Transfer to lead Lwt. Crew in weekend action

The addition of T.J.The addition of T.J.Berdzik has improvedThe addition of T.J.Berdzik has improvedthe Quakers crew The Penn lightweight crew team has had moderate success in the past. Although it has been a consistent crew over the past few years, always running in the middle of the pack in the East, it has yet to break into that top category of rowing powerhouses. Tomorrow, the Quakers will have their shot at 1995 Eastern Sprints champion Harvard and Sprints finalist Cornell on Cayuga Lake in Ithaca, N.Y., for the Matthew/Leonard Cup. With the addition of sophomore transfer T.J. Berdzik to this year's varsity eight, Quakers coach Bruce Konopka hopes to build a strong crew that will propel them to the top. "He brings a lot of experience," Konopka said. "He's very serious about his training. He's been a great addition and has helped to bolster the sophomore class. He's a very hard worker." Berdzik was introduced to rowing at Canisius High School in Buffalo, N.Y., when his wrestling coach suggested he take up rowing to lose weight. So Berdzik began rowing during his sophomore year. And very quickly crew replaced wrestling as Berdzik's sport of choice. He went on to row for the University of Buffalo, but transferring to Penn last fall. "I love it," said Berdzik, who says that crew is basically his life. Last year, Berdzik was invited to the Junior National Team selection camp where the national team members are selected. Although Berdzik did not make the team, he went on to win six medals that summer at the American Rowing Championships with the New York Athletic Club, where at 18 years old, he was the youngest participant. Most of the other rowers were in their mid-twenties. Those medals added to his growing collection of awards, which already included one gold and two bronze medals from the Scholastic Nationals, which he won in high school. "He loves the sport," Penn junior rower Geoff Menkowitz. "He gets excited about everything. He works out in his free time and is very much a part of the rowing community. It's a big part of his life." Unlike most rowers who usually take the summer off from crew, Berdzik trains and races through the summer and never seems to get tired of it. "It's tremendous," Konopka said. "Not many people are able to do that. That's the way you really improve." This weekend, Penn will have to work hard to beat the two strong Ivy League crews. Although the Harvard varsity boat will not be attending, the Crimson's junior varsity and freshmen boats will be there along with the Big Red to challenge the Quakers. Cornell's freshmen were Sprints Champions last year and will be a real test for the Penn freshmen crew. "It's going to be a tough race," Berdzik said. "But if we row perfectly, there are few teams who can beat us."