Being able to bring this Cup back to Princeton means a lot for me, especially as a senior. Nonetheless, the entire team knows that we will have to continue to make significant speed gains in the next few weeks if we want to be able to come out on top against these crews during the postseason."
"I was really happy with the way we were able to execute," Crotty said. "It can be a hard psychologically to be down. We executed the race we wanted and held off a really good Yale crew."
Princeton also secured the Vogel Cup for a second straight year, and for the second time in series history, by winning four of the five races. The 2V took third in 5:48.17, but the 3V topped Harvard by slightly over a second in 5:42.18. Both the 4V and the 5V added wins by at least five seconds over the Crimson as well.
"I am very proud of my teammates and I am pleased with the advancements that we have all been able to make over the past few weeks," Downing said. "Retaining the Vogel Cup was a testament to the depth of our team and the hard work that we have put in."
"The depth of the program and the ability to win those races is a direct correlation to the level of coaching they are getting from Bill Manning and Alex Mann," Crotty said. "Nobody slips through the cracks, the guys compete with each other and they row a similar way. We are retaining more guys, and there is a really good culture in the program. Everybody was really on their game today."
Crotty is hoping for similar success next weekend on Senior Day, when the Tigers host Columbia, Delaware and Mercyhurst. Columbia handed Princeton its first loss of the season by more than nine seconds during the Murtaugh Cup regatta; the Tigers would definitely love to cut into that deficit, if not flip the result completely, in their final race before the Eastern Sprints on May 17.
Varsity Eight
Princeton 5:36.26
Yale 5:37.41
Harvard 5:39.96
Second Varsity Eight
Harvard 5:40.29
Yale 5:43.79
Princeton 5:48.17
Third Varsity Eight
Princeton 5:42.18
Harvard 5:43.25
Yale 5:45.59
Fourth Varsity Eight
Princeton 5:59.34
Harvard 6:04.83
Fifth Varsity Eight
Princeton 6:04.03
Harvard 6:13.99