Oarsmen Prepare For Sprints

At about 2:30 this Sunday beneath the bridge marking the starting line at Lake Quinsigamond in Worchester, Mass., an ominous voice will begin to count down over the loudspeakers to the six assembled freshman lightweight crews, "FIVE, FOUR, THREE,"--each number echoing several times over the surface of the water. When the starter gives the command "ROW", the finals of the 41st annual E.A.R.C Regatta--better known as the Eastern Sprints--will be under way.

The freshman lights will charge down the 2000 meter course to begin the proceedings, and the excitement and tension will build with each race until the varsity heavy contest in the day's finale.

Freshman Heavyweight Coach Ted Washburn refers to the Sprints as "just another race."

Sure, Ted. Technically that's accurate, but in the weeks before the Sprints, there is an added sense of purpose around the boathouse. That's because nothing until the Sprints can match it for atmosphere, sheer magnitude, and--when it comes right down to it--importance in the spring racing season.

What other crew race sees over 600 oarsmen from 15 different institutions and thousands of spectators gathered for a single afternoon? The Sprints combine the spectacle of the Head of the Charles with races that actually mean something.

This is the one that if an oarsman wins, he stands on the dock sipping champagne, as up to fifteen competitors who just weren't as fast heap their racing shirts on his shoulder. You even get a gold medal.

The Outlook

The Crimson varsity heavies enter the Regatta seeded third behind the Penn crew that defeated them by six seconds three weeks ago on the Charles, and Yale, the only boat to beat the Quakers this season.

But don't be surprised if Harvard is in contention as it begins the sprint to the finish line late Sunday afternoon. Coach Harry Parker has made Sprints winners out of previously-defeated crews on more than one occasion--including last year when the heavies triumphed in the Sprints after two close early season losses.

Parker's continuing search for the perfect rowing chemistry means that the heavies will show yet another new line-up Sunday. Curt Pieckenhagen will stroke the varsity boat for the first time this season and the second time in his career, succeeding George Hunnewell, Dan Grout, and Steve Wayne--all of whom served exactly one race in that capacity for this year's Crimson.

Pieckenhagen will be backed by Andrew Hawley at seven, Hunnewell at six, Rich Kennelly at five, Grout at four, Steve Potter at three, Mike Scott at two, and Neil Oleson in bow. Devin Mahony, who has coxed the heavies the entire season, will again steer the race for the varsity boat.

Fourth Seed

The varsity lightweights come into the Sprints seeded fourth, after a disappointing third-place finish at the H-Y-P Regatta two weeks ago, and have been doing some seat-shuffling of their own. Junior Larry Meyer will move up from the six-position to stroke the lights, replacing sophomore Tom Patterson, who moves to the junior varsity. Sophomore Mike Horvath has made the jump from the six-seat of the JV to that same position in the varsity eight.

The rest of the lightweight boat is a constant, with Kevin Bedell as seven-man, Jim Himes at five, Dave Berger at four, Chris Wendland at three, Trip Switzer at two, and Duncan Robbins in bow. Marty Katz will cox the varsity for the second race in a row after a mid-season shake-up that resulted in veteran Ogan Gurel leaving the team.

The lightweights have a tough assignment in again going up against top-seeded Princeton and second-seeded Yale. Rutgers, who downed the Tigers by one-hundredth of a second early in the season, is seeded third. Princeton will be going for its second Sprints victory in as many years, a feat that hasn't been done since the Crimson's back-to-backers in '77 and '78.

Below the varsity level, both of Harvard's JV crews are early favorites on the strength of undefeated records. The heavyweight freshman are also yet to lose and are seeded first. The heavy frosh have taken the Sprints for three consequtive years. The lightweight yardlings dropped a contest by three seconds to Princeton at H-Y-P's, and are seeded second behind the Tigers.

All of the Crimson oarsmen would like to see a repeat of last year's Sprints domination, when the victory board listed Harvard in all but the varsity lightweight race.