Radcliffe Crew Strokes Past Williams, UConn Boats

Overcoming a horrendous start, the Radcliffe crew came back strong in the second 500 meters yesterday to turn back two strong boats from UConn and Williams in a tune-up for next weekend's Sprints.

Radcliffe actually fell behind at the start, as UConn jumped into a quick (though short-lived) lead. But by 500 meters Radcliffe had moved into a half-length lead and breezed home the rest of the way.

Outdistanced

Stroking at a brisk 37, Radcliffe's first eight easily outdistanced the other contenders. Radcliffe covered the course in a quick 3:36, 3.5 seconds ahead of runner-up UConn. Williams finished a disappointing third at 3:47. Rhode Island, the fourth boat in the race, finished way out of the running.

"This makes next week's sprints competition absolutely even," Radcliffe coach John Baker said after the race. "Princeton beat UConn by two seconds, and we beat them by four. Princeton took Williams by eleven and we beat them by nine. This really tightens it up for next Sunday."

Radcliffe looked impressive, but the UConn and Williams contingents didn't quite measure up to expectations. Perfect conditions--light wind, no chop--promised an exciting race. But except for the brief moment at the start, Radcliffe was never seriously challenged.

Baker attributed the win to Radcliffe's strong performance in the body and finish of the race. "They finished up really strong," he said in one of the season's great understatements. What in fact really transpired in the last 250 meters was that Radcliffe just blew the doors off UConn, lengthening a precarious four-seat lead to win by a full length.

The win in the varsity eight's triggered a three-race Radcliffe sweep in Sunday's competition. The 'Cliffe second eight, featuring four women who had just rowed in the feature race, staged an astounding comeback in the second half of the race to win by three seconds over UConn and URI.

The J.V.s got off to a horrible start, falling behind by open water to UConn in the opening moments of the contest. By 500 meters Radcliffe had narrowed the UConn lead to four seats. By the finish, Radcliffe was up by three. The 'Cliffe eight finished at 3:37, but began the race well past the starters point because of the drift involved in a floating start.

The fours competition was equally impressive. Radcliffe stormed out of the start, and a shell-shocked Williams boat never really recovered. Radcliffe never settled, stroking the first 500 meters at a 38-plus pace. At 250 yards the 'Cliffe had a length lead, at 500 almost two and the margin had ballooned to over four lengths by the finish.

Radcliffe finished at 4:25, 17 seconds ahead of the Williams contingent.

Radcliffe's four dropped down to a 36 cadence 600 meters into the race, and seemed intent on humiliating the Williams contingent. And since next week's Sprints competition will include a heated fours division, the win was a big one. Radcliffe should have the inside track on the top seed in fours for the Sprints.

After yesterday's Radcliffe win, the Sprints boils down to a rematch of the tight Princeton-Radcliffe contest. Three weeks ago in Princeton, N.J. the women from Old Nassau hung a heartbreaking one-second setback on the 'Cliffe eight.