"All yet seems well," Shakespeare said, and if it end so meet. The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet...All is well ended of the sprints be won."
According to Harvard lightweight coach John Higginson, the Eastern Sprints to be held Sunday on Lake Carnagie in Princeton. N.J. really are an "All well that ends well" affair. "It's a short racing season and the success will hinge on Sunday's outcome," he said.
For the Crimson lights all does indeed seem well. The varsity junior varsity and freshman boats are all selected on top of their respective divisions and they will thus benefit from easier boats and better facing lanes.
The river to the top ranking has not however been banked with smooth sailing as both the varsity shell and Peter Raymond's freshmen have encountered some challenge's along the way.
The varsity has the first-seed honors despite its man-overboard loss to Navy. But the traditionally cautious Higginson seems confident with his crews' prospects. "We're pretty well prepared and the Princeton course is slightly more fair than Worcester," he said.
Raymond's freshmen will be facing the toughest task of the day as both Penn and Princeton are strong in the yardling ranks. The Tigers were just edged out last week by the Crimson freshmen and the home course advantage might just be enough to push them across the finish line first.
Raymond has not done anything significant this week in preparation for the race. "I've tended to play down the intensity of it all as there's a problem in getting very nervous. If the boat rows its best though, it will win," he said.
Gil Welch number six men in the J.V. boat said there has been some special work this week on getting off the line at a high and fast cadence. "I'm also a little worried about making that one mistake that would finish us. There really is a lot of pressure being seeded to win," he said.
Mike Loucks, varsity two man, explained some of the strategy in racing in the morning qualifying heats. "You go out to win the heat to insure the best land for the afternoon. And fortunately, we have an easier heat than Penn, who'll be our main competition," he said.
J.V. coxswain Paul Chessin agreed. "Although superficially you might think 'conserve in the morning,' once things start up you go out and row."
So if all is to end well for the Harvard lightweights and the Sprints are to be won, the varsity must successfully lend off the oars of prime contenders Penn and Rutgers, the J.V. must handle all upset minded crews and the freshmen must row through its Tiger and Quaker challengers.
If tradition means anything in the Sprints, the Crimson can boast of winning the overall title as symbolized by the Jope Cup for the past seven years And with the exception of Princeton's Cinderella in 1973 the varsity has brought home the laurels annually since 1968. Al: yet seems well.
