West Coast Crews Look To Dominate Again in 2003

Huskies Women Are Crew to Beat at NCAAs

In a commanding finish, Washington defeated Brown by a boat-length to win the NCAA Women’s Rowing title last year.

This spring, close boat racing is sure to be the order of the day in a field that appears wide open.

2002 NCAA Results
1. Washington
2. Brown
3. California
4. Ohio State
5. Princeton
6. Stanford

But pure boat speed in the varsity crew is not enough to win an NCAA Championship. The NCAA determines the women’s national championship with a points system based on the overall results of the varsity 8, JV 8 and varsity 4+.

College programs must show strong results in all three boat classes to win the NCAA tournament.

Look for this year’s dark horse to be the USC Women. With almost a full roster returning intact from last season the Trojans just might have the strength in numbers to get the points to win.

The Trojan oarswomen finished a disappointing 15th last year but begin this year with new coaches and new expectations. Over the summer the Athletic Department hired former UCLA coaches Zenon and Kelly Babraj and Craig Webster.

Cal Bears Seek Fifth Straight IRA Crown

The No. 1- ranked California men’s varsity 8 won its fourth-consecutive IRA National Championship in Cherry Hill, NJ, last June.

2002 IRA Results
1 California 5:26.81
2 Wisconsin 5:28.32
3 Washington 5:30.25
4 Oregon St 5:36.58
5 Princeton 5:37.29
6 Navy

Cal raced from the front all the way down the 2000-meter Cooper River racecourse to cross the line in 5 minutes and 26 seconds--almost two seconds faster than runner-up Wisconsin. The Bears capped another memorable season and secured Coach Steve Gladstone’s tenth IRA Championship. Such a string of success certainly helped Coach Gladstone earn his promotion as Cal’s new Athletic Director announced last summer.

With seven Olympians on board this year’s Cal Bears crew, one can only wonder what Wisconsin, Navy, Washington, Princeton and Oregon St think they can do to upset this hot favorite.

Harvard, the top college crew at the Head of the Charles last Fall, will pass over IRAs to prepare for the annual Harvard-Yale boat race the following weekend.