Harvard stayed even with both Washington and Princeton as the boats headed toward the midway mark. Cal seized a lead early in the second 500 meters and continued to increase the margin.

“It was a little nerve-racking going into the second five hundred,” Howard said. “We knew Cal was in front of us, we were neck and neck with Washington and Princeton maybe a little bit up.”

Cal established as much as a seven-seat lead before the Crimson made a push after the halfway mark. Washington began to fade at the 1,000, and Princeton and Harvard battled yet again.

Both boats used the bow ball to bow ball race to edge up on first-place Cal, which never established an open-water advantage.

“Cal was unable to get open water which was huge psychologically,” Boston said. “Keeping contact with the boat, we were able to push back through them.”

Harvard and Princeton drew even with Cal with about 600 meters to go, and then, with 400 meters to go, Harvard surged forward for its third consecutive national title.

“We had been ready to put together a really good sprint,” Howard said. “And we did it.”

“When it gets to be time for business,” Boston added, “it’s time for business.”

The Crimson finished in 5:31.68, Princeton followed in 5:32.94, and Cal took home third place in 5:35.9.

It was Harvard’s closest win at IRAs in the three-year run—the Crimson won by open water the two times before—but the three-seat win was more than plenty for a crew that entered the season at No. 4.

“Before the race,” Howard said, “I thought that no matter what, we’ve proven ourselves this year and we’re a champion crew.”

They proved themselves again on Saturday, and now Howard and company can add the word “national” to their champion crew label.

­—Staff writer Aidan E. Tait can be reached at atait@fas.harvard.edu.