Crew heavies head the Charles

The Harvard men’s heavyweight crew won its 12th straight race on the Charles this past Saturday (May 4), edging Northeastern by 2.8 seconds to remain perfect on the spring. The win wrecked the Huskies hopes for an undefeated season.

Harvard and Northeastern’s heavies, ranked number one and number two in the East, respectively, overlapped for the entire race until the Crimson took the lead in the second 500 meters, winning by about seven seats. Harvard was timed in 6:12.9, with Northeastern crossing in 6:15.7.

With the win, Harvard retains the Charlie Smith Cup and increases its all-time series lead over Northeastern to 20-3. Northeastern last topped the Crimson on the Charles in 1997.

In lightweight competition, top-ranked Yale captured its third consecutive Goldthwait Cup, winning in 6:28.6. Princeton was clocked in at 6:32.9, while Harvard finished third with 6:37.4.

In women’s lightweight action, Princeton overcame an early Radcliffe advantage to defeat the Black and White by just over a length. The Tigers – making their big move in the third 500 of the race – crossed the line in 7:49.1, followed by Radcliffe’s 7:53.3. M.I.T. placed third with its time of 8:04.2.

On Sunday morning (May 5), the women’s varsity heavyweight crew celebrated its 30th anniversary with a win, defeating Charles River rivals Boston University, Northeastern, and M.I.T by open water.

Ranked eighth nationally and fourth in the East, Radcliffe led wire-to-wire while improving to 7-4 on the spring. The win over the Terriers earned the Black and White the Allen-DeWolfe Cup for the fourth time in five years, while the crew retained the Rowlands Cup by defeating Northeastern for the fourth straight year. Radcliffe clocked in at 6:43.3 – their fastest time on the Charles this spring – six seconds ahead second-place Boston University.

The victory over the regional foes strengthens Radcliffe’s bid for a fifth straight team trip to the NCAA Championships, slated for June 1-2 in Indianapolis.

Women’s crew will travel to Camden, N.J., this Sunday (May 12), for the Eastern Sprints on the Cooper River, while men’s sprints action takes place May 19 at Worcester’s Lake Quinsigamond.