TOTAL TEAM EFFORT: Members of the Princeton University men’s heavyweight crew program celebrate after Princeton won the Rowe Cup team points title at the Eastern Sprints last Sunday. The Tigers placed third in the first varsity eight finals and won both the second and third varsity eight races to earn its first Rowe Cup since 2005. The Tigers are next in action when they compete in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) national championship regatta from May 29-31 at Mercer Lake in West Windsor. (Photo by Aleka Gürel)

In posting wins over Harvard and Brown down the stretch of the regular season, the Princeton University men’s heavyweight varsity 8 crew showed speed and a flair for drama.

Against Harvard on April 18, the Tigers posted a 4.5 second win in beating the Crimson for the first time since 2006. Utilizing a furious rally over the last 300 yards, Princeton overcame Brown by 0.7 seconds.

“We have certainly found a way to make it exciting,” said Princeton head coach Greg Hughes.

“Those wins showed us that the speed we had was solid. They were both learning opportunities. You see your strong points and weak points when going against strong teams like that. It helped us across the board.”

Last Sunday, the Tigers displayed their strength across the board as they won the Rowe Cup team points title at the Eastern Sprints on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass. Princeton placed third in the first varsity eight final and won both the second and third varsity eight races to earn its first Rowe Cup since 2005.

Coming into the weekend, Hughes sensed that his rowers were headed in the right direction.

“As a whole team we made some really good progress since the end of the regular season,” said Hughes. “It is not easy to do when you go into exams and have a weekend off from racing. Looking at the results from yesterday and the competitiveness of the races, we needed that improvement.”

The first varsity 8 showed its competitiveness in its grand final, going after eventual winner Yale and then engaging in a three-boat battle for second.

“Yale is a really strong boat, we knew that going in,” said Hughes of the Bulldogs who clocked a winning time with Northeastern second in 5:37.089,  Princeton next in 5:37.438, and Brown fourth in 5:37.549.

“We threw everything at them, as did Northeastern and Brown. They did a good job of holding us off. Yale proved they are the top boat at the sprints.”

But in taking third, Princeton once again proved its strength of character.

“What I was proud of with our crew is that they fought and stayed tough, added Hughes.

“That is part of their identity. They do well when they get a lead but when someone else gets momentum, they stay tough. They had to be ready to defend and respond.”

The undefeated second varsity 8 responded in style, taking first in its grand final in a time of 5:43.954 with Boston University second in 5:45.031.

“For those guys the heat was a really good learning experience; all season long, they have been fortunate to get decent margins,” said Hughes.

“In the heat, they had a real race and they had to execute. In the final, Harvard went high and hard and they had to execute. Boston University took a late run and they stayed in command.”

In the third varsity grand final, Princeton made a dramatic late run to overtake Brown for the victory.

“That was one of the most impressive last 500 meters I have seen, it was a sheer guts move,” said Hughes, whose boat clocked a winning time of 5:48.608 to nip Brown, who was just behind in 5:48.885.

For Hughes, the most impressive aspect of the team title is the daily effort he is getting from his rowers across the board.

“What I see is that so much of the work we do is behind the scenes; that work can be boring but the team attitude is what makes you fast,” said Hughes.

“What you see is that a team’s hard work and attitude from top to bottom is what develops speed. A strong team makes fast individual boats. Every kid played a part, there was not one guy who didn’t make a difference. The first varsity didn’t get gold but those final strokes made the difference for the Rowe Cup.”

The addition of coaches Matt Smith and Brandon Shald this season has also made a difference for the Tigers.

“The two assistant coaches have been great,” said Hughes. “We talk about the contribution of every athlete. We have 47 athletes and only three coaches so they are a huge part of the team. Matt Smith has been a remarkable addition. The same thing with Brandon Shald, his ability to inspire rowers has been great. For me as a head coach, it is like having co-coaches. There is a lot of group decision-making and group input. We have conversations back and forth about every kid. There is a diversity of ideas. We want the kids to do that on each boat and I am lucky to have a staff that does that.”

With Princeton ending its season by competing in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) national championship regatta from May 29-31 at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, Hughes will be looking for more group dynamics.

“Even in races that we win, we see things we can do better,” said Hughes. “There is not a lot of time before the IRAs. We need to build on what we have done so far and be better prepared for tight, intense racing, and executing well in tight quarters.”