The best and the brightest: Harvard's top senior athletes

If Rosemary Pugh was the complete non-athlete when she entered Harvard four years ago, then Mary Ellen Finney was her complete opposite.

For Finney spent her entire childhood and high school career in the swimming pool, becoming one of the nation's finest backstrokers. When she brought her swimming show to Harvard, the Lexington, Ky. native was a national caliber athlete.

Seeking a break from competition, though, Finney took to the sidelines her freshman year, never to return to swimming. So when the itch to get back into national competition reappeared her sophomore year, she turned to the sport that could offer the opportunity.

In crew, Finney found a new home and the Radcliffe heavyweight crew team found some natural talent. Rowing novice her sophomore year, the English concentrator quickly picked up the fine points of the sport, and by last year was a crucial member of the varsity boat.

This year, the oarswoman, who is not only a top-notch collegiate rower but also a legitimate contender for the national lightweight team, moved into the bow of the Radcliffe heavies and teamed with Pugh to direct one of the squad's finest seasons ever.

For Finney, who last summer won the light-weight pairs national championship and will defend that title this summer, the rapid climb of the Radcliffe squad is a lasting memory she says she'll take with her forever.

"There's been a real change in the attitude of the program," she says. "We used to row to beat third place. Now we row to win."