Princeton University Athletics
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Eighth-Ranked Open Women Continue Development, Seek To Retain 1975 Cup
April 09, 2015 | Women's Rowing - Open
NATIONAL POLL l CLASS OF 1975 CUP HISTORY
Senior Olivia Sayvetz is not one to back down from competition.
As the coxswain of the 2014 Princeton 2V, she guided the Tigers to a thrilling silver medal finish at the NCAA Championships. Only one Princeton 2V has had a better finish at NCAAs, and that came in the inaugural 1997 competition.
Sayvetz has moved into the varsity eight, which is ranked eighth in the latest USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division I poll. Over the next two weeks, Princeton will face two Ivy League teams ranked in the Top 15, a stretch that begins Saturday morning when No. 13 Radcliffe joins Cornell at Lake Carnegie for the annual Class of 1975 Cup competition.
“The next four weeks will be very important for all boats in the program,” Sayvetz said. “Our in-season races are what prepare us for championship racing, and especially with the late start to the season, the weeks ahead will be critical for gaining speed and testing our race ability against our Ivy League competitors.”
Second-ranked Brown, which defeated Princeton by eight seconds two weeks ago, established itself early as the team to beat in a loaded Ivy field. Princeton and Yale, next week's opponent on the Housatonic, are ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, while Radcliffe is 13th.
“The Ivy League is a tough conference for women's rowing, which is exciting because it pits us against some of the fastest crews early on,” Sayvetz said. “While there's nothing like championship racing, and major changes can be made between in-season and championship regattas, there's no better way for us to assess our speed than the racing to come.”
Princeton is currently 2-1 on the season, which includes a victory over Michigan in the season opener. The Wolverines bounced back last weekend to edge past fourth-ranked Virginia, a result that shows just how much parity there could be this season in women's rowing.
The Tigers will figure out where they stand in the mix eventually, but right now their focus is on themselves. Each boat earned a win last weekend over Columbia, but they know the stakes will be raised this weekend in a three-boat showdown.
The varsity eight is looking to retain the Class of 1975 Cup following its win on the Charles River last season. Princeton owns a 25-13-1 edge in the series, though Radcliffe has won twice in the past eight years (2007, 2013).
As much as retaining the Cup would mean, Sayvetz also knows that the team must continue to come together. With the Ivy Championships just over a month away, every opportunity to improve is critical.
“The chemistry of a boat and of a whole team is something that evolves throughout a season and is different each year,” she said. “At this point in the season, especially with the late start, the whole team is looking to find more speed, which has certainly created a tight knit group across boats. The boat is a very mature group of athletes right now, which makes it fun. The attitude is really positive and the goals are all very clear.”