Players Mentioned
#2 Men's Lights, #3 Columbia Face Off In Early-Season Showdown On Overpeck
March 31, 2016 | Men's Rowing - Lightweight
NATIONAL POLL
Senior coxswain Trip Henningson has been here before, seen it all before, and that should present a unique advantage to the second-ranked Princeton lightweights as they prepare for the challenging April gauntlet that begins this weekend.
Fittingly, the Tigers will open Saturday morning against one of its toughest rivals recently, the third-ranked Columbia Lions. The regatta is scheduled to start at 10 am, and it will be held on
Overpeck Lake.
Last year, Columbia was a perfect 3-for-3 against Princeton, including victories in both postseason races. Ironically, the last time these two boats raced on Overpeck, it was dead even with about 10 strokes remaining before Columbia edged the Tigers by .1 of a second.
“Personally, I'm excited to race Columbia this weekend,” Henningson said. “They've been a solid crew for several years now, and we've had some very close races against them. This is a great chance for us to test our maturity and consistency under pressure, as nothing but our best is going to cut it.
“Early-season races like this one are important because they allow us an opportunity to measure our progress, see what is working, and improve upon that.”
Princeton had the rare opportunity to race twice during its opening weekend, and it went unbeaten in a southern swing. After retaining the Murtaugh Cup against No. 8 Navy, Princeton defeated the 11th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas to retain the Fosburgh Cup.
“I think we were all pleased with the opportunity to get out there this weekend and race twice,” Henningson said. “Every time we get the boat up to speed, we get a little more consistent and a little more confident. Consistent and dependable base-speed is going to be critical if we want to continue to walk away with wins and our shirts, so any opportunity to test ourselves is positive.”
This opportunity is a big one, considering the strength of Columbia's 2015 postseason (two silver medals, behind only Cornell). Half of the 1V that raced last weekend were either members of the 2V last spring, or they were preparing for their Senior Prom. Thus, having a coxswain with Henningson's experience this weekend will be a major bonus.
“Part of the coxswain's job is to adapt and to deliver what the crew needs when it needs it,” he said. “Sometimes that's technical help, sometimes that's motivation, and sometimes it's just steering straight as an arrow. I think I've really grown in my understanding of the sport in the past few years and am always working to get top performances out of my crews by delivering my own personal best.
“I hope I can be a valuable resource for these guys as we work towards our goals, both in the regular season and beyond into Sprints and the IRA.”