Heavyweight to Compete in First Major 2K of the Season
The Cornell men’s heavyweight rowing team will host No. 16 Navy and No. 17 Syracuse on the Cayuga Lake inlet this weekend in a competition for two trophies: the Goes Cup — awarded to the victor of the varsity eight race — and Stagg Point Trophy — awarded to the team which records the most overall points.
Cornell experienced great success in the event last season. The Red won four of five races in a near-sweep and retained the Goes Cup and Stagg Point Trophy for a third straight year. This season’s team will hope to continue past success in securing both the eight race win and a points-based victory.
“The biggest challenge for us coming into this weekend is the [Stagg] Points Trophy,” said senior captain Joel Cooper. “The top three boats all go towards winning a trophy [which] means that we have to perform not just as a varsity eight, or an individual boat, but as a team across each event to ensure that we win.”
The Red have prepared for the upcoming match by training in Ithaca for the entirety of spring break, including in much of the recent weather conditions that plagued much of the Northeast.
“I’ve been very happy with these guys this year in terms of them being very positive even in the days that we’ve had bad weather,” said head coach Todd Kennett. “We can always find something to work on such as blade height off the water, the way we take the water, the way we push [and] it’s all been really positive.”
With recent weather conditions proving to be an issue in terms of scheduling — a recent matchup against Harvard has already been postponed until further notice — this weekend will see the Red’s first opportunity to compete against any real competition on a 2K course this season.
In examining keys to Saturday’s match, the Red will be highly attentive regarding rhythm and consistent movements in boats from one seat to another.
“Rhythm is [not] just about power or the amount of muscle on you or your VO2 max,” Kennett said. “It’s about paying attention to the man in front of you, understanding the boat and how it’s moving underneath you, and syncing yourself to move with the man in front of you.”
Lightweight Looks to Continue Impressive Regular Season Run
As the heavyweight men’s team take on Navy and Syracuse, the men’s lightweight rowing team will hope to once again display its dominance over the No. 4 Princeton Tigers in this weekend’s Platt Cup.
In its last head-to-head matchup against Cornell, Princeton broke the Red’s 17-race win streak to take home its first Platt Cup since the 2011 season. Historically, Princeton holds a 37-15 record against the Red in the Platt Cup. However, Cornell has won three of the five last Platt Cups, and will hope to continue its recent success this weekend.
“The Platt Cup brings out the best in both [Cornell and Princeton],” said head coach Chris Kerber. “We expect nothing but top level racing by the Tigers. The [combination of] respected and talented athletes [and] … their coaching staff is a great combo for coming to Ithaca and making for some great racing.”
Similar to the heavyweight team, the lightweight men have spent spring break training in the Cayuga inlet.
“This was our second week on the water and the coaching staff was pleased with [our] athletes’ transition to the water, race preparations and times clocked on the inlet,” Kerber said.
In preparation for Saturday’s regatta, the Red will focus on producing power and boat speed with an aggressive demeanor.
“We’re going to focus on staying technical, but with a more aggressive edge to our effort that will help us deliver more power our boats, no matter what the conditions are,” said sophomore Molly Rochford.