The varsity 155-pound crews closed a dismal season Saturday, losing in the preliminary heat of the Eastern Rowing Championships at Princeton, but an undefeated Yardling eight easily topped 11 other freshman eights to win the first championship for Crimson teams this spring.

After opening the season with a victory over M.I.T., the varsity has now lost three straight heats.

Tech, once-beaten and three-time victors over the Crimson, won the Joseph Wright Trophy by edging defending champion, Princeton by six feet in 7:10.1 over the mile and 5-16th Henley course on Lake Carnegie. The other two colleges to reach the varsity finals were Pennsylvania and Cornell.

'57 Crew Wins by Three Lengths

The Yardlings won their morning race by three full lengths and were the smoothest-looking crew in the freshman heats. "At lunch Saturday, the other coaches were already congratulating me," Coach Lee Rouner said yesterday.

Princeton's freshman eight finished more than two lengths back in the finals as the Yardling won in 7:41.4. The Crimson shell was never headed and did not even sprint at the finish, closing with an easy 34.

Jv's Finish Second

In the morning heats, Princeton beat the varsity by one-and-a-half lengths in slow time caused by a strong headwind. Later in the morning, the winds shifted to tailwinds and the times picked up. This kept the varsity out of the finals because only the three heat victors and the fastest second-place finisher advanced.

After losing by three lengths to Pennsylvania in the morning, the Jayvees spurted in the last ten feet in the afternoon to finish second ahead of the Quakers. Cornell's time was 7:30.2.