New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-14
COLLEGE CREWS IN BOAT
Cornell and Harvard Lucky in
Retaining Veterans.
SMALL SQUAD AT COLUMBIA
Jim Wray to Put Courtney Touch
to Stroke of Crimson's
Eight in Practice.

the coming season are emerging from the
formative period OF their training and be
coming the fixed and steady combinations
that they will he in months or six
weeks time. Bad weather and long win
ter have kept the crews indoors longer
than has been the case In several years
but the coaches are wasting no efforts now
and every man is being put through Sc
we're test OF skill and endurance.
In the ranks Of nearly all the crews that
fought in the big regattas Al PoughkeepSie
and New London last June. graduation and
loss from other causes have wrought
havoc. or all the crews Cornell and Har-
ward seem TO have come off the luckiest i'm
having the greatest number Of veterans
who have reported for this years work
On paper Syracuse and Columbia had good
prospects, but the number OF experienced
men who returned has been short Of what
was expected. Until a week ago Cornell
had its 1911 varsity eight intact. but the
loss Of r. F. Bowen. who stroked the
Ithacan eight in 1910 and 1911. has broken
the combination. Syracuse lost only enc
man by graduation. but only four Of the
seven veterans reported for practice
Columbia lost but one of its oarsmen by
four Of the men who rowed last June have
again reported. Pennsylvania has FIVE of
Its 1911 veterans as nucleus for the
varsity eight, and Wisconsin has six. In
the New London crews Harvard has six of
its 1911 crew, while Yale has only three OF
the men who rowed in the varsity boat last
June In almost every case. however, eX-
ceptionaI material in the 1914 freshman
crews has provided men for the vacancies
in the senior combinations.
With the exception of Bowen, Cornell's
eight Of 1911 is without a break, but, judy
ing from the shakings M and shakings
down with which Courtney has troubled the
squad in the last few weeks it is doubtful
If the veteran combination will get q chance
10 show what IL is worth in the big races.
BY substituting his second varsity crew for
the veteran eight Courtney is not estab-
fishing a precedent. Courtney knew last
spring that his varsity boat was not as
strong as II should have been, but he was
unwilling to make a change in the crew
with the regatta near at hand. This year,
however. he has recognized the fact early.
and is taking steps TO remedy it.
e. II. Dole. '13, who is at stroke in the
reorganized crew. has been considered.
since he stroked the Cornell 13 freshman
eight in 1910, one of the finest oarsmen Cor
nell has ever produced His motions are
smooth, and each part Of the swing blends
itself 10 the others in one long, continuous
motion. Unlike Bowen. he carries the men
through the stroke with no let-up from
catch to finish. and if he continues in the
boat it is probable that this years Cornell
eight will row faster and probably slight
ly shorter stroke than the Fights of the
last two years With the exception Of Dole
and r C. Reeve, 10, who is rowing No.
in the eight. all the members of the crew
are in the sophomore class and rowed in
the 1914 freshman boat. which was second
TO the Columbia youngsters last June AS
Courtney has the crew rowing now the
men are boated as follows: Lawrence Eddy.
bow: r. c. Reeve. No. 2; D. NJ. Larrowe,
No. 9: II. II. Hyland. No. 4; c. B. Johnston.
No. 8; b. c. Spransy No 6; Leslie Chap
man, No. 7. and z. II. Dole, stroke.
Following the loss OF Bowen, w. G. Dist
Ter. who rowed No. in the varsity eight
last June has been put in at stroke OF the
second boat. -Four of the men in the vet
eran crew have never yet rowed losing
race beginning with their victories as
freshmen over Harvard and the Pough-
keepsie crews in 1909. and continuing
through the varsity races of last June.
These men are Ferguson. No. !; Wakeley.
No 3. Kruse. No 1, and Distler.
At Columbia Jim Rice. who is completing
his sixth year as coach of the Morning
side crews. IS having his troubles in getting
together an eight 20 his liking, because the
squad from which he has had 10 draw has
been almost the smallest in years. Cole.
Pitt and Phillips. who rowed in the eight
last June. have not returned TO the uniVer-
sity. and Sage who rowed at bow. did not
report this winter. that as nucleus
Rice has only Bissell Moore. Letenser and
Downing from the varsity eight of year
ago. However. Ruprecht, who rowed No.
in the eight last spring until shortly be
fore the crew left for Poughkeepsie. has
returned TO the squad, and so has Miller.
who rowed in the varsity boat at No.
IN 1910 and was No. in 1909.
With these men and some Of the most
promising oarsmen from last years victo-
R1ous freshman crew Rice is gradually
NuI,ding up what seems 20 be the strong
est eight that Columbia has ever put on
the water. Bad weather has retarded the
crew considerably. and Rice is little
worried on this account Downing he
thinks is beyond doubt the best stroke
oar that Columbia has ever had and he
hold the eight together. The latter has
been unable to row for the last fortnight,
but will probably be back in the boat in
plenty of time for the race with Annap-
oils on May Il. Moore. at No. 6. next 10
Letenser is the most powerful man in the
boat
with Letenser in. the eight will average
about l6S pounds in it's preliminary races
and will come down under SIS for the
Poughkeepsie regatta. AS IL is rowing
now. the crew is boated: F. J. Williams.
-. bow: w Ruprecht 'l3. No 2; A. c.
Rothwell. IA. No. 3; A. w. Bissell, 10,
No 4: l. w. Hadsell, IA, No. 3; J. I.
Moore. 10, No. g. r. Miller, No. l. and
G. s. Downing. stroke When Letenser
comes back Miller will be moved up TO 5
and Hadsen will go TO Willamss seat. at
bow.
Ellis Ward seems 20 be running in hard
luck again at Pennsylvania. The worst
blow fell when Thomas Reath. jr.. the
stroke of the Quaker crew of 1910. was
forced to give up rowing because of the
risk Of permanent injury to his side. which
he wrenched in the Yale-Pennsylvania race
Of last year. Hoagland, who went in at
Reath's place last spring, was graduated
In June. Madeira who stroked the four at
Poughkeepsie, and was stroke Of the 1913
freshman eight. has been put in at stroke
Of the varsity boat. Cartier. at No 2; De
Long. at No a. Stfel. at No. 3: Captain
Shoemaker, at No. 6. and Alexander, at No.
T. are the veterans of the 1911 crews. De
Long. who has developed an injury similar
IN Reath's may be forced 10 give I'D row.