Red Sweep

Late-lingering winter in upstate New York kept Cornell's thin-sided racing shells in the boathouse longer than Coach Harrison Sanford would have liked; it takes a long and tedious spring to work a crew into shape for the long and tedious sweep-swinging season. So the Big Red got off to a slow start. On the Severn in April, they lost to Navy; on the Potomac in May, and even on the home waters of Lake Cayuga four weeks later, Cornell's varsity eight came home second, behind the powerful Quakers from the University of Pennsylvania.

Sanford bided his time. He switched and changed his oarsmen; he brought up a new coxswain, and he watched his men round into condition. Their stroke lengthened with power. The rhythm that puts a long, swift run on the boat became second nature. Last week, as a hot (90DEG), breathless haze flattened the dead waters of New York's Onondaga Lake for the 53rd Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta, Cornell was ready.

Cornell planned on getting away fast and giving everything it had to hold the lead. But the University of Washington's Huskies and the unbeaten Quakers beat the Big Red to the gun. For a mile and a half, the Washington and Penn crews pulled their hearts out to hold the pace. Then, stroking along at a steady 30 beats a minute, Cornell began to get way on its boat. Just before the two-mile marker, the Big Red caught up with its plan: it was a boat deck in front.

With half a mile to go, Washington's No. 2 man wilted in the heat, caught a couple of crabs and collapsed into the Husky bowman, who gave up and left his oar dragging in the water. Now Penn found strength for a sprint, came on to pass Navy and the Huskies. The Quakers were closing fast, but Cornell calmly raised the beat to 32, slid past the log boom at the finish, 10 seconds and a long 2 1/2 lengths in front.

Sanford's day was perfect. His freshman and jayvee crews completed a sweep of the lake. Cornell had seen nothing like it, even in the days of "Pop" Courtney's powerful crews. "I'm too happy to make sense," said Sanford. He was even happier when he caught his breath and reminded his rivals that all but one of his victorious varsity will be back in the boat next year.

The day before, rowing upstream against an ebbing tide in Connecticut's Thames River, Yale's varsity eight held off a fine Harvard crew to win the oldest (since 1852) and longest (four miles) rowing competition in the U.S. On a two-mile course, Yale's freshman and jayvee crews completed a sweep of the river, first for the Elis since 1935.

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