University of Virginia Library

Varsity Eight Third In Dad Vail
Georgetown, St. Joe's Pace Field

By Doug Doughty
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Virginia's varsity eight crew
finished a strong third in the Dad
Vail rowing regatta, held this past
weekend on the Schuykill River in
Philadelphia.

The competition, which
featured 101 college-division boats,
was split into five categories, the
varsity eight, junior varsity eight,
155-pound eight, freshman eight
and varsity four-oared shells.
Georgetown University knifed
through the rain and fog to capture
the headline race, toppling
defending champion St. Joseph's
College by one boat length.

Immediately behind St. Joe's
was Virginia, and the Cavaliers were
edged out of the second spot by a
disheartening four feet. Virginia
was followed by the U.S. Coast
Guard Academy, in fourth place,
and Trinity College of Connecticut
and Ithaca College. On Friday
afternoon, Virginia had looked
impressive with a victory in its heat.

The Hoya crew, victors in five of
the ten races over the past decade,
and champs as recently as 1969,
were nonetheless upstaged by St.
Joe's for the John C. Bratten
Memorial Trophy, symbolic of the
best overall showing in the races.
The Hawks polled 13 points toward
the award, edging runnerup
Marietta, with 12 points, and
Virginia, with 11 points.
Georgetown only managed 8 points
toward the coveted trophy.

Virginia's highest place in the
competition was achieved in the
freshman eights. The Cavaliers took
second in this race, chasing
victorious Marietta, which won the
Brett Bowl in recognition of its
1½-length triumph.

Marietta, which swept three of
the four eight-oared races, also took
the 155-pound eights and the junior
varsity event. Virginia turned in a
respectable showing in the latter,
placing seventh out of 23 entries.

In this event the Cavalier JV's
also trailed the University of
Massachusetts, Marist College of
New York, St. Joe's, Trinity and
Florida Tech.

In the lone four-oared race of
the day, Manhattan College, a
contestant for the first time in 32
years, overcame a deficit in the last
quarter mile to win by a boat
length.