By Brian Conley_________________________________________________________

Well Lower Merion Crew saw a bright day for some crews, improvement in other crews and some troubled rowing in other crews. This was the first week of the gender segregated racing, which has helped with some of the parking issues that Fairmount Park has complained about to the PSRA.

The freshmen men started off our day in the Novice four race. Racing for the first time as a boat and for some of them for the first time at all, the four came down the river. They did not place high but their improvement has definitely been noticable every week. The freshmen men's 8+ found themselves ahead of Mainland at the end of their race, which they took as the positive of the day. They know that they can do better and will be focusing in and learning much more about boat movement in the next couple of weeks. The men's JV four, who had a great performance last week in their heat, found themselves in a time trial race. Facing much different conditions as far as racing, the crew did not seem as fluid as they had the week before. They pushed and found the results much to their disliking. They will work more on technical and racing skills this week. The men's Varsity 4+ race was changed at the coaches meeting from a head race style to heats correcting it at the coaches meeting early in the morning before racing began. The men had difficulty technically and with finding their rythym, which they had at the first flick. They continued to fight through and ame out in fourth.

Those freshmen women seem to be improving quite a bit from week to week. They also have been rotating through the freshmen that did not get to race last week. The freshmen crews have been performing fairly well considering they are on the water a good three weeks after the other teams that participate. The women found themselves in a head style race which is a difficult way to learn to race since you do not start next to anyone. They go through one at a time and race themselves for time. We will see more from these women as the season continues. The JV Women improved greatly this week as they also were forced into a time trial race. Moving up in the ranks they have been learning a great deal on how to move a boat. The Lightweight Women have been learning all week about how to control the slide of their seats as they prepare to take another stroke. It showed that they were making drastic improvements this week as they came down the river rowing technically very sound.

The two big races of the day came at the ends of these gendered days. The Men's Lightweigh 4+, realized in small way how fast they are becoming as a crew on the team. As opposed to last week, Haverford did not take the lead at the start. Steve Krajewski and Will Frey made sure that they would be ahead of everyone before going to their racing rhythm. Almost immediately the men had a lead out of the blocks. It was obvious the men would not allow what had happened the week prior to happen again and it didn't. At the 1000 meters to go mark, the men were a length up on Haverford with Haverford already having open water on the field. When the men hit their move at 750 to go they opened water by about 3 seats and it looked like this was going to be an easy victory for them. Haverford however pushed back nearly closed the open water before the finish line. The Lightweight Men only slightly increased their rating as they approached the finish line, which means that there is a great deal more speed coming from this group as they learn to sprint.

The Women's Varsity 8+ was the culminating race of the day. After coming off a victory from last week the women were placed in the hardest seeded heat of the day in Lane 5. It was Mount St. Joe's that got off the line early and fast. The Women were right there hitting their catches cleanly and smoothly. At the 1000 meters to go mark it was clear that Mount was in the lead with Holy Spirit trailing closely behind and Lower Merion only a few seats back with Prendie pushing. With two and possibly 3 of the other crews that will probably make the Stotesbury Final, the women despite not sprinting were right in the pack of the leading field. This shows that these women are going to be something to watch in the upcoming weeks.

Overall it was a mixed result day for LM, but still a good day.

By David Greenspan_________________________________________________________

OK, so it was the perfect racing day, sunny, warm but not too hot, minimum wind, and I was... in State College and not at the Schuykill to watch any of the racing. (Maybe I should have other commitments more often if it will predict such good weather!)

The Frosh Men's 4 and 8 continue to make their slow but steady progress. The JV 4 was in a head race, competing on time alone. The Varsity Lightweight 4+ continues its winning ways. Aaron tells me that they had Haverford off the line and never looked back (or is it forward, so hard to tell with crew!). The heavy 4+ were in the middle of the pack in their race, two lengths off the winners, and lots of time this season to make that kind of room up.

The Women's frosh were in a head race as well as the JV 4+. The Varsity Lightweight 4+ and the Varsity 8+ had some stiff competition today, finishing 4th in both races.

All the race results can be reviewed HERE