Crew continues with dominating performance

Opponents could only play catch-up as the women's crew team left them in its wake on the way to an impressive showing at the Head of the Charles regatta.

After winning the pair, four, and eight races at the Head of the Housatonic on Sat., Oct. 6, the Bulldogs traveled to Boston ready for a weekend of heated competition. Despite facing a strong contingent of boats, the women's open four placed seventh with a time of 18:58.29 and was the fourth college boat to place. Third among collegiate boats behind Princeton and Ohio State, the women's open eight placed fifth in a field of 53 boats, clocking in at 16:34.85. Additionally, the youth eight, comprised entirely of freshman rowers, placed fifth in their race and third among college teams.

The strong start indicates that the Elis are picking up exactly where they left off last spring. Head Coach Will Porter said, "Our seniors gained a wealth of knowledge about racing at a high level at last year's NCAAs." The women are now putting that experience to good use. At this point, Porter says that Yale has "the ability to place as high as anybody in the country."

While the team's ultimate focus is on spring races and the NCAA championships, the Bulldogs face some tough competition ahead. On Sat. and Sun., Oct. 27 and 28, the women will row in the Princeton Chase. "We are evenly matched teams, with some history between us," Porter said. "Last year the eight lost to [Princeton] by one second." While Yale's program has improved by immense jumps in the past four years, Princeton has been a perennially strong team. "In this race we are trying to build momentum and break through to the next level," Porter said. "The Princeton Chase will be an excellent measure of where we are."

—Kathleen McKeegan

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