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CHERRY
HILL, NJ: The Trojan Navy's recently formed freshman coxed four-man
crew surprised a rowing nation by winning silver at the IRA National Rowing
Championships held on the Cooper River on Saturday May 31.
USC Head Coach Gene Kininmonth selected the crew of novice oarsmen from
his nationally ranked varsity eight following the Pacific 10 Championships.
The Inter-collegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships began
on Thursday, May 29, with eighteen universities battling it out in the
heats on. Racing in their new shell 'Cymodocea,' USC began strong in its
six-boat heat and held an open water lead on all crews by the half way
point of the 2000 meter rave. Perhaps it was jetlag but theTrojans were
unable to sustain their stroke rate of 36 strokes per minute and were
rowed through by Dartmouth and finished second.
USC then had a second chance to qualify for the championship final on
Friday in the repecharges and facing sudden death in a must win situation,
the Trojans did not disappoint. Maintaining the same race strategy, USC
started quickly and again commanded an open water lead on the field of
crews by the halfway point. This time, instead of fading, the Trojans
raised their stroke rate to 37 strokes per minute and continued on to
beat out California, Wisconsin, Boston College and Northeastern and earn
a placed in the national championship final.
In the final USC faced Navy, Dartmouth, Harvard, Hobart, and Temple. Both
Hobart and USC led the field by open water after just 300 meters, each
crew staking its claim early to the gold medal. In the third 500 meters
Hobart College made a surprisingly strong move to take the lead, which
they maintained to win the race.
RESULT:
1. Hobart 6:53
2. USC 7:01
3. Dartmouth 7:04
4. Harvard 7:05
5. Navy 7:11
6. Temple 7:15
For full results of the IRA National championships visit the IRA web site.
Congratulations to the Trojan Navy's IRA silver medalists: Tommy Simoneau,
Blair Jones, Lee Markusen, Kevin Lorell and coxswain Jennifer Passanisi.
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