Still smarting from its first setback of the season, the Radcliffe crew returns to the friendly waters of the Charles River basin today, hoping to bounce back in to the win column in a seven-team regatta this morning.
Last Saturday's one-second loss to Princeton considerably dampened the spirits of the 'Cliffe squad, but, what is more, it proved an inauspicious debut for the "revamped" Radcliffe eight that emerged from the team's first serious seat-racing.
Today, the 'Cliffe varsity will be even more realigned, as John Baker's squad has finally finished seat-racing for this year. Today's contest will give the first indication of the potential of the Radcliffe crew.
There will be three different faces from a week ago in this week's first unit. However, the three "newcomers" are not strangers to first-boat competition. In fact, all three were "starters" before last week's shake-up.
Final Line-Up
Anne Robinson, Lillian Hunt, and Kathy Sullivan, all of whom rowed in feature competition for the first two races of the season, will rejoin the first eight.
With this change, the seating for Radcliffe shapes up with Robinson reassuming her old bow seat, Charlotte Crane moving back to two, Jenny Get-singer taking over again at three, Sullivan rowing four, Connie Cervilla at five, Hunt at six, Allison Hill at seven, with Ginny Smith stroking. Nancy Hadley will again cox.
Today's race will feature teams from George Washington University, UMass, MIT, Wellesley, Syracuse, and Middletown, Conn., High School. Of these, MIT and Middletown should provide the stiffest challenge for the 'Cliffe. But looking at the race realistically, there seems to be little possibility that Radcliffe will lose.
"MIT and Middletown should be the strongest in the field," Baker said yesterday. "MIT always seems to consider races with Radcliffe as some sort of grudge match, and we know that Middletown is strong."
Surprising Third
Earlier this year, Middletown finished a surprising third to Radcliffe and the Philadelphia Women's Rowing Club in a race at Wesleyan.
With everything pointing toward a Radcliffe runaway in today's race, the big story of the week has to be the significance of the second (and final) changes in seating.
"This is our varsity boat," Baker said yesterday, after refusing all season to make varsity-junior varsity distinctions. "We'll stay with this group the rest of the way unless something drastic happens."
Besides choosing his top eight Baker also selected his top four at the conclusion of last week's seat-racing. And with this year's Sprints set up on a format that will allow each school to enter one eight and one four, the fours competition increases in importance.
Baker tabbed Judy Levine (bow), Debbie Harrington (two), Kathy Barbash (three), and Doty Kent (stroke) as Radcliffe's four unit. Sally Parker will cox the four.
Today both "new" Radcliffe line-ups will get workouts. There will be a four competition, as a preliminary to today's feature race, going off at 9 a.m.. The varsity eight will row at 10:45 a.m.
