Crew Faces Stiff Competition In San Diego Invitational

When Harvard's heavyweight crew travels to San Diego this Saturday, they will be sure of only one thing--warm weather. In California for the San Diego Invitational Crew Classic, the oarsmen will be placing much more than their boats on the line.

Each oarsman's first grueling battle will be for a seat in the varsity, Harvard coach Harry Parker, who has been able to watch his squad on the water since only three weeks ago when the Charles River finally thawed, said he will not complete his selections until early next week in California.

Even then positions may not be final, as each heavyweight will have the burdensome task of proving to Parker that he cannot be replaced by an oarsman stronger and more skillful than he. And the proving ground will be more a mine field than a playground.

Every crew is out to demolish the Crimson's national championship standing and, as captain Blair Brooks put it, "the big bad guys from the East." But if the desire for vengeance could shake the earth, three crews which Harvard will face on April 5th would rate highest on the Richter scale.

If it is true that "the crew that wants it the most, wins it." Wisconsin should prove the greatest threat to the Crimson. Wisconsin lost to Harvard twice last June by less than two seconds. And, if that isn't enough to make them hungry for victory, their loss to Washington in San Diego last April certainly is.

But Washington, because they have been on the water since early February, will have more than a mere psychological advantage.

Though the Crimson defeated Washington by six seconds last June. Brooks said. "We're pretty apprehensive. Washington will be ahead of us shape-wise and our biggest threat. If anyone ever taught them how to row, they'd be dangerous."

Brooks said that another inter-regatta rivalry will be between Parker and UC Berkeley coach Steven Gladstone, who coached Harvard's lightweights to five straight victories in the Eastern Sprints, 1969-1973. Whether Gladstone's desire "to beat the East" will add to the speed of his squad is dubious, but, having been on the water all year. Berkeley will certainly be the Crimson's most conditioned contender.

Parker said that both Wisconsin and Washington would be "quite difficult to beat." He said that he was sure that his newly-boated crew would row well

"How long they've been together will not make the difference," Parker said. "The biggest gamble in racing this early in the season is whether you can be physically ready."

And what if Washington is better conditioned?

"Well," replied Parker, "in that case, we'll just have to be better."