CAMBRIDGE, Mass. ? The top-ranked Stanford varsity eight finished first in a race against No. 4 Boston University and No. 5 Wisconsin on Sunday to conclude its weekend in Boston.
Conditions reversed from Saturday’s racing. The strong headwinds slowed down the racing on the Charles when Stanford took second to Harvard, but today there was a strong tailwind. Even with faster times, the water was still very choppy to row in.
“The water was rough with rolling white caps,” said head coach Al Acosta. “In challenging conditions like that, there is potential for things to go wrong, but all three teams fought through it and had good races. We were determined today to get things right today and saw improvements.”
After coming in second to No. 2 Harvard-Radcliffe on Saturday, the Cardinal 1V8 looked to improve its performance as they took on Boston University and Wisconsin. Stanford started off the race in the lead and never stopped moving. They were able to slowly build upon the lead while the Terriers and Badgers fought for second and third. The Cardinal crossed the finish line in 6:39.2 for the win.
“We felt better today and everyone had drive and focus,” said junior Alicia Kapjian-Pitt. “Losing yesterday wasn’t fun, but it might have been good for us because losing can sometimes teach you more than winning can. It is better for that to happen early in the season so we have time to fix things we need to.”
The second varsity eight race did not go as well for Stanford as it did on Saturday. The 2V8 lost to Boston and Wisconsin on Sunday. Wisconsin won the race with a time of 6:55.8. Boston followed in second with the Cardinal posting a time of 7:15.3 for third place.
Stanford will be back in California for racing next weekend. They will head to Lake Natoma for the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships April 26-27.
Lightweight Invitational
Charles River
Cambridge, Mass.
April 20, 2014
Results
Varsity Eight
1. Stanford ? 6:39.2
2. Boston University ? 6:43.3
3. Wisconsin ? 6:44.0
Second Varsity Eight
1. Wisconsin ? 6:55.8
2. Boston University ? 6:59.8
3. Stanford ? 7:15.3