The Case Cup had been missing from the Radcliffe heavyweight crew team's trophy case since 1976.

And in case you don't think the Black and White oarsmen had something to say about that Saturday in Derby. CT., understand that they turned in their fastest time of the year against a vastly out-matched Yale squad.

The race many thought Radcliffe would just take for granted turned into the Race for The Case, the cup that goes to the winner at the annual Yale race.

The Black and White's two-second victory over the Eli team was its first win over Yale in a duel meet in six years and upped Radcliffe's record to 4-0.

The heavyweight squad that went just 1-3 last year and finished fourth at the Eastern Sprints has emerged as the Beast of the East and only a makeup date with Dartmouth Wednesday in Hanover, N.H. stands between Radcliffe and a perfect season.

The oarswomen were perfect Saturday on the Housatonic River, where they turned in a 4:46.3 almost two seconds faster than Yale's 4:48.0.

The win came despite the absence of junior Jenny Hale, who sat out with an injury Freshman Debbie Porterfield moved into the seven seat to replace Hale.

Porterfield then moved from seven on the varsity into the seventh seat of the j.v. boat. There though, she couldn't repeat her luck, as the Elis walloped Radcliffe, 4:56.6 to 5:04.4.

The third Radcliffe boat--with four women aboard--provided the Black and White's only other victory of the day in Derby, outdistancing the Elis 5:34.4 to 5:42.7.

Yale took the first and second heavyweight novice eight races, as well as the novice four race.

Lightweights

Meanwhile, in the Atlantic Ocean up in New Hampshire, the Radcliffe varsity lightweights had absolutely no trouble running up their season record to 4-0.

On a 1700-meter course (most women's courses are 200 meters shorter) the Radcliffe lights left the University of New Hampshire way behind and glided to a 25-second victory.

"We turned our attention from [UNH] to the clock." Radcliffe's Gretchen Rollwagen said explaining that the lights raced the clock rather than the vastly outclassed UNH squad.

Radcliffe finished in 6:12, while UNH turned in a 6:37.

In the only other lightweight action of the day the Radcliffe j.v.--racing in an eight--destroyed the host Wildcats.