Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-16
TRYING TO SIZE UP
THE VARSITY FIGHTS
Looking Forward to the Boat
Races on the Hudson and the
Thames, June rs and 27.
By E. r. Bushnell.

The intercollegiate athletic year Will bs
brought to a climax on June % and p. on
which days the Poughkcepsic and New
London regattas will he held. The main
interest Will be oentered in the big rf<ss on
the Hudson.
This year there will be seven varsity
elghts lined up on the Hudson-Cornell
Syracuse. Wisconsin. Pennsylvania, Co
lumbia, Annapolis and Georgetown. 1t will
be the first appearance of Annapolis with
the colleges on the Hudson. and in honor
of the event President Roosevelt has an
nounced that he will attend the regatta
thus to give official encouragement Ia this
new departure of the midii.s Although
Secretary Metcalf is credited with securing
the presence of tho middies at Pnughlccp-
sic there is a. pretty general impression
abroad that the President played "A part
in it.
Getting Line on the Crews.
Not for many years has there been so
much uncertainty over the result OF the
varsity race as this year Oddly enough
all three of the eights which finished in the
front rank year ago have either been de-
feated this year by supposedly inferior
crews or have been given such a desperate
struggle that the bare victory was in itself
almost humiliation The Cornell cham
pions were Just able to pull out victory
from the Harvard varsity on the uhacans'
own course. This race taken In commune
ton with the Harvard Columbia and Co
lumbia- Annapolis races a short time be-
fore. makes both Columbia and Annapolis
look very formidable. 1t will be remem-
bered that Columbia defeated Harvard by
practically the same margin that Cornell
did The very next week the Annapolis
eight gave Columbia severe trouncing.
Now. If there is any value to be attached to
these comparisons the mi1dIes look to be
stronger even than Cornell. and looked at
| IN this way ought to be made the favorites
for the big race.
But In this connection II must be remem-
bered that all of these races from which
| deductions have been drawn were over a
course of two miles and were rowed be-
fore the season was half over. 4 very dit
ferent tale may be told at the end of "A
four-mile race ten days hence.
pretty good line may also be obtained
on the Pennsylvania. Wisconsin. George
town and Syracuse crews. Although Penn
sylvania has not met any other college
eight the QuakerS were matched against
the crack n. Y. A. c. and the Bachelor
Boat Club of Philadelphia. at the latter city
May -. Everybody expected to tho
Red and Blue pull out easy victor. but
both OF these crews defeated Pennsylvania
| Inasmuch as all but two members of the
Bachelor eight were former Pennsylvania
| oarsmen. the Pennsylvanians were
the Quakers have been worked very hard
and It is safe to assume that every man In
ne boat will row himself to the limit to
make good June %
The dual race between Syracuse and Wis
eonsin enabled the critics TO get line on
the comparative strength of these crews
The westerners won this race with enough
reserve to demonstrate that they viii put
up a great fight at Poughkeepsie This
contest was given additional interest be-
cause James Ten Eyck. the father, coached
the Syracuse eight, and Edward Hanlon Ten
Eyck. the son. coached the Badgers. II
the westerners finish ahead of the Syracuse
oarsmen at Poughkeepsie the fame OF tho
younger Ten Eyck will be firmly estab-
hshed. .-aa- .r.'..'
The Georgetown eight this year looks to
be weaker than usual. The Washington
oarsmen were badly beaten by Annapolis.
and since that time have not had a test.
The installation of the graduate coaching
system has necessarily weakened the south
erners to some extent but this they
bound to overcome.
The Harvard-Yale Race.
The Harvard Yale race promises to DO
just as open as that at Poughkeepsie.
Earlier In the year II looked though the
Blue had no chance at all. The victory OF
Harvard the year previous. the retention
Of practically all the Harvard veterans. and
the ruthless manner in which the Yale boat
had been shot to pieces by graduation. Ill
ness and other troubles of the candidates.
convinced many that Yale was beaten be-
fore putting her boat-in the water.
But the Yale spirit has been asserting
itself at New Ha"en all spring, and Har-
ward men who think the race already won
are likely to meet one of the toughest ag
gregatons in Yale's 1907 eight they have
ever tried to conquer. The Yale oarsmen
were the sensation of the American regatta.
Although the eight the Ellis sent to Phila-
delphia was only second combination, not
member having sat in varsity shell.
they were the fastest crew on the river
that day. and could certainly have beaten
even the Pennsylvania varsity the way II
rowed that afternoon. For after winning
the race for second Fights the Yale men de-
feated the Cornell juniors In a desperate
struggle and came within two seconds oil
the best record ever made over this course.
Consequently Harvard will do well not to
underestimate the Yale crew, for the var
sity eight will undoubtedly be composed OF
several members of the Philadelphia crew
of fighters, in which case there may be an
upset for Harvard