When the Harvard lightweight crew took to the waters of the Cooper River last May at the IRA National Championship, its fate was anything but certain.

In a year that had seen several schools claw their way into the top spot in the national rankings only to be cast down in the following week, no clear-cut favorite stood head and shoulders above the rest.

“It was exciting,” co-captain Chris Mercaldi said. “Every week we’d look at the results and try to make sense of them and not be able to.”’

The Grand Final was no different.

Heading into the season’s concluding heat, each of the eight-man squads could legitimately argue its own supremacy.

By the time the final boat had crossed the finish line, all but one had been silenced.

Catching each of its opponents off guard, the Crimson broke ahead of the pack at the first opportunity and never looked back, leading the rest of the way in posting a two-second victory and sewing up one of the most hotly-contested titles in history.

“That was a great race,” junior Nate Rogers said. “From 500 meters in we led the whole way.”

Boarded at Sea

While the waters in which they rowed were barely above freezing at the season’s beginning, the Harvard lights were red-hot from the first dip in the water.

Against Cornell and Pennsylvania in early April, the lights posted an impressive first performance, winning by more than three and 10 seconds, respectively.

Dominating victories over Georgetown, Dartmouth and MIT followed over the next two weeks as Harvard climbed to No. 1 in the country.

But its success was not destined to last.

Despite posting solid victories in each of its first five sprints duals, the Crimson was ensnared by the topsy-turvy division in which it seemed like any varsity eight could take home the top prize on a given race day.

Navy proved to be that unforeseen bump in the road.