Oarswomen Win Season's First Race

The Radcliffe heavyweight crew officially began what it considers will be one of its strongest seasons in its 14-year history with a convincing victory on the Charles River Saturday over Brown, MIT and Northeastern.

With first-year Coach Lisa Hansen-Stone watching from the banks of the Charles, the first varsity boat finished the 1500-meter course in 5.30, followed by Brown (5:38). MIT (5:41), and Northeastern (5:53)

In the day's most exciting race, the Radcliffe second boat narrowly edged out Brown by one second, finishing in 5:55 Northeastern finished in third at 6:11, followed by MIT at 6:17.

"They [the second boat] didn't even know they'd won until they got back to the dock 20 minutes later," Radcliffe Captain Rosemary Pugh said of the one-second victors.

Oarswomen in the first boat--including Jocelyn McArthur, Eleanor Prior, Alison Townley, Joyce Gallagher, Ellen Kennelly, Marianne Romak, Jenny Hale, stroke Rosemary Pugh, and cox Rachel Miller--began with a stroke rate of 40, settled in at a 34, and sprinted the last 20 meters at a 36, said Kennelly, who rounded out the first boat.

Miller said the crew used the importance of the first official race of the season to win the meet "We were determined to go out and win, and that's what we did," the cox added.

Hale, a veteran rower, cited the fact that the crew boasts more talent than last year's squad, which finished the 1983 season with record of 1-3.

"We have more strength in the varsity boat and more depth in the squad as a whole than last year," Kennelly added.

The only question mark after Saturday's season-opening win concerned the positions on the first boat, which are not set yet, Townley said. "We're still trying to figure out which boat would be most efficient," she said.

As far as the rest of the season is concerned. Hale said, "The competition just gets increasingly difficult as the season goes on."

"We're working with the foundation that we built up during the winter, and we hope to improve with each week's rowing," Hale added.

The Radcliffe varsity lightweight crew also won Saturday with a time of 5:52. The Boston University third varsity heavyweight boat, Brown's third heavyweight boat, and the Radcliffe junior varsity lightweight boat finished second, third, and fourth respectively.

The oarswomen will face Princeton and Cornell on the Charles next Saturday.

Women's varsity--1. Radcliffe (bow, Jocelyn McArthur; 2. Eleanor Prior; 3. Alison Townley; 4. Joyce Gallagher; 5. Ellen Kennelly; 6. Marianne Romak; 7. Jenny Hale; stroke, Rosemary Pugh; cox Rachel Miller) 5:30; 2. Brown 5:38; 3. MIT 5:41; 4. NU 5:53.

Women's second varisity--1. Radcliffe 5:55; 2. Brown 5:56; 3. Northeastern 6:11; 4. MIT 6:17.