Hwt. varsity eight boat finished last in Grand Final

The Quakers varsity eight placed sixth overall at IRAs last weekend. Garrett Miller, Penn's senior crew co-captain, coined it best when he told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his team would need a "religious experience" in order to defeat Pacific Athletic Conference champion California in the 97th annual Intercollegiate Rowing Association's National Regatta last Saturday. But there was no divine intervention at Cooper River's 2,000-meter course in Camden, N.J., last weekend when six heavyweight varsity eight crews -- Penn, Brown, Princeton, Wisconsin, Washington and California -- advanced to the Grand Final to do battle on the waters for the highest honor, a national championship. California, once referred to as the best team on the West Coast, is now regarded by many as the top crew squad in the nation after its boat -- with five oarsmen who have competed in the World Championship --crossed the finish line in a record time of 5:23.6 in the Grand Final. Undefeated Princeton, the Eastern Sprints champion, was predicted to be California's nemesis. The highly anticipated match-up of the top-seeded California versus the No. 2 seeded Princeton proved anti-climactic as the Tigers placed a disappointing third to barely qualify for a spot in the Grand Final in 5:42.2. Princeton had won the title last year in 5:31.1. California earned the No. 1 seeding after finishing first in the preliminary race in 5:30.1, a second faster then the 1998 champions' time. Penn rowed in 5:33.9 to gain the No. 2 seed in the Grand Final. During the three day regatta, Brown (5:33.9), Washington (5:35.8) and Wisconsin (5:37.8) all emerged in the top tier of rowers and earned a chance to compete for a national championship. Despite a rocky road to qualify for the Grand Final, the Tigers managed to redeem their disappointing qualifying time with a silver medal in the race in 5:26.3. Although the Penn rowers earned the No. 2 seed time in the qualifying races, they finished a disheartening sixth in 5:37.7. Washington brought home a bronze in 5:28.4 followed by Brown in 5:29.8 and Wisconsin in 5:32.5. California dispelled any question of weakness when they emerged by a boat-length at the 500-meter mark. At the 1,000-meter mark, the Golden Bears opened up water and weren't threatened by another boat until the last 500 meters. Princeton, who trailed California by four boats at the 1,000-meter mark, closed the gap between the East and the West as they rowed within five seats of California. The Tigers' second wind, however, did not suffice and the Golden Bears took the crown, defeating their eastern opponents by nearly an entire boat-length. Over 160 crews, ranging from non-varsity club teams to national powerhouses, attended the 97th IRA this past weekend. Penn qualified to race in the Grand Final after breaking away from Temple and Brown in a fast heat where California led by open water and took first. Although Penn showed its strength in the first races, the Quakers could not finish stronger in the final showdown. But, despite their last place finish in the final, the Penn rowers proved their crew could compete with the top boats from the East and West Coast. Penn's second heavyweight varsity eight-- who raced squads from the exact same schools as the first varsity eight -- also placed sixth. The crew was 5.7 seconds behind fifth place Wisconsin in the Grand Final in 5:55.9. California's second varsity eight followed in the first varsity's footsteps by bringing home a gold medal in 5:37.9. The Quakers' freshmen eight placed fifth in 5:49.5 in the Grand Final. Penn's top boat, the Master's eight, was comprised of Penn alumni. The boat finished second in the Grand Final in 6:43.4.