It's no accident that one of the best coxswains in men's intercollegiate crew is at Harvard. The Crimson has one of the oldest and finest crew traditions in the country.

In the midst of this long-standing program, junior Devin-adair Mahony fits in perfectly.

The first woman in Crimson history to cox a men's varsity boat is forging her own tradition of excellence.

Mahony, a two-year varsity veteran, will steer the heavyweight fours in tomorrow's Head of the Charles Regatta.

Mahony first entered the rowing ranks as a ninth grader at Philips Academy, Andover, she says, when a friend told her, "You should be a cox, because you're short and loud."

After coxing girls for two years, she switched to boys, she says, "because the guys on the boat asked."

"I always found she worked much better with guys than with girls," says Andover Coach Peter Washburne. "I think she found it more competitive working with the guys. She could push both them and herself harder without hurting anyone's feelings."

Coxing through four years of high school and at different boat clubs in the summer earned her a place on the 1980 girls' national team and recognition from Crimson Head Coach Harry Parker.

As a prospective Harvard student, she recalls, she was approached at the Head by the legendary Parker, who said, "You're Devin Mahony. I know who you are, but you don't know me."

Needless to say, she had heard of him, and says now that her friendship with Parker was instrumental in easing the transition to Harvard's crew program.

A 22-year veteran of that program, Parker describes this dainty dynamo as someone who "works very hard, makes an effort to understand and knows what is going on."

It was largely the coaching that led her to men's programs, says Mahony, adding, "I liked the way that Harry encouraged me to come here and told me that I would be welcome on the program."

Although team members like senior Co-Captain Chris McDougall are quick to say that "she is very well liked," and "we don't notice her as a girl anymore," Mahony still remembers her first day coxing the Harvard varsity.

One Friday race day, she was switched from a good freshman boat to a varsity boat that included the team captain. She remembers thinking, "If I don't do a good job today, then the people here will think I'm here only to date crew guys.

"Well, we were whaling and did well. After the race the boat, surprised, said, 'this girl knows what she is doing!' and I thought to myself 'you don't know what you're getting into when I'm on your boat.'"