Princeton University Athletics
April 14, 2016 | Heavyweight Rowing
MORE LINKS: COMPTON CUP HISTORY l NATIONAL POLL
There have been countless steps along this journey for the Princeton heavyweights, many of which were taken by those who have already graduated. Most of the steps were quiet, taken in the earliest hours on the erg or as the sun sets over Carnegie.
And then there was one loud, critical step that the team took one year ago, one that helped Princeton realize that it was truly a challenger for the top titles in the sport.
“Last year's race was a real turning point for the team,” senior captain Martin Barakso said of Princeton's win over Harvard last season. “To win the Compton Cup for the first time in nine years and have each boat win their respective races was a testament to how much progress the program has made over the last few years. We all knew how hard we had worked up to that point in the season, and to be able to demonstrate that so successfully in our races against Harvard set us up well for the Eastern Sprints and the IRA.
“That day is still my most memorable moment at Princeton, and it was then that I realized we had what it took to be the best rowing team in the country,” he added.
The Princeton heavyweights did achieve plenty last year, including their first IRA medal since 2006, but they have even higher goals this season. What better foundation to build on that journey than to do what only one other Tiger boat has done over the last 60 years — win the Compton Cup on the Charles River.
The third-ranked Tiger heavyweights will head to Boston Saturday to take on No. 5 Harvard in the 79th Compton Cup regatta. Harvard holds a 62-15 edge over Princeton (MIT won the Cup one time, in 1962), and it won nine straight in the series prior to the 2015 Princeton win.
While the Crimson has been dominant overall, they have been especially strong on their home course. Princeton has left the Charles River with the Compton Cup only six times, and five of them came prior to 1954.
The sixth, of course, will be celebrating their 10th Reunion this June and reliving tales of the program's fifth Sprints championship.
“When you look at the results, Princeton has only won one Compton Cup in Boston in the last 60 years — with that victory coming in 2006 — and that gives us so much motivation entering this weekend,” Barakso said. “You don't get the chance to break a streak like that very often in your racing career, and to be able to try and do it in your senior year is an incredible opportunity. This is only a regular season race and we have much bigger goals for our season, but to win the Compton Cup on the Charles River this year would be very special.”
It is also the start of a brutal three-week stretch that will have Princeton battle-tested for the 2016 Sprints. Top-ranked Yale and fifth-ranked Brown await the Tigers (4-0, 2-0 Ivy) throughout the rest of April, but the Princeton captain likes how his team has come together to prepare for this stretch.
“I have been extremely pleased with the progress that we have made in the first three weeks of our season,” Barakso said. “While we have been racing hard each weekend, our boat has really focused on getting better each day and consistently improving over the course of each week. We have approached our training in a meticulous and mature manner and have built a strong foundation, and I think that we have put ourselves in an excellent position to showcase our speed in the second half of the regular season.”
APRIL 16 RACING SCHEDULE (available on the Ivy League Digital Network)
Princeton Heavyweights at Harvard, vs. MIT
7:24 • Fourth Varsity
7:48 • Third Varsity
8:12 • Second Varsity
8:36 • First Varsity - Compton Cup
