W. Crew is banking on good chemistry

Good chemistry. When this cliche holds true on a sports team it can make the difference between a mediocre season and a winning one. This spring, women's crew is hoping that is the case. The Quakers had a very strong and athletic team last year but finished just 4-4. Their biggest problem was they simply couldn't find a lineup that worked. "We had a hard time getting the team to blend together in order to go fast," Penn coach Carol Bower said. "It wasn't a bad season, but it wasn't as good as we had hoped." This season was figured to be a rebuilding one. After graduating top rowers Sonia Johnson and Melanie Onufrieff, the Quakers were not supposed to be as fast a crew. However, Penn has apparently found a combination that has worked to Bower's liking. In the front of the boat, sophomore Kate Lehman will be at coxswain, while Claire Swift will be in the stroke seat. "Claire is the one setting the rhythm and the pace," Bower remarked. "She sets a great pace that makes everyone behind her bring themselves up to a higher level." "What makes the varsity boat so good is the synergy of the group," Bower explained. "It's a team boat." The Quakers will again compete in the tough 18-team Eastern Association of Women's Rowing College, the strongest league in the country. However, the way the team has come around has made Bower extremely optimistic. "We're aiming for the top of the league and the country," she said. Penn opens its season tomorrow morning in the Schuylkill River against Navy. The Quakers have beaten the Midshipmen in each of Bower's seven years at Penn.