And Harvard outsprinted the Tigers one more time. Harvard pulled away from Princeton and Cal with 400 meters left and used a strong sprint to finish off both crews.
“Princeton and us started to sprint,” Howard said, “and we had been ready to put together a really good sprint and we did it.”
“That was by far the best last 500 meters we rowed this year,” he added.
Harvard crossed the line in 5:31.68, and Princeton finished second again in 5:32.94. Cal was third in 5:35.9.
The winner’s dock became a wash of Crimson yet again, with Harvard coach Harry Parker claiming his ninth official national title.
For seniors Holzapfel and Howard, the win gave them a perfect 3-for-3 record at IRAs.
“These guys have raised the bar really high,” Boston said. “But Harvard has a tradition of having high expectations.”
And as of late, the Crimson varsity has had little problem fulfilling them.
—Staff writer Aidan E. Tait can be reached at atait@fas.harvard.edu.