Princeton University Athletics
Heavyweights Return Home, Look For More Winning Magic In Content Cup Dual
April 29, 2016 | Heavyweight Rowing
LIVE VIDEO l DIRECTIONS TO FINISH LINE l CONTENT CUP HISTORY
The 2015 Princeton heavyweight season will be remembered for plenty of things, ranging from the the sweep of Harvard in April, the Rowe Cup victory in May, the bronze medal finish at the IRA Championships in June, and the three-boat caravan that competed at the Henley Royal Regatta.
What gets overlooked were a pair of thrilling showdowns with a talented boat from Brown, and a pair of victories that helped shape what became a memorable Princeton season.
The first came May 2, when the two varsity eights lined up next to each other for the 22nd Content Cup regatta. Brown pushed forward in the middle part of the Lake Carnegie course and held about a seven-seat lead with 500 meters to go.
Princeton pushed back with maybe its most thrilling finish in the last few years. They picked up one seat after another as the finish line drew nearer, and finally passed the Bears in the final 10 strokes to win by .7 of a second.
Amazingly, the Tigers authored nearly the exact same story only two weeks later at Sprints. While Yale took control of that race fairly early, Princeton and Brown joined Northeastern in a race for the final two medals. Northeastern was the best of the trio that day and won silver, while Brown led Princeton in the final 200 meters and seemed set for bronze.
One late Tiger push changed that, though. Princeton surpassed the Bears in the final strokes to repeat as Sprints bronze medalists.
Could we see a similar finish Saturday morning, when the two Top-6 programs meet on Lake Carnegie for the 2016 regular season finale? Princeton won't care much if it takes control in the first strokes of the final ones, but the Tigers would love to keep the Content Cup at home and clinch the No. 2 seed entering the Eastern Sprints, which will be held May 15 on Lake Quinsigamond.
Since a season-opening loss to Yale in March, Brown has been one of the top boats in the nation. Its lone loss came to No. 5 Harvard, and that was by less than a second in another thriller. Brown holds a 12-10 all-time edge in the series, though Princeton has won two in a row.
RACING SCHEDULE
Open Women vs. Duke (Session 1 • Official Racing)
8:00 • Varsity Four
8:15 • Second Varsity
8:30 • First Varsity
Heavyweight Men vs. Brown
9:00 • Fourth Varsity
9:20 • Third Varsity
9:40 • Second Varsity
10:00 • First Varsity - Content Cup
Lightweight Men vs. Harvard & Yale
10:15 • Fifth Varsity
10:30 • Fourth Varsity
10:45 • Third Varsity
11:00 • Second Varsity
11:15 • First Varsity - The Goldthwait & Vogel Cups
Open Women vs. Duke (Session 2 • Scrimmage)
11:30 • Varsity Four
11:45 • Second Varsity
12:00 • First Varsity