Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Lightweight Men Take Second To Top-Ranked Yale Bulldogs

Georgetown crew lightweight men traveled to Derby, Conn. this weekend to try to unseat defending No. 1 Yale on their home course. However, the Hoyas came away with second place in the contest losing to the Bulldogs by five seconds, the closest margin of victory over any team against which they have competed this year.

Cornell also raced, but finished a distant third.

Just before the race, the announcer declared “tail wind picking up, fast races so far today, not much water moving, variable winds, flat water.” He also mentioned the noticeable amount of tension on the starting line. The staggered start had Yale in lane one, Georgetown in lane two and Cornell in lane three.

When the flag went down, Yale pushed off to a start of 46.5 strokes per minute, but Georgetown and Cornell were able to stay even with them as Georgetown settled to a steady 38.5 strokes per minute. Yale, trying to make up for the stagger, came out and took a few seats from Georgetown just before the turn at about 700 meters.

Coming into the turn, a deck length separated Yale, Georgetown and Cornell, when Georgetown was warned for a steering mistake. On the Housatonic River course, there are no lane lines – just markers at every 500 meters. Because of a turn in the path, following the markers in line is a difficult task. Being warned can be a distraction to the rowers in the boat, but Georgetown did not show much frustration as they began to row harder to try to make up some distance on Yale.

With the third 500 meters came a strong surge for the Hoyas. Cutting Yale’s lead by a few seats, the Hoyas pulled comfortably away from Cornell. Yale looked very smooth going into the final 500, and Georgetown gained on them. The challenge was met by Yale, and they gained just short of a boat length lead with 400 meters remaining. Georgetown pulled away from Cornell, but with 200 meters remaining, the announcer said, “it is all Yale,” as the Bulldogs opened up a half a boat length open-water lead.

This race was one of the strongest and most powerful competitions so far this year. Yale proved why they are ranked No. 1. Georgetown, however, finished closer to Yale than any other of the Bulldogs’ opponents to date, confirming that Georgetown is the second-best lightweight crew in the country. The team is still confident, though, that when they have another chance to top Yale at the Eastern Sprints in three weeks, they will succeed.

“We have three weeks to make up five seconds,” senior Captain Jeff Anchukaitis said. “It will be easy to pick out things we can do to make up five seconds.”

“With a little work we’ll be able to make up the difference going into sprints,” senior coxswain J.P. Van Arsdale said. “Yale is undisputedly the fastest boat in the league. Not bad being within a length of them at this point in the season.”

All of Georgetown’s crews were defeated by Yale. The second varsity boat placed third to Yale and Cornell, and the first freshman boat rowed a strong race and defeated Cornell by about three quarters of a boat length, as Yale had an open water lead.

The next race for the Hoyas is the Georgetown Invitational on the Potomac River Saturday, April 29.

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