April 8, 2002
San Diego, Calif. - The San Diego races concluded for the Stanford Men's team with unprecedented success as all three boats qualified for their Grand Finals. The Cardinal Freshmen 8+ was the story of the day as they finished third in the Grand Final behind only Cal and Washington. It was the highest finish for any Stanford Crew at the regatta.
In the Copley Cup race, the Varsity 8+'s performance was hampered by illness. Stroke Matt Altman (with a temperature in the 100's) and bow Stuart Scollay were waylaid by flu symptoms but still managed to race. In their first appearance in the Copley Cup Grand Final since 1988, the Cardinal Varsity finished sixth. "We see this as a momentary setback," noted four seat Jamie Schroeder. "Our racing on Saturday proved we have competitive speed. We are excited about beating Yale and eagerly await our next races."
In the Junior Varsity race, the Cardinal took sixth. However, the Stanford story of the day was the Freshmen 8+'s performance. The crew beat Oregon State for the first time in seven years. The racing proved dramatic, as the Cardinal moved through Orange Coast College in the last five hundred meters to place third by two seconds. For complete coverage of the races, visit the www.jamcotimes.com website.
"San Diego is the premier race of the preseason and I am pleased to see how the crews responded," noted Head Coach Craig Amerkhanian. "We will build on the positive points from this regatta with tenacity and conviction."
The Cardinal Men next race the University of California and the University of Wisconsin at Redwood Shores on April 13th and 14th.
San Diego Crew Classic
At Mission Bay
Varsity Eight - Copley Cup Grand Final: California 5:35.62, Washington 5:40.44, Oregon State 5:42.24, Temple 5:43.13, Yale 5:50.42, Stanford 6:02.88.
Junior Varsity Eight - Junior Varsity Grand Final: Washington 5:47.60, California A 5:48.40, California B 6:02.19, Oregon State 6:07.75, Yale 6:11.03, Stanford 6:30.03.
Freshman Eight - Collegiate Novice Grand Final: Washington 5:59.70, California 6:03.89, Stanford 6:18.57, Orange Coast 6:20.87, Oregon State 6:21.99, George Washington 6:31.29.