New Britain herald., 1927-06-30
COLUMBIA GAINS
rowing HONORS
Youngest Grew Of All Wins -Four
Mile Varsity Race

Poughkeepsie, N. T.. June 30.-R
Columbia was out Of the inter-
collegiate rowing wilderness today
on the sweep Of the Glendon stroke.
After thirteen long years Of ia
mine, seasons in which hopes had
been lifted high only to fall shat
tered when the big test came. the
New Workers found the magic touch
yesterday and won the intercollegi-
ate varsity four mile championship
with the youngest crew that ever
battled for Poughkeepsie's blue rib
bon Of rowing.
Since 1914, when Columbia last
won the varsity title, her crews have
had q habit Of cracking at critical
moments. This years 1s-year-old ag-
gregation not only refused to crack,
but rowed the heart out Of the
crack California eight and the Naval
Academy twin favorites before the
race. then flashed a startling exhi-
bition Of finishing grit and speed to
beat off the final challenge Of the
championship Washington crew.
The Washingtonians went down
like the champions they were, fight
ing. but they were mastered by a
crew that harnessed speed. form and
steadiness with an uncomfortable
spirit and strategy ordinarily re-
served FOR oarsmen far beyond
their tender years,
The victory Of this startling Co.
lumbia combination was dime novel
stuff. 1t outdid the most heroic
stories of youthful fiction. Its
achievement. in only two years of
coaching by Rich" Glendon. the
head coach, and his father, "Old
Dick" originator Of the Glendon
stroke, reflected remarkable tribute
to the teaching skill of these mas
tiers, whose system produced three
championship Poughkeepsie Fights
at the Navy before going to Column
bia.
Six Of the eight victorious oars
men. in addition to their little cox
swain, were in the championship
freshman crew developed by Glen
don last season. Most Of them came
to Columbia with little or no previ-
Gus rowing experience, with the ex-
ception of their captain and sopho-
more stroke, Eric Lambart OF New
York. They had been beaten over
short distances earlier in the sea-
son by Yale, Princeton and the
Naval Academy.
But Poughkeepsie was their main
objective. In reaching it these
sophomores, aided by one junior and
one senior. outrowed six of the
country's most formidable crews,
while Lambart outgeneraled and
outstroked some of the greatest
oarsmen OF the day. among them
the Nays famous pace-setter Tom
Eddy. ...
Where the Navy had been picked
as the crew to bring the varsity
crown back to the east, it furnished
an upset as startling as was Column
bias victory.
L AV SaitOIS WCAV q Roci tOOl III OLA
lengths behind the victors. barely
able to beat out Cornell and SYRIA
cuse, which were only Il second
apart in battle for fifth place won
by the Ithacans. 1t was the first
time since the war that the mid
dies had failed to finish either first
or second. The worst they had ever
done was third, in 1907, their first
appearance in the regatta. They
rowed yesterday however with u
substitute No. Z who had been in the
boat only three days.
Whatever slim chances Pennsyl-
vania entertained of being up
among the leaders were blasted
when the Quaker shell hit sub
merged log in the first quarter
mile. causing a crack in the boat.
which was half full Of water by
the time the Red and Blue oars
men got to the finish, outdistanced.
They were approximately Is lengths
behind the winners.
Washington lost little prestige
even II the Huskies did lose the
varsity title. They won the three
mile junior varsity race for the
third straight year. leading Colum-
bia by three lengths in record
breaking time. Their varsity. as
runner up. kept intact the Husky