Heavies To Have Three Alumni In Prestigious Oxford Cambridge Boat Race

Benzecry Story

The Boat Race Magazine
Barakso – Page 79
Wambersie – Page 105
Benzecry – Page 106

LONDON – The Princeton Heavyweight rowing team will have three alumni participating in the 166th annual Oxford Boat Race on Sunday, Apr. 4.

The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club. The race will get underway at 4:50 p.m. local time, 11:50 a.m. Eastern Time. Cambridge leads the all-time series 84-80-1.

Sebastian Benzecry '20 will be rowing for Cambridge while Augustin Wambersie '18 and Marty Barakso '16 will row for Oxford.

"I know how hard Sebastian, Marty and Augustin have worked this year to earn the chance to race in this year's Boat Race," said Princeton head coach Greg Hughes. "The pandemic has presented them all with some difficult challenges and they have been tested. True to their form, they've persevered through it all and are primed and ready to race. I will be tuned in to the live feed on Sunday along with countless others from around the world ready to watch them bring it on."

Benzecry '20 is at the Jesus College at the University of Cambridge working on his masters' degree in Film and Screen Studies.

"I would say Princeton really prepared me for how mentally tough you need to be for a race like the Boat Race," stated Benzecry. "Though the Princeton season is obviously very different to the Cambridge season, I think Princeton taught me a real tenacity, and an ability to keep positive and enjoy the process, which was a core tenant of my time on the Princeton team. Those values were absolutely instrumental in keeping going through lockdowns this season that saw months of hard grinding on the ergs at home, and then a really intense selection period for the Blue Boat. I am incredibly grateful to Princeton for teaching me that unwavering commitment."

Wambersie '18 is a student at the St. Catherine's College at Oxford striving towards his PhD in Engineering Science.

"The experience of Education through Athletics at Princeton gave me confidence that I could keep pushing on with both my academic research and athletic achievements," relayed Wambersie. "Managing postgraduate research and the Boat Race requires a lot of self-discipline an independence as you have to essentially forge your own way through the world of academia whilst training twice a day."

Baraskso '16 is doing his postgraduate studies at the Kellogg College at Oxford, going for masters' in Latin American studies.

"Princeton prepared me a great deal for being a student athlete at Oxford," mentioned Barasko. Four years of balancing classes and rowing at Princeton engrained the time management, collaborative mindset, and work ethic that allow you to excel in both academics and athletics. I have been able to carry forward those attributes at Oxford."

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