Five sleek Crimson shells did business as usual with M. I. T. last Saturday. But the five victories that were Harvard's were won from a dangerously powerful M. I. T., and the closeness of some of the races, especially the Varsity finale, auger a rough time in Philadelphia next week for the oarsmen.
The Varsity, when it swept over the line a little more than a third of a length ahead of the Engineers, kept a two year string of victories intact. Bert Haines's first eight had the power in reserve to stave off a Tech sprint and pick up some water in the last three-quarters of a mile. Tech began its sprint shortly before it reached the Mass. Avenue bridge, and as the two crews swept under the structure the Engineers had crept to within a deck length of the Crimson bow.
Beat Picked Up
Up to this point Harvard was rowing its accustomed 31, while Tech had brought the beat up to about 34. On the choppy Charles basin, however, Jimmy Ducey picked up the beat, producing a finishing kick that increased the Crimson lead slightly, and staved off three Tech sprints. The checkered flag dipped after 6:58 on a mile and five-sixteenths course.
The small margin of the Crimson triumph can be attributed largely to the superior coxing of Ducey, holding his sprint until the right time, and the superior bladework of the eight, paced by Bryce Seligman at stroke. There was not terribly much to choose between the power of the respective crews.
Jayvees by 3 Lengths
The Jayvees picked up their Tech shirts by registering a three length victory in the last race before the Varsity. The outcome, as in all the other preliminaries except the informal third varsity race, was never much in doubt. Orrin Wood stroked his crew to its first victory of the season. The 150's and second 150's won their races by four and five and a half lengths respectively.
During the rest of this week preparations will be made to meet Cornell, Navy, and Penn on the Schuykill, and Bert Haines will have to work hard to get in some distance rowing, now that weather conditions seemed to have changed for the better on the Charles.
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