Max Nagel, News Correspondent
Tough competition on the waters in Boston and Virginia left the men’s and women’s crew teams without a solo victory this weekend.
The No. 9 men fell to Brown University in the Dreissigacker Cup on the Charles while the women’s team split the victory at the Virginia Invitational in Charlottesville, Va.
No. 6 Brown won all three races except the Freshman 8. On what seemed to be a perfect day for rowing on the Charles, Northeastern fell short of victory, losing their first race of the season. Every race this spring prior to Brown, the Huskies had swept their competition.
The Freshman 8 race was dominated by Northeastern, who got off to a quick start and maintained a lead over the 2,000-meter course, finishing 6.3 seconds in front of Brown. This is only the second time in the cup’s 48-year history that the Northeastern freshmen have beaten Brown.
“The freshmen have worked very hard and did a nice job of coming together,” head coach John Pojednic said.
As for the first and second Varsity 8s and the Open 4, Northeastern fell short of their competitor, finishing second in each race. Brown got an early jump on Northeastern in both Varsity 8 races and the Huskies couldn’t fight back.
The Northeastern Open 4 took a lead ahead of Brown in the first 1,200 meters, but in the final 800 meters, the Bears surged allowing them to beat the Huskies by 1.2 seconds, finishing with a time of 7:22.1.
The women’s crew traveled to Lake Monticello in Virginia April 14 and 15 to take on Michigan State, Clemson and San Diego for the two-day Virginia Invitational. The three schools split the victory.
The Varsity 8 finished second behind Michigan State, but 6.2 seconds ahead of Clemson, who defeated the Huskies earlier this season.
The second and third Varsity 8s, as well as the Varsity 4, fell short of their competition, finishing third in the respective races.
Both crews will be on the Charles Saturday, when the women host the University of Rhode Island and men take on the University of Oregon and the College of Holy Cross in the battle for the Congram Cup.
