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 The GW men dueled Georgetown Sunday on the Potomac. |
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Men's Rowing Duels Georgetown
May 7, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC - The GW Men's Rowing team competed against Georgetown Sunday in their annual race on the Potomac River known as "The Duel." GW's Freshman Eight took two of three from the Hoyas while the Colonials Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Eight were defeated by their crosstown rivals.
This unique format for racing tests the crews over a series of 1,000-meter races, rather than the standard 2,000-meter race. The Freshmen and Second Varsity compete in a best of three series while the Varsity Eights go for best-of-five 1,000-meter pieces.
"This race provides a great opportunity for us to train at a higher race cadence over short, intense distances," GW coach Matt Boyle said. "It gives us a chance to prepare all of our crews for the championship races that we have at the end of our season."
The Freshmen event was the highlight for the Colonials as GW defended the victory they earned at The Duel last year. Novice coach Jim O'Connor's crew defeated the Hoyas in two straight pieces to come away with the victory.
"It was a great race for my crew which has undergone some lineup changes," O'Connor said. "The guys nailed the race plan and did everything they had to do to win. This will set us up nicely for ECAC's this coming weekend."
The Second Varsity and Varsity crews came up short in their bid to defeat Georgetown. "It was certainly not the result we wanted, however, we will use this to help focus the crew and get ourselves ready for the ECAC Championship regatta this weekend where we have a chance to do well," added Boyle.
The event also provided the GW Rowing Alumni a chance to come back to Foggy Bottom and get back on the water. Alumni from both GW and Georgetown compete against each other after the collegiate races. The exhibitions provide an opportunity for the current oarsmen to meet the former rowers who paved the way for them.
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Next up for the GW men is the ECAC Championships, May 10-11, on the Cooper River in Camden, NJ.
Men's Rowing relies primarily on 'walk-on' athletes. Interested freshmen are encouraged to e-mail gwcrew@gwu.edu for information on how to join the team.
