The Cavalier daily :: Tuesday, May 4, 1971 :: University of Virginia Library

In its most impressive outing of
the 1971 season, Virginia's varsity
heavy weight crew upset Marietta
College to take the championships
of the Mid-America Collegiate
Rowing Association. The Cavalier
varsity four placed first in its event,
as well, in the regatta held at
Marietta.

The varsity eight had little
difficulty qualifying for the finals,
winning their preliminary heat by
open water over Morris Harvey.
Rowing against a strong headwind
in the finals, Virginia broke from
the starting line at 42 strokes per
minute, but could not shake a
stubborn Marietta eight until both
crews dropped their strokes for the
body. At that point, Virginia's edge
in size and strength began to show,
as they gradually pulled away from
the Pioneers. Virginia crossed the
line in 6:28.3, with two lengths of
open water separating them from
Marietta, who was followed in
order by Purdue, Saint Thomas and
Morris Harvey.

The Cavalier boat is stroked by
Jack Placter with Learned Barry at
seven, Todd Tisdale at six, Norton
Schlacter at five, Glenn Russell at
four, Dan Howard at three, Derek
Smith at two, and Larry Davis in
the bow. Thor Strong is the
coxswain. The victory marked the
Cavaliers fifth consecutive triumph
since spring break, and the first
time in the seven-year history of
the MACRA championships that
Marietta's varsity had been
defeated.

In the fours race, Virginia took a
1½ length lead in the first 1000
meters, but nearly lost its edge
when it suffered three crabs in a
row at the 1500 meter mark. With
waves spilling over the gunwales, the
Cavaliers rallied in the sprint to win
back their lead and snatch a
two-length victory over Grand
Valley State. Russell Bourne
strokes the Virginia boat, which
also includes Jeff Newton, Steve
Pappas, and Rod Freed, with
Scotty Gelband as cox.

Crabs also played a part in the
freshman race. With Virginia
trailing highly-favored Marietta by
half a length, Virginia's number two
man crabbed out, slowing the
Cavaliers down enough to allow
Purdue to move into second place.
Virginia wound up third to
Marietta, who swept to victory in
6:38.0. Marietta's vastly improved
JV boat downed the Cavalier JVs
by two lengths.

Despite the two Cavalier
victories, Marietta won the overall
team scoring on the basis of thy
Pioneers' two first and two second
place finishes.

The Cavaliers' strong showing in
the MACRA championships this
Saturday marks the second time in
two weeks that Virginia has won a
major regional title. Last week the
Cavaliers took the Southern
Intercollegiate Rowing
championship in Savannah.

Nine long months of training
come to a climax this coming
weekend as the Cavaliers vie for
the national championship of small
rowing colleges in the Dad Vail
Regatta.

Photo by Howard Weinberg

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