The men’s crew squad opened its spring season over the weekend with a pair of victories over Yale and Boston University. Each of the three varsity boats is undefeated so far this season.
The team does not normally race on back-to-back days, but the rarity did not seem to bother the squad, said co-captain Carter Aronson ’13. The first, second and third varsity boats each defeated their Yale counterparts Friday, including a come-from-behind victory for the first varsity eight. Brown’s first freshman boat also defeated the Bulldog’s third varsity boat.
When the two teams matched up in their one-on-one competition last year, Yale swept Brown. Aronson said the win feels nice, but the team is not dwelling on its success.
“It’s definitely a good feeling to come back this year and beat them,” Aronson said. “But it’s important not to let that get to our heads. It’s just one win and we have a long, hard season in front of us.”
The three varsity boats, as well as the first freshman boat, all replicated their successes from the previous day this past Saturday — this time against BU. The second freshman eight was the only group without a victory on the day.
The team will travel to Seattle this coming weekend to face the University of Washington, the reigning victors of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship Regatta. The Bears came in second place in both the first and second varsity events at the IRA Championship Regatta last year, finishing closely behind the Huskies.
Aronson said he thinks the team is looking forward to the matchup.
“It’s very competitive between our two teams,” he said. “I think we’re all really excited to go out there and race them.”
Co-captain Owen Traynor ’13 added that the race would be important for the Bears because it would show them how they stack up against the heavily favored defending champions.
“I think after that race, we will definitely know how fast we are and, more importantly, how fast we may need to become should we not beat them in the racing,” Traynor said. “Because I guarantee that they will be devastatingly fast.”
In an e-mail to The Herald, Assistant Coach Judah Rome wrote that the matchup is important, but the squad is not placing too much emphasis on it.
“There is no question that it is a big race for us and will be our focus for the coming week,” Rome wrote. “At the same time, it is only one race on our schedule.”
Regardless of how the team fares against the Huskies, Aronson said the squad does not row at its best this early in the season and will improve.
“We really try and build so that we peak right before (the IRA Championship Regatta),” Aronson said. “So we’re not at championship speed, right now, but I’m confident in the squad that we will get there.”
Rome wrote that he is confident in the rowers’ abilities and said he believes the squad even has the chance to compete for the national title.
“It is something that has been done at Brown before, and we believe we can do it again,” he wrote, adding, “We know it is a very lofty and challenging goal.”
The team has other goals as well — repeating as Ivy League champions is “definitely, definitely possible,” Traynor said.
Aronson said that while the squad is off to a great start this season, the team is looking ahead, not behind.
“It’s easy to win,” Aronson said. “It’s hard to move on from that and look to the next goal.”
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