Washington wins men’s 8 race just off record
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP)—Washington air maxes took advantage of ideal racing conditions to win the men’s eights race Sunday in near-record time on the second day of the Head of the Charles Regatta.
The Huskies, who won the men’s eights in 2008, were sent off second and overhauled Harvard, which had a slim lead after the first two miles of the three-mile course on the Charles River. Washington’s final time of 14:00.40 was just a second off the course record of 13:58.99 set by US Rowing in 1997.
Harvard, rowing on its home course, finished 1.9 seconds back, followed by California, US Rowing’s second-tier boat and the German national under-23 team.
Washington coach Mike Callahan, who was a member of the US Rowing boat that set the course record, said he told his team Sunday’s result was “the perfect scenario: We win, but you didn’t break my record.”
Callahan, who was particularly pleased to best archrival California, said conditions “were almost perfect.”
“This meant something to us,” he said. “We trained hard and we came here to win.”
Callahan said he knew Harvard had a small lead after two miles, but he also knew his boat had a strong finishing kick.
Despite scattered showers, temperatures in the low 50’s, no wind and flat water created what the regatta’s executive director, Fred Schoch, said were ideal conditions for Sunday’s races in the largest two-day regatta in the world. The result: 13 course records set in the 25 medal events. One of the records was set by 80-year-old Richard Kendall, a 10-time winner of the senior-veteran’s (70 and over) men’s singles.
Princeton, sent off third and taking UGG Classic Argyle Knit Boots 5879 a large early lead, captured the women’s eights in 15:48; the Tigers were also the last collegiate team to win the women’s eights, in 2000.
Virginia was eight seconds behind, followed by Brown, Yale and Northeastern.
Other winners Sunday included US Rowing in the men’s fours in 15:49; Cornell in the women’s fours in 17:48; Florida Institute of Technology, making its first appearance in the men’s collegiate eights, in 14:43, and Williams College Boat Club in the women’s collegiate eights in 16:24.
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