The first varsity—undefeated during the dual season and blemished by only a loss to Wisconsin at Eastern Sprints— hardly faced a challenge through the competition, winning by over two lengths against a South African club in the semifinal and by an even larger margin against the British Molesey Boat Club in the final.

Though the Ladies’ Challenge Plate field included several world championship competitors, the club teams attending proved to be below the level of top college competition like Wisconsin, national champion California, and Washington, who beat California during the dual season. Harvard was the only elite college crew to attend Henley.

Harvard, as usual, did not compete at the national championships this year in order to train for the Harvard-Yale regatta, and as has been usual as of late, Harvard swept every event.

Training for the four-mile course of Harvard-Yale put the Crimson in far better condition than it had been prior to its Eastern Sprints defeat.

“Harvard-Yale is a four-mile race and training for that really improves our fitness,” said sophomore Kip McDaniel of the first varsity. “We’re definitely going smoother and faster than we had all year. It’s a nice way to end the season.”

With Henley, Yale and Eastern Sprints victories for the second varsity and freshman boats—in addition to the Henley and Yale victories of the first varsity—the 2001-02 squad has staked its claim as among the most accomplished in the storied history of Harvard rowing.