Two consecutive winning seasons? W. Crew hopes so

The Penn women's crew team made great strides last spring, finishing with a 6-4 record. But even though that record was the first winning season for the Quakers since 1990, Penn coach Barb Kirch believes her crew is poised for further improvement. "We did very well last season.... Winning races like the Cornell-Rutgers race for the first time in nine years was huge to everybody," Kirch said. "We won more than we lost and that was a great feeling." But a fast finish has raised expectations for Kirch and company. "We were beating crews at Eastern sprints that had beaten us midseason, so we're getting better right till the last day and I think everyone feels very good...." Kirch said. "And I think people are even a little more excited about this year." This season will consist of four home races and two away races, including the EAWRC sprints. Co-captain Becky Riley sees the large number of home races as a big plus for the Quakers. "That's a huge advantage for rowing," Riley said. "The Schuylkill River isn't a perfectly straight course and so the home advantage is big." Besides the championships, a key meet for Penn will be the Zurich Rowing World Cup, which will be held on April 27-28 in Mercer County, N.J. The International Rowing Federation, FISA is hosting the World Cup. It's the first time the event has ever been in the United States. All the varsity crews in the country racing on the same weekend have been invited to hold their races at the event. The Red and Blue's varsity team will not only have the opportunity to test themselves against other college crews but international crews from around the world, as well. In preparation for the vigorous upcoming season, the Quakers have altered their training regimen. During the winter, there was more emphasis on erging and power lifting and less on running and swimming.

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