Led by a record-setting performance by the varsity eight, the No. 2 men's crew team defeated No. 7 Northeastern on the Charles River in Boston to retain the Dreissigacker Cup.
"I think it was a really big day for us," said co-captain Paul Strombom '08. "We had some really close races in the (junior varsity) and freshmen, which was really good for them, and it was good that we all came out on top in the three races. I think we made a pretty strong statement in the varsity, too, with the six-second win over Northeastern."
Brown's strongest performance came from the varsity eight, who pulled away from a strong Northeastern boat.
"Both crews were pretty fast off the start. I think we had maybe a seat or two after the first 20 strokes," said Strombom, who was at bow. "And then we kind of just slowly opened it up through the first 1,000 meters."
The front of the Northeastern boat was right behind the back of Bruno's, giving the Bears about a length-long lead going through the first half of the race, Strombom said. Then, a surge through the second half of the race gave Brown another length of open water for their final lead.
"It was a pretty steady clip throughout the race, and they definitely put up a tough fight through the first 1,000, so it was a good race for us," Strombom said.
The Bears crossed the finish line at 5:42.0, 6.9 seconds ahead of the Huskies and 2.1 seconds ahead of history. They broke the Dreissigacker Cup record for the Charles, set by Northeastern in 1988. Northeastern still holds the Cup's fastest time on the Seekonk River, Brown's home course, 5:27.8, set in 2005.
"We had a bit of tailwind," said Rob O'Leary '09, the coxswain. "It was definitely fast conditions, so I think that contributed to" the record.
But that push didn't diminish the Bears' pride in their accomplishment.
"It's a cool feeling to set the record for the race," said co-captain Colin Keogh '08, who was in seat seven.
The other two races were considerably tighter. The second varsity finished in 5:50.7, 2.2 seconds ahead of Northeastern.
"It was a great race," said Ryan McShane '08, who was in seat three. "It was a really great learning experience for the guys, because we were down significantly 600 (meters) in, and we really had to (recover) a little bit. ... We really kept our cool the whole way down, and the last 500 we were able to pull it out. It was definitely a very hard-fought race. It creates a lot of unity within the boat and creates a sense of trust."
The freshmen eight also won a close race, crossing the finish line at 6:01.2, two seconds ahead of the Huskies. Keogh said pulling out the tight finishes will benefit both boats in the future, especially in the highly competitive championship races.
"They both had really strong races, and I think they were pressured well by Northeastern," Keogh said. "I think it was a really great experience for those boats to get that kind of pressure in a dual race. Coming away with the victory sets a good tone for the rest of the season."
After beating Harvard two Saturdays ago, Brown claimed the No. 2 ranking in the nation, behind only the University of Washington, the defending national champions. The Bears appreciate the recognition of their strong season.
"It definitely feels good to be ranked No. 2," Strombom said. "It's definitely exciting that we're up there competing with the top teams in the country, so hopefully we can maybe get that ranking up to No. 1 before national championships come around."
But the Bears also recognize that they can't stop to admire their ranking.
"It's still pretty early in the season, so no one's really focused on that," O'Leary said. "We don't give (the rankings) much concern; we just take it one race at a time and try to get faster each week."
Brown will face another tough opponent on Saturday when it hosts Dartmouth at 11:30 am on the Seekonk to defend the Atalanta Cup.
"It's our last home race, so for us seniors it'll definitely be an emotional experience," McShane said.
"The home races are always nice," Strombom said. "I know I'm definitely going to miss them when I graduate. Hopefully we can get a lot of people out there for our last race of the year at home."
