REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. – The No. 2 Stanford lightweight rowing team claimed two open water victories over the Cal openweight 3V8 and 4V8 on Saturday in the 81st Big Row at Redwood Shores.
The first time the Stanford lightweight rowing team faced Cal didn’t go so good as the Golden Bears won two races at the Pac-12 Challenge. This time around the results were reversed as Stanford cruised to a pair of easy wins.
The varsity eight has been improving with each race since starting the spring with the races against Cal and Saint Mary’s in the Pac-12 Challenge. With a nearly 17-second win over the Golden Bears on Saturday, the Cardinal stretched its winning streak to four races. Stanford posted a time of 6:54.7 in its final home race of the year.
“We have had some tough races and have switched our focus as to when we want to make moves in our races and that showed in today’s race compared to our first race against Cal,” said junior coxswain Jordan Duval-Smith. “We had one of our best start sequences of the season and had a race that makes us feel good as we get closer to nationals.”
The second varsity eight earned its first win since the San Diego Crew Classic one month ago. Going up against Cal’s 4V8, the Cardinal jumped out of the gates and kept gaining a bigger and bigger lead as the race went on. Stanford would finish with a time of 7:15.8, 16 seconds ahead of the Golden Bears.
“It was a very exciting race for our boat,” said senior Molly Hayes. “We had a really hard week of practice and came out here and did everything we wanted to do and more.”
Hayes, the lone senior on Stanford’s squad, was a member of the victorious 2V8. The win and flowers from the coaching staff were a nice way to end her final home race.
“I am a pretty nostalgic person,” said Hayes. “This is the course I know the best and I will be sad to leave. If I have to go out, I am happy that this was the race of all races.”
Stanford has one more regatta before the IRA National Championships at the end of this month.The Cardinal will be in Sacramento on Saturday, May 17 for the PCRC Championships.
81st Big Row
Redwood Shores Lagoon
Redwood Shores, Calif.
May 3, 2014
Results
Varsity Eight
1. Stanford – 6:54.7
2. Cal 3V8 – 7:11.5
Second Varsity Eight
1. Stanford – 7:15.8
2. Cal 4V8 – 7:31.9