W. Crew can not stick with nation's elite

The women's crew teams did not qualify for the finals in their events at the San Diego Crew classic. In the first major regatta of the spring season, the women's varsity crew team saw just how much they will need to improve before Eastern Sprints arrive. Competing in the San Diego Crew Classic last weekend, the Quakers' time of 7:11.48 placed them last among the 12 participating crews. According to Penn coach Barb Kirch, her team's major goal was to "handle the pressure of such a large regatta" -- the same type of pressure they will inevitably face in the sprints later this season. Calling them the "Penn Relays of rowing," Kirch explained that such regattas "definitely have a different feeling than dual meets." In its first race, the Penn varsity eight was last of six teams, two seconds behind Syracuse and 21 behind the winner, defending champion Washington. "It's an enormous regatta with some of the best crews," Kirch said. "There is usually a big rivalry between Washington and the best east school." This year, Michigan, North Carolina and Michigan State all continued to build upon their reputations. Newcomers to the sport, Kirch said the schools provide, "a showcase for where women's rowing is going." Looking at the race results optimistically, Kirch found comfort in Penn's close contest with Syracuse, whom they will face at home this weekend. "We were closer in a field that's getting stronger", she said. Furthermore, she thought the Quakers' performance marked a slight improvement over last year's results. In describing the race, Kirch explained that her team, which is typically last off the starting line, took an early lead for about 300 meters. Such a surprising start may have caused the Quakers to tire out too quickly. "They probably went out too hard since they were so excited," Kirch said. Kirch was most pleased with her team's attitude. Despite their poor showing, she noted their "willingness to come back and try again." Since there were only 12 boats competing, Penn got the opportunity to do just that. The Quakers advanced to the "petite finals" which are reserved for crews that finish between seventh and 12th place overall. Facing Syracuse and four new competitors, the Quakers finished sixth again. This time, their 7:01.31 performance was one second behind Ohio State. The weekend went much smoother for the junior varsity team. In what rower Stephanie Harrington called "a wonderful experience," the Quakers took third place in their heat and second in the JV petite finals. "We had a lot of fun with the races," Harrington said. "We were right in the thick of things." The finishing times illustrate how competitive Penn was. In their heat, the Quakers finished behind Wisconsin and Northeastern in 7:09.28, just seconds off the qualifying time for the "grand finals." "We'll see Northeastern again this weekend," Harrington said. "They were right in our grasp, so we're looking forward to taking them on." The JV will also rematch Syracuse this weekend in the Oranae Challnge Cup. The Quakers beat them by 10 seconds in the petite finals to finish second behind Washington State in 7:25.22.