Like a steroid-pumped Ben Johnson, the Radcliffe heavyweight crew burst out to a fast start Saturday at Hanover, N.H.

However, like a smooth, efficient, Carl Lewis, Dartmouth caught up and went on to win the three-team matchup (Syracuse also raced) on the Connecticut River.

Dartmouth beat Radcliffe by just three seconds in the 2,000-meter race, with Syracuse finishing 10 seconds off of Dartmouth's pace.

This race was characterized by two distinct segments, the first of which saw Harvard jump into the lead in the early part of the race.

"We had a great start," Junior Laura Brookins said. "But we couldn't hold them off."

Indeed, over the final 1,000 meters of the race, Radcliffe began to tire and fade, while Dartmouth maintained its speed and eventually took the lead late in the race. Syracuse was never really a factor.

Unfortunately, fast starts and late fades have become a pattern for Radcliffe.

"We have been up a lot this season in the first 1,000 meters." Brookins said. "We have got to learn to get a lead and hold it."

Saturday's loss to Dartmouth was all the more disappointing because earlier in the season the Black and White had beaten the Big Green.

"Losing to Dartmouth was frustrating because we'd beaten them before," Brookins said.

After a solid week of practices, Radcliffe entered the race confident that it could beat Dartmouth again, but it knew that it would not be as easy as before.

"We expected a close race--we were prepared and ready to fight," Brookins said. "We knew that they had only been in the water a few times when we beat them before, so this race would be tougher."

Brookins's guarded optimism proved to be well-founded, as Dartmouth had improved greatly since the two crews last competed.

Radcliffe's next race should be even more competitive and more significant.

Next weekend, the historic rivalry with Yale will be renewed on the Charles River.

In order to be successful, the Radcliffe heavyweight crew must continue its characteristic fast starts and eliminate the late letdowns that have plagued it. If it can accomplish this, victory should not elude the Black and White again.

"If we do what we have to, we have it in us to beat them," said Brookins.