Princeton's Varsity crew, fresh from an unexpected victory over the powerful Penn A. C. eight at the Henley distance two weeks ago, will invade Cambridge this morning hoping to retain possession of the Compton Cup in tomorrow's regatta.
The Tiger Varsity is a powerful outfit which should go far this season. Five lettermen are back in togs, but only three of these will be in the boat which will face the starting mark Saturday--Bob Hallett, Al Gawthrop, and Coxswain Roger Firestone.
Coach Sikes has only in the past few days decided the composition of the eight which he will send to Cambridge. The squad is so large this year at Princeton and so many of the boys are so evenly matched that the Tiger coach has had a hard time putting together his Varsity. As it is, it will not be the same boost which will race on the Charles that beat Penn A. C. Many shifts have been made in the bostings. Jack Kelly and Hank Bugbee have been advanced to the first boat to replace Grant Armstrong and Bud Smith.
While the Nassau boat is by no means overconfident, it would be a decided blow to them should they come back to Princeton after the race Saturday without possession of the cup.
Larry Fenninger, who stroked the Tigers against M.I.T. will be in that seat once more Saturday. He pulled the stroke oar last year for the Jayvees and is the most experienced number 8 man on the squad. The boat will not be exceptionally heavy, but should average about 180 pounds.
Sikes, of course, is noncommittal as ever, but his habitual taciturnity cannot keep a twinkle from occasionally flashing into his eye.
Fenninger, Captain Keppel, Gawthrop, Kelly, Swift, Hallett, Bugbee, Stoddard, and Firestone are slated to start for the Tigers.
Of course the high point in the Princeton season will be the Carnegie Cup Race in which they will meet Cornell, Yale, and Navy. Sikes will not permit any looking past the Compton and Childs Cup Races to this regatta at Ithaca, but unconsciously the men cannot dismiss from their minds the fanatical desire to dump the Eli jiux.
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