April 26, 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- A strong start to the second half of the race was just enough to allow Navy to win the varsity race over the Harvard and Georgetown lightweight rowing teams Saturday morning on the Severn River in Annapolis. The Mids also won each of the remaining races contested on the day to give the Mids a sweep of the Crimson crews for the second time in the last three years.

"This was our last day of racing for the regular season, so today was a great way to end this part of our year," said Navy head coach Rob Friedrich. "Our results should give us a lot of momentum heading into the next three weeks of training leading up to the Eastern Sprints."

Georgetown took an early lead in the varsity race between the three programs, but all three boats were even with each other by the midpoint of the 2,000 meter course. The Hoyas again took a small advantage over the other two crews until the Mids took the lead at 700 meters and began to separate themselves slightly from the other two challengers.

Navy would eventually cross the finish line in a winning time of 6:10.9, Georgetown placed second with a clocking of 6:13.2 and Harvard concluded the race in a time of 6:15.6.

By virtue of its win over Harvard in the varsity race, Navy wins the Haines Trophy which has been presented to the victorious crew in the race since 1958. The Mids have won the trophy in five of the last seven years and have won four-straight Haines Trophy races that were contested in Annapolis.

"It was a great race between three very good boats," said Friedrich of the varsity contest. "It should be an exciting Eastern Sprints Championship."

The two freshman races were also very exciting Saturday. The first freshman race saw the three entries even with each other over most of the course before Navy managed to pull away from Harvard and Georgetown and win the race by four seconds (6:22.3). Neither the Crimson nor the Hoyas could make any kind of move on the other, which led to Harvard edging Georgetown at the finish line by five-hundredth of a second (6:26.70-6:26.75). The second freshman race turned into a stroke-for-stroke battle between Navy and Harvard, with the Mids winning the race by six-tenths of a second (6:34.0-6:34.6).

First Varsity (Haines Trophy race between Navy and Harvard)
Navy, 6:10.9; Georgetown, 6:13.2; Harvard, 6:15.6
Second Varsity
Navy, 6:19.5; Harvard, 6:23.2; Georgetown, 6:29.0
Third Varsity
Navy, 6:30.2; Navy (4V), 6:40.5; Harvard, 6:41.9
First Freshman
Navy, 6:22.3; Harvard, 6:26.70 Georgetown, 6:26.75
Second Freshman
Navy, 6:34.0; Harvard, 6:34.6; Georgetown, 7:00.0
Four
Navy, 7:34.6; Georgetown, 8:21.6