Varsity, JV Oarsmen Defeat MIT, BU As Freshman Heavies Win, 150's Lose

It was dusk Saturday afternoon when the varsity heavy coxswain Pete Milton called "Way Enough" and the Crimson oarsmen slumped on their oars after beating M.I.T. and Boston University by two lengths on the Charles River. A girl in shorts and a blue shirt fell overboard from the excursion boat "Let's Go," perhaps from enthusiasm over the crew's first victory of the season, or perhaps for other reasons. At any rate, she and the majority of the 1,200 spectators gathered by the M.I.T. boathouse could agree with varsity coach Harvey Love that the crew had rowed well in its one appearance on home waters this season.

This was the way of the afternoon's other five races, all of which Harvard won except the freshman lightweight race, when the Yardling oarsmen held off their sprint until too late and lost by two lengths to M.I.T., after having beaten this crew the week before. Dartmouth, as in the other lightweight races, finished third. Times were: M.I.T., 7:41; Harvard 7:49; Dartmouth 8:10.5.

Times High

Times for the six races were high due to the head wind and out-going tide, although, except for the wavy water at the start, the river's surface was generally smooth.

The varsity heavies had not been expected to lose to Tech or B.U. over the mile and three-quarter course; this had not happened since 1950. But many wondered how the oarsmen would respond if seriously pressed. Stroked by junior Fritz Schwarz, they aptly demonstrated their ability to row a low-stroking, controlled race when they applied the power under the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge and in ten strokes moved up two-thirds of a length over front-running B.U.

Power in Reserve

Thereafter the race became a matter of withstanding a late and unsuccessful sprint by M.I.T., as the Terriers faded badly. The Crimson oarsmen finished stroking 34 and 35, without great effort and with some power still in reserve. Times were: Harvard 9:45.7; M.I.T. 9:54.4; B.U. 10:05.7, five lengths off the pace.

If the varsity lightweights were bothered by M.I.T.'s third of a length lead with half a mile gone, they didn't show it as stroke Bob Foley raised the beat to 34 and then 35 to pull ahead of the Technicians and win by two-thirds of a length over the Henley distance. Dartmouth held on tenaciously during the early part of the race, when the Harvard and Tech crews were nearly bow to bow, and only dropped back during the sprint. Times were: Harvard: 7:29.6; M.I.T. 7:32.1; Dartmouth 7:34.4.

Half an hour earlier the junior varsity 150 pound crew showed how one-sided a race can be as it finished five lengths ahead of M.I.T. and Dartmouth. Since last week, when the Crimson j.v.s lost to Tech by half a length, Coach Derrick Wylde made major changes in the boat, so that in Saturday's race only four of the original crew were rowing.

The reshuffling paid off handsomely. Stroke Larry Cabot waited until the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, half a mile from the start, before making his bid. Then the shell pushed rapidly ahead as the oarsmen cut the water cleanly and left M.I.T. in their puddles. Times were: Harvard 7:32.8; M.I.T. 7:49; Dartmouth 7:58.

The junior varsity heavyweights turned in as one-sided and as impressive a performance as they paraded home three and one-half lengths ahead of M.I.T. and B.U. The Crimson shell was never headed. Stroke Carlo Zezza dropped his opening 42 beat start to 32 which he held for most of the race. With each stroke, the shell edged away over the calm river, finishing with a 36 sprint, as M.I.T. and Boston University were strung out behind. Times were: Harvard 10:04.4; M.I.T. 10:18; B.U. 10:40.

Freshman heavy coach Bill Leavitt had not been encouraging about his oarsmen before the start of Saturday's contest, but he must have felt otherwise after their length and a third victory. Paced by Mark Hoffman, and never led by the opposition, the Yardlings made most of this advantage during the last third of the race. Their power was evident as they put on a handsome sprint with a closing beat of 37. Times were: Harvard 10:19.7; M.I.T. 10:25.4; B.U. 10:55.

In other racing Saturday, the third varsity lightweight crew, stroked by John Hadik, defeated the Clark University heavyweight varsity by three lengths on Lake Quinsigamond. At Kent, the second freshman heavy crew, after defeating Yale in the morning, lost by a length and a half to Princeton's second freshman boat in the afternoon finals