Other Weekend Action

W. Crew will try to reverse trend, win Orange Challenge Cup on Charles River The last time the Cup was held on the Charles River was in 1993. In that race, Northeastern prevailed with the Quakers coming in second place -- five seconds behind. Penn has historically struggled on the Charles, not having won the Cup on that river since 1979. The last time Penn won the Orange Challenge Cup was in 1991, when the race was held on the Onondaga River in Boston. The Quakers are still trying to find consistency in their lineup after their first two meets. In the first race against Navy, there were last-minute changes, and again against Yale and Columbia, there was late lineup shuffling. But Penn's strong results indicate that the changes have not hampered the rowers. "We want to utilize different lineups," Quakers coach Carol Bower. And until Meera Bahtia, the stroke of the varsity eight, returns from an injury, Bower won't be able to use her top lineup. The Orangemen have gotten off to a strong start this season, beating Ithaca and finishing second against Michigan. On March 31, Syracuse traveled to the San Diego Classic and took fifth place. Northeastern also competed in the San Diego Classic, where the Huskies also finished fifth in a different division than the Orangemen. Northeastern will be the Quakers' major concern this weekend. Over the last four years, the Quakers have trailed the Huskies at the finish line by an average of five seconds. Bower will try to concoct the right mix of rowers to win a race that Penn at one point dominated. From 1979 through 1983, the Quakers won every Orange Challenge Cup race. This weekend, the Quakers hope to begin a new reign of dominance on the Charles. – Jon Carroll Lwt. Crew to take on Scarlet Knights on the Raritan River The outcomes of crew races are often unpredictable. There are so many different variables involved in each race -- such as wind and water conditions -- that prior successes or failures will not offer many clues about who will win the current race, especially this early in the season. This weekend, the Penn lightweight crew team will travel to New Brunswick, N.J., where it will race Rutgers on the Raritan River. Penn coach Bruce Konopka conceded that he was unsure about the strength of the Scarlet Knights, but added "they should be pretty tough. "We do not want to underestimate them," Quakers senior captain Justin Zacks added. At this point in the season, every team is looking for wins to establish momentum. Without the knowledge of which crews are the ones to beat, anything could happen. Penn and Rutgers have had some close races in the past. This spring, the Scarlet Knights started practicing on the water earlier than the Quakers since Rutgers rows on salt water. This week, Penn's varsity boat has been practicing hard and hopes to gain its first win of the season. "They've had a pretty good week of practice," Konopka said. "They should do pretty well." After the close .9 second loss to a strong Navy crew last weekend, the varsity boat hopes to have a successful race. "After last weekend's race, it's important for us to get back on track," Zacks said. This weekend's race is important for establishing momentum for the season. For the next four weekends, the lightweight team will race Ivy League schools -- traditionally the strongest crews in the East. "We're out to get some momentum going," Zacks said. "We'll be focused in this race." – Justina Yee M. Tennis to travel to Cornell, Army this weekend A tennis player for Navy in his college days, Penn coach Gene Miller can remember when the Ivy League tennis teams would come to Annapolis, Md., with a more talented squad, but lose due to a lack of discipline. Tomorrow, the roles will be reversed when Miller leads his Ivy squad against a military academy -- not Navy, but rather his former rival, Army -- in West Point, N.Y. "Anytime you play a service academy, especially at home, they are very tough, and they are very disciplined," Miller said. Army (9-2) is led by veterans Rick Michalski, Tom Rusling and Justin Ledzinski. Always a tough opponent, the Black Knights should test the teamwork and discipline of the Quakers. But before Penn heads up to West Point, it will face Ivy foe Cornell today in Ithaca, N.Y. While not a traditional Ivy powerhouse in tennis, Miller noted that the Big Red can be dangerous if they are able to get off to a good start. Heading into the Penn match with a 4-7 record, the Big Red looks to Jeremy Gans and Jonathan Rapkin for leadership. The Quakers dropped their Ivy opener to Princeton and face a tough road ahead. With the remaining Ivy matches scrunched into the next three weekends, stamina will surely come into play. – Matt Greenberger