The First 250: April 5

BY LUKE REYNOLDS
PHOTO BY ALLMARKONE / RIVAL KIT

This might come as a shock to some but British Rowing History 101 is not a course offered in Oklahoma City Public Schools. Nor is it a course offered at the University of Oklahoma. They don’t even offer Rowing History 101 (though I’d be happy to spearhead the course, Dean Wrobel).

Because of this, my experience with the Gemini Boat Race has always been distant and intimidating. Watching the races this weekend, however, was neither of those things. It was a delight to see the blues battle it out.

Cambridge women’s crew did not disappoint by putting forth tremendous effort winning the Women’s Boat Race in record time. It was their fifth straight win over the women of Oxford.

In the men’s event, Oxford secured a 2 1/4 lengths victory over Cambridge. Their time was 16 minutes and 47 seconds.

In rather dramatic fashion, there was also an intense clash on the Thames that included a disqualification in the men’s Veterans Boat Race. Sir Matthew Pinsent—the event’s Umpire—disqualified Cambridge after a collision occurred earlier in the race and the crew interfered with Oxford.

Meanwhile, back in America, it was a very eventful weekend.

In the 3rd Manny Flick / Horvat Series, the Mount Saint Joseph crew of Maggie Horgan, Kathryn Sponseller, Sarah Powell, Alexa Konowal, Caroline Johnson, Nina Rowello, Kelly Cleary, Grace Hartzell, and coxswain Annmarie Wallis had the fastest time in the girl’s varsity eight event. On the men’s side, St. Joe’s Prep went 1/2 in the boy’s varsity eight event with times of 4:28.00 and 4:33:730.

The 39th annual Memorial Murphy Cup also took place on the Schuylkill this past weekend. In the men’s collegiate eight event, hometown-crew Drexel won with a five-second margin over their Philidelphia neighbors, Temple. But it was the Owls who would earn the top prize in the women’s DI collegiate eight event with a very slim .320 margin over second-place Georgetown. In the women’s DII/DIII collegiate eight, Lafayette won.

Down the eastern seaboard, the Miami International Regatta offered master’s and junior’s racing alike.

In a battle of the Miami’s, the women’s masters event, Laura Aichinger Dias representing Miami finished first over Karla Calvo who represented Miami Beach. In the men’s varsity eight, Belen Jesuit narrowly bested Miami by .174 seconds to take the top spot. Winter Park rounded out the top three. In the women’s first varsity eight, Miami Beach secured first with a solid margin over second-place Miami. Edgewater High School rounded out the top three.

On the West Coast, the annual Husky Open took place. The home crew bested Stanford in the men’s collegiate varsity eight. The Huskies had around a four-second margin over the Cardinal. In the women’s collegiate varsity eight, the University of Portland secured a victory over second-place Western Washington. The University of Seattle rounded out the top three.

The post The First 250: April 5 appeared first on Rowing News.