Beanpot under water
The Terriers finished third, ahead of Boston College, in the first inaugural Beanpot regatta on the Charles River
Kristyn Ulanday
Issue date: 5/1/07 Section: Sports
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There are two competitions that define this city -- Red Sox-Yankees and BU-BC -- so it was only fitting that the BU women's crew team was gearing up for its first-ever Beanpot Regatta as the Red Sox were coming off an 11-4 win in New York.
"Anytime you get all the schools on the river it's an exciting event," said BU coach Holly Hatton.
Radcliffe took home the team banner and varsity cup, winning every race except for two. It finished the competition with 24 points, seven ahead of second-place Northeastern. BU ended the day with 16 points, seven ahead of BC, who finished last.
"The competition was stiff," Hatton said. "We knew Radcliffe had some speed . . . but they came out like gangbusters. They really put their best races on and looked comfortable."
BU managed to grab the only two races Radcliffe didn't win, the Varsity B4 and second novice.
"It was awesome," said BU freshman Katie Faris, who rowed the second novice. "We beat Radcliffe, who is really good, and it was the second novice's first win of the season, which was pretty sweet."
BU's third place finish was bittersweet. As with any Beanpot, it's always a priority for BU to beat BC, but the team's overall performance did not match expectations.
"The varsity eight and varsity four all felt they did not have their best race," Hatton said. "It was a big event, and they said their nerves got to them. They took some new elements and executed them well, but they just didn't get into the consistent rhythm they needed."
Hatton plans on using the next two weeks to make sure she boosts its chances to compete in the NCAA Championships at the end of the May, and the first step toward making that happen would be a good showing in the upcoming Eastern Sprints.
"We aren't ranked very high, maybe eighth or ninth, so I'm going to make sure I have an established lineup," Hatton said. "I haven't changed the lineups much over the last three weeks, and I think maybe too much of the same thing has hurt us. We are going to mix things up a little bit and see what the fastest lineups are that we can put together. We need to get in
. . . the top four for recognition from the NCAA. It's definitely a challenge for us."
"Challenging" seems to be the only way to describe this season for the BU women's crew squad. Bizarre weather through March and April made practicing on the Charles nearly impossible. Once the weather cleared up, several rowers were sidelined by the flu for two weeks.
The Terriers' performance in the Charles River Challenge more than two weeks ago proved they can compete with top-ranked crews like the University of Southern California and the University of Texas. With the end of the season nearing, the Terriers are ready to take on whatever comes their way.
"I never want to predict things until after sprints," Hatton said. "We've been getting better quality rowing the last couple of weeks, which leads to more speed. I still have confidence. I don't want to predict the end of the season until it's over."
