Tigers Believe Tough Schedule, Constant Growth Put Them In Good Spot For Sunday's Sprints

The fifth-seeded Princeton heavyweights enter the 2018 Eastern Sprints as a battle-tested squad with a good understanding of the obstacles in front of them. The Tigers also believe they have put in the work to make a strong run at the medal dock Sunday.

Princeton will head to Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass., for their annual Sprints Sunday, which determines both the EARC and Ivy League champion. While the 1V enters as the fifth seed, all other Tigers boats are seeded either #1 or #2, making the Tigers a strong contender to win the Rowe Cup team title for the third time in four years.

Still, all eyes will be on the varsity eight grand final Sunday at 5:30 pm, where reigning Sprints/IRA champion Yale will enter as the lone unbeaten boat in the field and a deserving favorite, followed by second-seeded Brown and third-seeded Harvard. Each of those three boats picked up wins over Princeton over the final three weeks of the season, though both Brown and Harvard's victories were both by only about two seconds.

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"I have been really proud of the way this boat has progressed over the course of the season," said sophomore David Bewicke-Copley, who will be racing in his second Sprints 1V competition this weekend. "I have been very proud of how maturely the guys around me have approached the process of building this crew such that we may emerge from our cocoon like the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly when the time comes."

Princeton has medaled at each of the last four Eastern Sprints, but the field is as deep as it's been in quite some time. While Yale is looking for its fourth straight gold, Brown emerged as a strong threat this spring with impressive showings over both Harvard and Princeton. The Crimson edged past their Orange and Black rivals in the Compton Cup to claim the third seed, while Northeastern and Princeton grabbed the final two spots in the top five (those two teams did not meet this spring).

"The 1V has raced in some close races against some fast crews over the final three weeks of the season," head coach Greg Hughes said. "Certainly, it would have been nice to be on the winning side of those close ones, but they've been great tests for the varsity that showed us that we are right in the mix. Those races helped us focus in on some important changes and the boat has made great progress. The varsity group has had an awesome approach to building their speed throughout the season and they're confident and excited heading into Sprints."

The Tiger 1V opens Sunday in the 9:24 heat, facing Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia, and Rutgers, with the top two advancing to the 5:30 grand final. Princeton topped both Cornell and Columbia during the regular season, but it did not face Dartmouth.

With heats expected to be ultra-competitive — much less the finals — Bewicke-Copley feels good with the trust his boat has developed in coxswain Matt Wylie.

"He is a weapon and has a ton of Sprints experience," said Bewicke-Copley, who has rowed in the 5 seat over the last five weekends. "He's done a great job all year so we as a crew have a lot of faith in his ability to get us down the track faster than Sunderland FC's demotion to League One."

The Princeton 2V, which has had four freshmen in the boat for the majority of the season, went unbeaten in the Ivy League and is seeded #2 behind Northeastern for the weekend. The Tigers will compete in a 10:24 heat, with the top two set to race for gold at 4:15. The 3V has lost only to Yale this season, and it also takes the #2 seed into an 8:50 am heat, racing for a chance to be in the 2:15 final.

Both the 4V and the 5V earned the top seed this weekend; the 4V competes in the opening race of the regatta at 8 am, and will try to earn a spot in the 1:36 final, while the 5V will race in the 1:12 grand final.

"The Rowe Cup is absolutely a goal for our team," Hughes said. "It is something that we talk about often. While individual boat speed is often talked about more outside of our boathouse, all of us here in the boathouse know how important a strong team is when your goal is making fast boats. Competition creates speed. The hard work and commitment of every team member plays a critical role. There are some strong teams out there this year and the battle for the Rowe Cup will be fierce."

SPRINTS ROUNDUP

First Varsity
9:24 am heat – Brown, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia, Rutgers
5:30 pm grand final

Second Varsity
11:00 am heat – Princeton, Brown, Syracuse, George Washington, Penn, Rutgers
4:15 pm grand final

Third Varsity
8:50 am heat – Princeton, Brown, Boston University, Cornell
3:00 pm grand final

Fourth Varsity
8:00 am heat – Princeton, Navy, Dartmouth, Wisconsin, Boston University
1:48 pm grand final

Fifth Varsity
1:12 pm grand final – Princeton, Navy 5V, Yale, Wisconsin, Brown, Harvard, Navy 6V

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