The Washington herald., 1908-06-08
Small Field for IntercOl'
legiate Regatta,
OUTCOME IS AN UNCERTAINTY
Withdrawal OF Georgetown and the
Navy Fights from Varsity Race
Columbia Oarsmen Leave Result
OF College Rowing In Doubt.

with three weeks before the event, the
Oarsmen who will row in the varsity
and freshmen eights and the varsity
tours find an unusual situation facing
them. This IS largely due TO the fact
that there is a strong element Of uncer-
tainty as TO the winner Of the contests.
particularly the big race.
In the regattas Of recently past sea-
sons there has always been the admis-
sion, made more or less tacItly. that Cor
nell stood the best chance Of winning the
star event, and the Ithacan crews have
usually made good This year. however.
fate seems to have played sad havoc at
Cornell. and, while il is hardly possible 10
say thar the four-mile row will be any
body's race, the other contestants would
appear 70 have much better chances.
Smallest Field in Years.
The field for the varsity race is much
smaller than it has been for several
years. The Naval Academy crew, which
made last years entry the largest in the
history of the race. numbering seven. an
nounced early in the spring that it would
not be allowed 10 take part in the re-
gatta but, 20 the surprise Of everybody.
including the stewards, there was another
withdrawal at the last minute-in fact,
after the courses had been drawn George
town University has decided TO withdraw
its entry in the varsity race the only
event of the regatta in which the Blue
and Gray has ever been represented and
this leaves only Syracuse. Cornell. Penn
sylvan!a, Columbia, and Wisconsin 70
compete for the premier aquatic honors
Of the country.
Georgetown. # must be admitted, has
never been considered a factor in the
race, but nevertheless a field Of six crews
always made a pretty race. and the
Washingtonians will be missed this year.
especially as there were many who ad-
mired the pluck of loser coming back
10 try again and again.
This cut-down OF the entry list Is not
the most interesting fact in relation 10
the regatta. Judging from the present
state OF the efficiency OF the crews n
the big race. the victory Is likely 10 go 20
dark horse on June 2. Cornell is labo'-
ing under a handicap far greater than n
past years, when Coach Courtney's ve-
ports OF lack OF form ana slumps by vari-
Gus men provoked unbelieving smiles.
Cornell in sore Straits.
The Ithacan crew is in sore straits this
season. owing to the dismissal Of several
disconnected oarsmen and the illness OF
others. and the effect OF these happenings
was shown IN the race AT Cambridge,
when Harvard scored fits first victory
over a Cornell crew, winning a mile and
.seven-eighths race by ten lengths. That
would indicate that some exceptionally
hard work is before the Comedians for
the next three weeks il they hope 10
maintain their Poughkeepsie records.
The calculations of the prophets have
been further upset by the lack Of i'm
prcvement shown by the Columbia var
sity men. The Morningside crew made
brilliant showing at the finish Of the
race last June and as the majority Of
the eight are still in college. Columbia s
chances We're thought 10 be excellent
In their work this spring however, the
men have failed TO come up TO expecta-
tions. They lost their race with the
miGshipmen at Annapolis. and since then
Coach Rice has tried hard to round them
into form. The chief trouble seems 10
be that the crew men cannot get down
20 proper weight The Columbia crews
are the first TO reach Poughkeepsie
and during their stay at the Nelson
House. preparatory TO the big event,
Coach Rice hopes TO bring them around
Their work at Krum Elbow will be
closely watched for three weeks.
Up TO a week ago there seemed to be
but little choice between the crews Of
Pennsylvania, Syracuse. and Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has kept quiet this spring.
but the Badger university got together
a likely lot OF oarsmen, and II seemed
as II the Westerners' time had arrived
but whatever chances they had were dis
PEELED last week by the breaking OF the
eight-oared shell. which was run into
and smashed last Wednesday by the
coaching launch. and IS no longer fit TO
be used.
syracuse n Contender.
Syracuse has the credit Of a fve-length
victory over the Navy, and the Qiakers
have been uniformly successful in their
races up TO date. defeating the George
town and New York University crews
and rowing a tie with the New York
Athletic Club. and therefore it seems at
this stage of training as II the eventual
winning Of the varsity race lies with
one of these two crews.
In the drawing for positions of the
crews in the regatta the initial position
In the varsity eight-oared race fell to
Wisconsin, with Cornell. Pennsylvania,
Columbia. Syracuse. and Georgetown
strung out across the Hudson from the
west bank. The choice positions Of Nos.
3 and 4 viii be occupied by Pennsyl-
vania and Columbia.
Syracuse drew No. 1 position in the
freshman eight and varsity fOur-Oared
events. In the former the other positions
follow: Wisconsin, No. 2: Pennsylvania,
No. 3; Cornell. No. 4; Columbia, No 8
In the four-oared race the crews. rang
ing from west bank, picked positions as
follows: Syracuse, Cornell, Columbia,
and Pennsylvania.
AS near to 4 o'clock as conditions will
permit on Saturday afternoon June q,
the first race, that between the varsity
fours. will be started The crews will
row a twO-mile race down the stream.
Immediately after the completion OF the
first race the freshman eights will row
over the same course. and the varsity
eight-oared race will be the last to start.
and will be over the four-miie course.
YaIe Athletic Officers Elected