The Harvard and Radcliffe heavyweight crew teams both enjoyed a super Saturday this weekend, with both heavyweight varsities winning their respective cup races and setting Charles River course records.

"We are really fired up right now," sophomore Michelle Guerette said. "We have been building confidence and boat speed all year, and now we feel like we can take on any team in any race in any conditions."

Heavyweight men

Advertisement

The men's heavyweight crew won the Charlie Smith Cup by defeating Northeastern by just over a length, winning 5:37.3 to 5:40.9. With the victory over Northeastern, the men finished their third straight undefeated season on the Charles and beat Brown's seven-year-old river record of 5:38.05.

With unusually favorable conditions helping the Harvard men (3-1) to enjoy a record-breaking day, they surged to a quick three-seat lead from the start and extended it to a full length at the 1,000-meter mark.

"There was a strong direct tail wind, which pushes the boat to go faster," said junior Luka Djunic. "The rowing conditions weren't all that good, but we rowed well enough to take advantage of the tail wind."

The Crimson, ranked fourth in the nation and second in the East, maintained its one-length lead over the Huskies, ranked 11th in the country, for the rest of the race.

In addition to breaking Brown's river record, the Harvard men also tasted the fruits of sweet revenge. After falling to Northeastern in May 1997, Harvard has since won seven straight races on the Charles.