The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-20
O'DEA FEELS GOOD
Veteran Coach Pleased With Work
of Badger Crew.
CORNELL BOAT is VERY. FAST
1thacnns md Badgers Are the Fa-
vOrites for First Place In
POughkeepsie Race.
Special to The Journal.

Wisconsin Quarters, NPoughkeepsie, N.
Y, June 20.-The arrival of the Wisconsin
crews this week completed the full quota
of eights and fours that will race on
June 2l =, Among the fourteen crews daily
on the water are three which are con-
ceded to be, on paper at least and per-
haps also on form, the best three eights
which have ever competed at Pough-
keepsie.> These are the varsity crews of
Cornell, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Cornell has in her boat five of the men
who haG, part in reducing the Poughkeep-
sic four-mile record by more than 5O
seconds last year. Wisconsin has crew
for which there were ten candidates VINO
had won W's by rowing in the. Pough-
keepsie race. Pennsylvania has in her
boat five of the men who raced at Henley
last summer.
Shorn of partizan feeling, the opinion
Is that Cornell is a favorite for hrst
place on her showing last year, with WIS
consin second. Cornells form is beautl-
full but Wisconsin is known as having
powerful men in every seat Of her BOAT.
Pennsylvania is rather an unknown quan-
tity, because she has never competed
against the timber in the present Wlscon-
sin and Cornell crafts. as
Pennsylvania is the hardest worked lot
of men on the river. They go eight miles
every morning and afternoon. Coach
Courtney Of Cornell Gays that he has his
men in tip-top shape and has them out
only once day in. order TO keep them
there. '
Columbia. it is conceded, may be fac
TOR, but little faith is placed upon her.
Wisconsin Has Good Position.
Wisconsin places much hope in her po-
sition in lane No. 5 in the course and on
certain changes in her rowing policy. IL
Is expected that this position will cause
her to avoid both the shallow water IN
shore and the eddies from the piers OF the
huge Poughkeepsie bridge, while the al
most certainly of outstripping Syracuse
and Georgetown on either side will ooVl-
ate the difficulty of their wash.
Oars with 7-inch blades are being used
this year on the theory that they Will be
of aid in down stream rowing and 1t IS
purposed to use a 81 racing stroke and
force the fighting from the first Instead OF
rowing 80 as in previous years. For the
spurts strokesef, SO per minute will be
sued. ssta> s,es
There Is marked difference in the
Wisconsin and Cornell stroke, even to
the most inexperienced eye. The backs OF
the Wisconsin men are almost rigid, they
shoot their bodies back hard with their
legs and pull the stroke through hard
noticeably in the middle of the trunk, use
less leg motion and pull a great deal
with the arms.
McComb at stroke, Stephenson at and
Gafin at T. are considered the most pow
erful men in the Wisconsin boat. Moffat,
bow, and Stephenson, 4, have been much
troubled with sore hands, but expect not
TO be bothered by them in the race.
Gibson the last years captain and vet
eran of three races, although he has put
on a great deal Of flesh during the past
season, is pulling a good oar in the center
OF the boat, as is also Mather, the '9e
veteran, at 8. Earlier in the season 1t
was thought that neither f\these men
would be able to make the crew. Neither
of the Wisconsin crews does much morn
ing work, but every afternoon they have
been worked hard by Coach O'Dea, who
follows In the fast launch, Villa Walla,
flagship of the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club.
Badgers Work Leisurely.
Wisconsin has been working in very
Ieisurely manner in it's final preparation
for the race. Coach O'Dea Is not giving
the men any Of the eighteen mile a day
stunts which the Quaker crew from
Pennsylvania is undergoing, nor is he
merely keeping an edge on the men.
The crews row moderate distance every
day, finishing up with a short sprint.
fore the shells were taken from the boat
house on Lake Mendoza, and not even a
time trial has been rowed here on the
Hudson. The crew men say that the last
trial in Madison was faster than any
thing that last years crew ever did on
that water, but O'Dea would not give the
exact time even to the men. The oars
men hail as favorable sign the fact thai
the reticent coach is feeling good" In
the only interview that he has granted
he said to The Journals cor
respondent: "I think the men are doing
well. They have entirely recovered the
ground that was lost by reason of the long
trip" That means a great deal from
him.
The Wisconsin men are especially ad-
mired by the other crews on the river be.
cause of their great physical strength
Coach Hanlan of Columbia, who took the
rather unusual liberty of following them
In his launch one day, said: "You ge
o fine race of fellows out there in the
west I have seldom seen a better SCI
up lot of men. They seem to be better
than last years crew and have excellent
blade and body work Our men here are
all smaller
McComb, the stroke oar, goes at hi
work in a bulldog manner and is in the
same class as the giant Kerns, wht
strokes Georgetown, and who is reputet
one of the best strokes that ever headed
a boat. He loves to hit up the strok,
and can be counted on in the race to keel
1t at killing racing figure. Georgetown
since their time trial has gone up II
popular estimation and is now slated fol
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