While there wasn't technically a victory for Penn women's rowing during Saturday's Class of 1984 Award Race, the Quakers' second-place finish behind only star-studded Princeton provides optimism for the squad as the postseason approaches.
Credit: Courtesy of Penn AthleticsLet’s take a second. Or three.
This past weekend, all three Penn rowing teams finished in second place.
Second place may not spark a fire in anybody’s heart, but pitted against extremely tough competition, the Quakers can be confident in the results from last Saturday.
That statement especially holds true for the No. 13 heavyweights on the men’s side, who gave No. 5 Harvard a run for its money in the Adams Cup. In the 85th rendition of the meeting between the two Ancient Eight opponents and Navy, the Crimson continued their 16-year streak of victory, albeit by an incredibly narrow margin.
Only a half-second separated the Harvard and Penn Varsity boats, preventing what would have been one of the Red and Blue’s biggest upsets of the season.
The lightweight’s Wood-Hammond Cup did not exhibit as much parity, as No. 2 Princeton finished a little more than ten seconds ahead of the No. 7 Quakers. The split between Penn and No. 10 Georgetown was even greater as the Hoyas came in 18 seconds after the second place finishers.
The biggest lead of any Red and Blue contingent, however, came in the women’s Class of 1984 Award Race in Princeton. Firmly rooted in second place, the Quakers could not close the seven second gap on the Tigers but finished over 20 seconds ahead of third-place Dartmouth.
Leading up to the race, head coach Wesley Ng had no illusions about how tough the hosting opponents would be.
“I have a huge amount of respect for what Princeton is doing with their varsity boats,” Penn's first-year coach said. “I think we’re going to try and keep the margin as close as we can and use them as a foil to test our preparation.”
Having finished in 6:51.3 to the Princeton’s 6:44.5, it appears his goals were carried out. The 6.8-second difference is the closest the Quakers have come to the Tigers in over 20 years.
With results like these, improvement is sure to come for all teams as they head into the final chapters of the season.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.