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Top-Ranked Tiger Women's Open Crew Bringing Competitive Fire Into Easterns
By Bill Alden
Based on its record so far this spring, it would seem that the Princeton University women's open crew has experienced a smooth ride.
After all, the Tigers have posted a 10-0 mark on the way to winning their second straight Ivy League title. In repeating as Ivy champions, Princeton extended its league winning streak to 18 races.
Despite her crew's unblemished record and its No. 1 ranking in the national poll, Princeton head coach Lori Dauphiny will tell you that there have been bumps in the road so far.
"We have had some tough blows in terms of injuries and illness," said Dauphiny, whose crew will compete in the Eastern Sprints on May 15 in Camden.
"I knew we had a strong core coming back. I was excited about that but I didn't know what to expect. My expectations weren't as good as the results that we've had."
The crew's ability to overcome obstacles has been helped in part by the fact that several of its rowers competed on the boat that finished second in the Remenham Challenge at the Henley Regatta in England last July.
"The core of the team that went to Henley was ahead in the fall," said Dauphiny, who is in her ninth year guiding the Princeton women's open crew program. "We were the first collegiate boat at the Head of Charles this fall so rowing at Henley helped with that."
In emerging as the top collegiate boat so far this spring, Princeton has been hardened by several tight battles.
"We have had so many close races this spring," explained Dauphiny, who was part of the U.S. rowing coaching staff at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
"We have been challenged by some great boats like Harvard, Yale, Brown, and Virginia. It has forced them to row hard. It has forced them to be intense and to learn how to race under pressure."
In Dauphiny's view, the boat has developed a special competitive attitude. "This crew definitely loves challenges, not all crews are like that," asserted Dauphiny, who noted that senior coxswain Margaret Arbuthnot, juniors Devan Darby, Caroline Lind, and Katrina Wechelsberger, together with promising freshman Kristin Haraldsdottir have helped the boat rise to the challenges this spring.
"They get excited about doing things that haven't been done before, like breaking a course record or winning a particular race. They see races as a challenge and they embrace that."
Dauphiny knows that her crew will face a stern test as it looks to defend its Eastern title. "We have respect for all of our competitors," said Dauphiny, noting that the team finished behind Brown and Yale at last year's nationals after having beaten them in the Easterns.
"I think everyone feels it is going to be a close race. We are one of the targets. We can't take anyone for granted. We are eager to participate in a championship race. We're very excited about how we've been rowing."
