Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Youthful Women's Lights Bring Energy, Drive Into Opening Race w/ Radcliffe
March 24, 2016 | Women's Rowing - Lightweight
LIVE VIDEO l CLASS OF 1999 CUP HISTORY l DIRECTIONS TO FINISH LINE
Princeton will race Radcliffe this Saturday morning at 11 am for The Class of 1999 Cup to open the 2016 racing season, and the Ivy League Digital Network will again stream all Tiger home races this season. You can access the live video by clicking on the link above this paragraph, and you can watch the GoPrincetonTigers.TV video season preview by clicking the play link in the photo above.
A full order of races on Saturday, which includes the open women and the heavyweight men, can be found below the season preview.
This is not unknown territory for Paul Rassam. There are years when his squad will rebuild, and years when his team enjoys the fruits of those rebuilding seasons.
The 2016 racing season looks like a rebuilding one after his team suffered a number of losses to either graduation or injury, but that doesn't mean that it can't be one that Rassam or his hungry young squad can't enjoy.
“We are in a rebuilding position, and we're embracing it,” said Rassam, who is entering his 12th season as the Tiger head coach. “With the right perspective, it can be fun. It can be a struggle to get there mentally, but we're working hard. The younger athletes are stepping up again. The alumni that support our boathouse can relate to us, because we really rely on developing walk-ons.”
While Rassam and first-year assistant coach Kate McCormick are working hard to develop some of those younger rowers, they know they can't be around the team at all times. Thus, they have been really pleased with the leadership from a small, but dedicated, senior class.
"Our three seniors (Phoebe Huang, Gabrielle Pezzini, Helen Stillwell) have continued to progress,” he said. “They are technically and physically the best they have ever been. It's been great for them and great for the team. You always want that for your seniors, that they advance to their best form their senior year, but there is of course no guarantee. They have worked hard to get there."
There is a strong group of juniors who have been key parts of Princeton's top eights over the last two seasons, including a coxswain/stroke pair that guided the Tigers to a road win over Radcliffe for the Class of 1999 Cup last year.
Juliette Hackett stroked that boat, while classmate Christina Warren has been a member of the top eight both years. They have been led by junior coxswain Megan Mirabella, who Rassam credited as a big leader this offseason.
“We don't recruit coxswains very often, but this was one of the best things we've done,” Rassam said. “She can be a bulldog on the water, but she helps them with technical changes, and she can guide us through adversity. She is super stable, which you need in a rebuilding season.”
Princeton will open its season this weekend against Radcliffe in a continuation of the Class of 1999 Cup series. While Rassam would love to keep the trophy in the Shea Rowing Center, he recognizes that this team could experience a steep improvement curve as the season progresses, especially as young rowers like Madelynn Prendergast and Grace Cordsen get more time on the water.
“The focus is on enjoying the weekly process,” Rassam said. “It's a hard first three weeks of the season. We face the gold, silver and bronze medalists at IRAs. The sport is extremely fast. Meeting those teams multiple times, and we'll get a really good assessment of where we are, and what we need to do better.”
The league is as fast as Rassam can ever remember, a tribute to the growth of the sport. He looked no further than the Foot of the Charles, where both Boston University and Radcliffe routed most of the open boats in that field.
“They destroyed all the BU, Radcliffe, and Dartmouth openweight boats into a 35mph headwind,” he said. “That's pretty unheard of for a women's lightweight boat to be able to do that.”
So the competition is high for his team, but his women have shown the willingness and energy to do the work on its way to the postseason races against them.
SATURDAY ORDER OF RACING
Princeton Heavyweight Men vs. Georgetown
8:00 AM • First Varsity
8:12 AM • Third Varsity
8:24 AM • Second Varsity
8:36 AM • Fourth/Fifth Varsity
Princeton Open Women vs. Brown & Ohio State
9:00 AM • B Four/C Four
9:20 AM • Third Varsity
9:40 AM • A Four
10:00 AM • Second Varsity
10:20 AM • First Varsity - Class of 1987 Trophy
Princeton Lightweight Women vs. Radcliffe
11:00 AM • First Varsity - Class of 1999 Cup
11:20 AM • Second Varsity
11:40 AM • Third Varsity