Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-29
BREAK RECORDS
II Il
~
At Least This is Expected Of the Big
Varsity. Crews.
ALL is READY At PoUGHKEEPSIE
Experts Differ in Opinion as to the
Results.
ST efl5T1CS OBJ THE CREWS
ST si1sT1CS OF THE CREWS

oAa SA3SAASS w A4AA 0AsAS w ~
POUGHKEEPSIE, June GA smashing
of intercollegiate records for varsity eight
cared shells, if wind and weather are IA
vorable, or at the least, one of the most
holly contested races ever rowed by col
lege crews in this country, is promised for
tomorrow on the splendid course opposite
this city. For the first time in the history
of this course, now five years old, four
races will be rowed in one day, and in the
last race. the varsity Fights, five crews,
will row side by side for supremacy. Those
who make pretensions as experts say today,
after watching the practices, that never
have crews shown themselves 80 evenly
matched, and this opinion Is evidently
shared by the coaches; for not one of
them tonight will make a definite predic-
ton that his crew will win the race.
So far as the consensus of opinion among
the experts is concerned, it Is believed that
tho foar-oared event, which opens the
racing at o'clock tomorrow afternoon, will
go to Pennsylvania. Its crew has shown
superb form in practice, Mr.. Ward, the
coach, giving them quite a good deal of at
tention, while the other coaches of Co
lumbta and Cornell have seemingly neg
lected their four-oared crews, and they do
not row in the same good form the
freshmen and varsity. Mr.. Courtney of
Cornell, however. processes to believe, that
while his four-oared crew does not show
up in the usual neat Cornell form, they
are very fast, and this has been in a meas
ure demonstrated in their practice with the
Fights.
In the freshmen Fights the youngsters
from Wisconsin are picked as winners but
the same aggregation of experts pick
Pennsy in the tours. That they are very
fast is not to be disputed, and they have
a quick, snappy style. that usually counts
for much in the short two-mile race, but
the Pennsy freshmen are also very quick
ard have given the varsity crew good
hustle many times lately, showing con-
tinuous improvement that may be danger
Gus to the success of the Wisconsin men.
Cornell is usually a feature in the freshmen
races here and have by no means conceded
that they are outclassed. while the Column
bla boys, If they do not forget the Hanlan
stroke, claim that they will be in the fore
most of the fight. One thing is always true
OF freshmen race, that it is won because
of its short course, by continuously hard
work and not particularly by endurance
and skill like the four-mile, and that any
one of the four crews has a good winning
chance. 1t will be what the college boys
call 'scrappy' race from start to finsh
and 1t looks now as if it would be done in
fast time. f-
As to the Varsity Race.
The varsity race is causing more disa-
SiSVihchtS III eApcIl clIClGS tHdn any pre-
vious race in years, and this Is believed
to be due to a divergence of opinion as to
the relative merits Of the strokes. It is a
singular fact that five distinct strokes are
being rowed here and will be tested in the
race tomorrow, in contradiStinction to an
almost similar stroke rowed by Yale and
Harvard on Thursday. In fact, the strokes
are radically different, the only generally
applied principle being in the case of Cor
nell, Pennsylvania and Georgetown, all
three of whom agree upon the strong use
of the leg to finish out the stroke after
the back of the man is perpendicular in
the boat. There, however. comes at once
difference, for Georgetown completes the
stroke with the shoulders. Cornell with
the arms and Pennsylvania with both
arms and a longer slide. Columbia uses
the shoulders to large degree all through
the stroke, while the great difference in
the Wisconsin stroke from the others is
the sharp quick catch and the quick re-
covery. Georgetown will row the fastest
stroke on the river. starting at forty,
dropping down to thirty-eight and getting
back again to forty-one and forty-two. 1t
is a hustle, but it seems to make the boat
go at a good rate. Here is a brief descrip-
ton of the strokes used, given by the va
rious coachers:
Mr.. Courtney, for Cornell: From the be-
ginning of the stroke the backs of the men
until the body has its full swing. Then the
hands are brought quickly in to the body,
the elbows being kept low and
ting the oar in the water at right angle,
like the Pennsylvania crew, 1t goes in at an
angle of about forty-fve degrees. turning
after it is in the water. The slide Is not
started until the oarsman has passed the
erect position and the oar is at right angle
with the shell. Then they are shot out to
their full length The recovery is slow and
deliberate to prevent checking OF the t,at."
Mr. Hanlan for Columbia: II have en-
deavored to get the crews to begin the
stroke with a quick catch, pulled through
hard to the finish and not jerked out. The
body swing and the leg drive are stimuli
taneous and not separated like Mr.. Court
ney's. When the slide limit is reached the
body should be erect and the stroke then
carried out to the finish by, tremendous
pull with the shoulders, the body being
firmly braced at the groins. The recovery
is slow so as not to jerk the boat, thus
producing a check. The bodies are carried
quietly forward until ready for the sharp
catch again..
How the Badgers Row.
Mr. ODea for Wisconsin: I'VE have
striven to obtain a long reach with the
back nearly as straight as possible, and
the arms straight and rigid. The power is
applied by swinging the shoulders on the
oar, the body being brought to an upright
position before the leg drive is used. Then
the legs are driven steadily on the stretch
strong enough to keep the seat we'll under
control When the hands reach the knees
the arms begin to bend and the oar is
swept home with a steady pressure This
completes the pull. the hands are dropped
low enough to clear the water we'll with
the blades, and then shot out at an even
pace, the body following sharply. The re-
covery gradually tones down until it ends
softly lust before the new CATCH"
Mr. Zappone for Georgetown: II cap tell
you my cardinal principles very briefly. 1t
is a full reach, which, in the case Of my
crew, with their superior height, is long,
with a very quick catch and full leg drive.
giving all the leg-power possible in con-
junction with the shoulders. The recovery
is quick and the stroke rowed Is high"
Mr. Ward for Pennsylvania: THE stroke
depends largely on the drive even more
so than on the Catch the drive Of the leg
enough to give The boat such tremendous
impetus that there can be sharp recovery
without any check resulting to the boat.
The reach is as long as possible, but the
grip on the water is slower than that of
most Of the other crews.
IN 80, 80 lS.,s ,ouysad fhroa in ,,,po