Princeton University
The Platt Cup: Cornell
Players Mentioned
Men's Lightweights Knock Off No. 1 Cornell, Claim 1st Platt Cup Since 2011
April 16, 2016 | Men's Rowing - Lightweight
Mission accomplished in grand style.
Princeton, which entered the weekend ranked fourth nationally among the lightweight crews, reclaimed the Platt Cup for the first time since 2011 by defeating two-time defending IRA champion Cornell Saturday morning on Lake Carnegie. The victory ended an 18-race win streak for the Big Red, and it improved Princeton's advantage in the all-time series to 37-16.
"We came into this race trying to establish a powerful and controlled base by being aggressive with our leg drives and I think we executed this well, especially in the first half of the race," senior captain Isaiah Brown said. "The rhythm we developed enabled us to hold off Cornell's moves and pick up seats when we pushed.
"As we draw closer to the postseason, I think that a big win like this gives us confidence moving forward and validates our hard work over the last couple of weeks."
That hard work drew the attention of head coach Marty Crotty even before the Tigers ended Cornell's long win streak.
"I told the guys even before the race how proud I was of how they practiced this week," Crotty said. "It's the most focused I've seen the group in my time here. It's very satisfying to have a great week of practice translate into a win over someone who has gotten the better of us for four straight years."
The varsity eight took the Platt Cup in 6:03.7, more than 3.5 seconds faster than the top-ranked Big Red. It was one of two victories for Princeton during the morning; the 3V also claimed a win by more than five seconds.
Cornell took wins in the 2V, 4V and 5V. The Tiger 2V battled Cornell the whole way, but the Big Red held on to win by less than four seconds.
Princeton will remain home next weekend and take on both Penn and Dartmouth for the Wood-Hammond Trophy. Brown and the rest of the senior class still has two home races to go, but this is one he knows he'll savor — though he knows the time to savor it is down the road.
"As a senior, a race like this is meaningful," Brown said. "Cornell has a great program that has beaten me many times over the last four years. Winning against a top team like this at home ranks among the top races I have had at Princeton. That said, we need to turn our attention forward and continue to improve as we face more good competition over the next two weeks."
Varsity Eight
Princeton 6:03.7
Cornell 6:07.4
Second Varsity Eight
Cornell 6:08.8
Princeton 6:12.6
Third Varsity Eight
Princeton 6:16.4
Cornell 6:21.7
Fourth Varsity Eight
Cornell 6:27.6
Princeton 6:30.4
Fifth/Sixth Varsity Eight
Cornell 5V 6:35.0
Princeton 5VH 6:44.9
Princeton 5VL 6:46.1
Princeton 6VL 657.2