Evening star., 1909-06-20
ONE MORE COLLEGE
CHAMPIONSHIP ON
Big Regatta at PoughkeepsIe
Will Decide the Rowing
Supremacy.
Bv Edward r. Bushnell.


son 19oS-o9 to be settled. This is in row.
tng With all due respect to Yale and
Harvard. whose dual regatta is set for
tne last Thursday in June, it must be ad-
nitted that the regatta which will decide
the rowing championship is that to be
held at Poughkeeosie July 3 This con-
olusion is inevitable in view of the fact
that both the Harvard and Yale crews
have been decisively beaten by two
Poughkeeosie crews. Yale was trounced
by the University of Pennsylvania. while
Harvard lost TO Cornell
Very likely the advocates Of the claims
Of Harvard and Yale will insist that the
two races in which their crews engaged
should not be considered too seriously in
the final rating of the crews. This argu-
1nent is based on the fact that the two
races IN question were over a tWo-rnile
course and rowed during the preliminary
season. The Yale-Pennsylvania race it
Sh"aid be added, was finally reduced
from two-mile to a one-and-one-ha1f-
mile course, though the final result
would have been no different, no mat
Ter what the length of the course. The
dates Of the two races in question were
early enough to permit of big improve
meut IN the defeated crews. Yale and
pennsylvania rowed April 10, while the
Corneii-Harvard argument was settled
May 81
But no matter what Improvement Yale
ana Harvard may show in their final
struggle, IT is the sentiment OF rowing
critics that the best crews-or at least
the best college eight in America-will
be selected from the Poughkeepsie
crews. Last year this could not have
been said. because it was quite sener-
ally conceded that Harvard had the pre-
n1er crew in America, although the
Crimson did not meet Syracuse the win
ner Of the Poughkeepsie regatta. This
IS merely further substantiation of the
TACT that there are many things to be
considered in determining which COL
lege eight has the best right TO the
title of intercollegiate champion, a title
which at best is open to dispute.
On the Scene of Action.
With the arrival of the Syracuse eight
Monday all of the Poughkeepsie crews
will be on the scene of action. Due
largely to the splendid performances of
Cornell to date. there seems little doubt
that the Ithacans will be pronounced
favorites for the championship. The
fact that the Cornell varsity eight is
made up largely of new men does not
signify that II is not strong for it
has frequently resulted that Cornell's
best crews have been constructed of
new material. This years eight is an
parently lighter than most of the Cor
nell crews of recent years, but Coach
Courtneys worst criticism of it is that
1t is hardly as good as the famous
crews of 1901 or 1905. But If 1T came
within 10 per cent of measuring up to
this standard it would be enough to
worry Cornelfs rivals. In this connec-
ton 1t should be recalled what a splen-
did race was rowed by the 1908 Cornell
eight which Coach Courtney pronounced
very poor. If any conclusion can be
drawn from these two comparative criti-
cisms 1t looks like certain victory for
Cornell.
Next to Cornell the crew that stands
highest in the favor of the critics is
Syracuse. The Salt City collegians
showed that they are well fortified for
any kind of a struggle by the race they
Towed against the Middies last month
In this they showed to much better ad-
vantage than did Columbia, whose eight
the Middies defeated without much diff
fculty. The Syracuse crew is a strong
combination. and has had the advantage
OF rowing over a full four-mile course.
The SyracuSans have won the Pough-
keepsiearegatta but twice since their en-
try, but their showing on the Hudson
has been better than that of any of the
other college eights. barring Cornell. AS
II is always the dearest ambition of a
Syracuse athlete to triumph over Cornell
the Syracusans will certainly be in the
fight to the finish.
Pennsy Weakened.
Immediately after Pennsylvania's VIC
tory over Yale there We're those who
thought they saw return of the Quakers
10 high place in college aquatics. But
the desertion of several of the strongest
oarsmen has left the Quaker boat badly
weakened. and no combination which
Coach Ward has tried has been able to
make the Pennsylvanians look very for
Inidable. Profiting from the ina bility of
the eight to hold its speed for full four
miles Coach Ward has been striving to
put the proper stamina into his men by
a four-mile practice row each day. In
previous years the longest course the
Quakers could get on the Schuylkill was
three miles.
Wisconsin promises to remain an enig-
ma until the day OF the race. The Car
dinals are so far removed from the GEN.
ter of Intercollegiate rowing that they
rarely get a dual race and less rarely
furnish any sort of basis for comparison
with the other Poughkeepsie crews. In
spite of this, from news which has fil-
tered through the east, the impression
has been gaining ground that this Is
WiSconsin's year, and that young Ten
Eyck has a crew that is bound to cause
lots of trouble on the Hudson. The
plucky fight which Wisconsin makes year
after year. and against odds that would
discourage the other crews. has won
many friends for the Badgers and IL
latS can DTedk the HOnOt0ny OF eastern
victories theirs will be popular
triumph
Yale's Foot Ball Plans.
The minutely careful preparation which
Yale is making for the coming foot ball
season is merely an index of the thor
oughnesS with which the Yale system
patches up athletic weaknesses of all
kinds as soon as they become evident.
Last fall Yale sustained an unexpected
defeat in the final game with Harvard.
That was enough for the Eli leaders
They knew that something was wrong
and they lost no time in ferreting out
Tie weakness. In order to leave nothing
IndOne for this season Capt. Coy Initiated
system of winter practice for nearly
every member Of the squad. Particular
attention was paid to the rIdiYnents Of
- the coaches as much as possible this
fall
But that was only half of Yale's prep
aration Before college closed this year
Capt.. Coy and Trainer Mack Assem- bled
al the candidates for the Yale eleven and
outlined course Of light training cal
culated TO take the men through the sum-
-ner vacation and bring them back in the
1dll IN fairly good physical condition. As
& further incentive to light practice a ma
Jority OF the men took with them foot
balls 20 develop their ability in punting
and drop and place kicking. Some OF the
preparation which Yale is making is COM
mon with other universities but the
Els are going about the work with
thoroughness that spells trouble for their
adversdries.
Columbia Agitating Foot Ball
The senior class at Columbia before