Princeton University Athletics
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Second-Seeded Tiger Heavies Look For First Sprints Crown Since 2006 Sunday
May 13, 2015 | Heavyweight Rowing
LIVE RESULTS l LIVE VIDEO l RACE SCHEDULE l FINAL SEEDING POLLS
PRINCETON HISTORY AT EASTERN SPRINTS
It's amazing what can happen over 300 meters and about 30 seconds.
In the regular season finale for the fourth-ranked Princeton heavyweights, the Tigers trailed Brown for almost all of its Content Cup showdown on Lake Carnegie. Not only was Princeton about to relinquish the Cup, but it was going to head into Sprints off the losses of both two straight races and any momentum gained from its April 18 win over reigning Ivy champion Harvard.
That was what faced the Tigers at 1700 meters. At 2000 meters, it was a far different story. Princeton sprinted past Brown during those furious final strokes to claim the second seed at Sprints and bring a level of confidence that will make the Tigers very tough this Sunday on Lake Quinsigamond. (You can watch the wild finish at the beginning of the video feature above.)
“I think we showed something that other crews didn't believe we could do, which is come from behind,” said sophomore Matthew Benstead, who rowed for the Princeton lightweights at the 2014 Championships. “Now it's something we can use as a weapon at Eastern Sprints.”
Princeton finished a stellar 2015 season with an 8-1 mark, including a 5-1 record in the Ivy League, and has been ranked in the Top 5 in every national poll this season. Though the Tigers have been viewed as a strong boat all season, it was its Compton Cup win over Harvard — Princeton's first since 2006 — that clearly established them as a prime contender at Sprints.
“Taking that race gave us a ton of confidence moving forward,” said junior Patrick Eble, who has rowed in the varsity eight since his freshman season. “Harvard is really fast every year, so if you can beat them, it really bodes well for the upcoming season.”
Princeton raced seven opponents over five weekends on Lake Carnegie this season, and it won each time. Its lone defeat in 2015 came during its only road trip, a 1.5-second loss to Yale on the Cayuga Inlet during Carnegie Cup weekend. Yale, the Ivy League's only unbeaten boat, will be the top seed this weekend, but that loss forced Princeton to prepare for conditions far different and more challenging than the normally fair, straight Lake Carnegie course.
“Since we lost to Yale a few weeks ago, we really took a different approach to our training,” junior Martin Barakso said. “We have focused in on staying internal every day, and the last two weeks have been really good. Right now, we're the fastest we've been all season.”
They'll need that speed, because the Sprints grand final is likely to include six of the top 10 boats in the nation — meaning two of the Top 10 boats won't even reach the grand final. Should Princeton get out of its morning heat, it will need to produce its best 2000 meters to win its first Sprints title since 2006 and its sixth in program history.
Yale is the top seed, followed by Princeton, Harvard, Boston University and Northeastern. The Tigers have wins over five of the top ten seeded boats, although they haven't faced either Boston University or Northeastern; the Tigers will get the Huskies and Cornell during their 9:24 heat.
Should they earn a top-two finish there, they will advance to the 5:30 pm grand final, which could be one of the wildest, tightest races in years.
“You always have to expect a close race,” Benstead said. “For us, we're trying to internalize all our training. We're trying to keep everything within ourselves and not focus on what others are doing. It's going to be close, but if we can produce our best race, that's what we'll be happy with.”
While Princeton will have its Content Cup sprint in the back of its mind for the final 500 meters, Eble thinks the first 500 could be even more important.
“In six-boat racing, especially at this level, there is value to getting out ahead initially, so we do put some emphasis in the first part of the race and establishing our speed and our rhythm,” he said.
Five members of the varsity eight were recently named to the 2015 U.S. Under 23 National Team Selection Camp, including senior coxswain Jameson Pesce. In a race like this one, when the field could see multiple lead changes over several lanes, Pesce's experience will be invaluable.
The Tigers trusted him in their last race on Lake Carnegie. They'll trust him again on Lake Quinsigamond.
And if they can post another magical finish, the reward will be so much greater.
Princeton will also be seeking its first Rowe Cup since 2005, which goes to the overall points champion, and it is seeded well in the 2V and 3V events, both of which factor into that race.
The Tiger 2V, coming off a silver medal at the 2014 IRA national championships, went undefeated this season and will be the top seed Sunday. The 2V races in the 10:12 heat, and will hope to race for the gold medal during the 4:15 grand final.
The 3V went 7-1, with its only loss to Cornell on the Cayuga Inlet, and will be the second seed in its field. That boat races in an 8:50 heat, with hopes of reaching the 2:45 grand final.
Princeton is seeded eighth in the 4V (8 am heat, 1:36 grand final) and fourth in the 5V (12:48 grand final).