Radcliffe Splits Races on Frigid Charles

In the 10-year history of the O’Leary Cup, Radcliffe heavyweight crew boasts seven titles. Just one year ago, the Black and White raised the Cup after outpacing Dartmouth and Syracuse.

The past few weeks have not been without their share of challenges for the Black and White—which included the team falling out of the national rankings—but Radcliffe came out on Saturday looking to turn around its season.

The cold and misty conditions on the Charles River also provided an intense backdrop for the Black and White lightweights, who squared off against No. 2 Stanford after a two-week hiatus from competition.

The lightweights lost to Stanford’s top boat, splitting their two races with the Cardinal. Meanwhile, the heavyweights came away with a victory over Syracuse, but fell to their Ancient Eight rival.

RADCLIFFE HEAVYWEIGHTS VS. NO. 16 DARTMOUTH/SYRACUSE

Radcliffe drew wins in two races and posted runner-up finishes in three others on Saturday in the Elizabeth H. O’Leary Cup, named for the Black and White’s head coach of 24 seasons.

The second varsity boat established a clear lead in the opening strokes and held steady for the rest of the course length, crossing the finish line more than 11 seconds ahead of the Orange at 6:44.0. The varsity four “A” echoed the 2V’s victory, pushing half a boat length ahead of the Big Green by the 500-meter mark. The boat extended its lead over the remainder of the race, coming in at 7:31.9 to Dartmouth’s 7:40.2.

Although the Radcliffe varsity eight (1-4) held pace with the Big Green’s boat at the outset of the race, Dartmouth decisively pulled away by the 1,000-meter point, leaving the Black and White and Syracuse to battle for second place. Radcliffe made its move on the Orange in the second half of the race, crossing the finish in 6:32.0—four seconds in front of Syracuse but almost 12 seconds shy of Dartmouth’s boat.

“We worked really hard this week, with the coaches giving us a lot of technical feedback,” said 1V rower and co-captain Christine Baugh. “It wasn’t just that we had faster people [this time around], but faster boats.”

The second-place overall finish bodes well for the Black and White, which has struggled as of late. Prior to the O’Leary Cup, Radcliffe heavyweight crew had lost three straight races to Ivy League opponents Brown, Princeton, and Cornell. The team was also burdened by injuries, which prompted O’Leary to alter boat lineups. Still, this weekend’s win over Syracuse may be the starting point of the Black and White’s rebound.

“I keep saying that we’re a work in progress,” O’Leary said. “There’s talent on this team, and we need to tap into that 100 percent. On the one hand, we’re looking ahead to the championships, but we have to work week by week to get there.”

NO. 4 RADCLIFFE LIGHTWEIGHTS vs. NO. 2 STANFORD

The Radcliffe lightweights knew they had their work cut out for them facing the nation’s second-best crew. The Black and White didn’t let that fact damper its outlook going into the race.

“The girls were definitely eager to perform their best,” Radcliffe coach Heather Cartwright said. “I think the conditions threw them off. We faced 16 mph tailwind, which is among the most difficult conditions. And Stanford brought its A-game to the race.”

In spite of an adverse competition environment and a formidable opponent, the Black and White managed a draw against Stanford, losing the first varsity race and capturing the second. Radcliffe was unable to maintain overlap with the Cardinal’s 1V boat (4-1), which finished nearly 12 seconds ahead of the Black and White (2-1) in 6:42.7.

But Radcliffe’s second varsity eight’s performance stood testament to the team’s progress this season. Battling chilly temperatures and light rain, the 2V incrementally widened its lead over Stanford, breaking free on the open after the first 1,500 meters. The Black and White clocked in 7.5 seconds ahead of the Cardinal at 7:00.5.

“We expected a fast crew [in Stanford],” said 2V rower and co-captain Grace Hollowell. “We did a good job of staying composed and handling the [weather] conditions well. We just found our rhythm and made our move at the 1,000-meter mark to really commit.”