Radcliffe Heavyweights Cruise; Lights Top Two Heavy Boats

The Radcliffe varsity heavyweights continued their winning ways yesterday, solidly stomping both Rutgers and Connecticut College in a 1500-meter contest on the Charles.

The heavies started quickly, grabbing a length's lead by the 500-meter mark. There, a quartering tailwind drove the race close to the Cambridge riverbank, and bowman Ruth Colker lost half of her oarblade on mooring buoy.

But Radcliffe hung onto its lead through the middle part of the race, and then moved out from the field again at the finish, crossing the line in 5:06, a full five seconds ahead of Rutgers. Connecticut College was third in 5:16.

Captain Robin Lothrop, who is suffering from an acute knee problem, missed the race. Coach Peter Raymond rearranged his boatings, moving Martha Neumann from the bow to the seven seat and Pam Berry from the J.V. to the bow.

"We've been working hard all week on high cadence pieces and getting in shape, and it took a second settle to get the boat under control." Diane Hickman, at number five, said yesterday. "It seemed to be coming together until we hit the buoy, and that threw off the balance."

The Radcliffe J.V. heavies, meanwhile, topped the varsity lightweights by five and a half seconds in an interboathouse rivalry, while the Connecticut College J.V. heavies finished nine seconds astern of the lights. Rutgers brought up the rear, .1 seconds behind Conn.

"Given the circumstances, I was pleased with how the lights rowed," lightweight coach Peter Huntsman said yesterday.

"This race against the J.V. really pulled us together, and it felt much better than last week against B.U.," lightweight bowman Jane Clarke said yesterday.

The Radcliffe novice eight finished seven seconds astern of a strong Rutgers crew. "With a little more time we'll be able to put together a better race," Raymond said.

The Radcliffe J. V. lights took on Rutgers, B.U. and two MIT heavyweight crews Saturday and placed third behind the Rutgers eight and one of the MIT crews. "They were outsized, and the tough headwind hurt them," Huntsman said.