April 8, 2007

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - The Navy lightweight crew team overcame rough water conditions to post a four-race sweep of Rutgers and Columbia, Sunday afternoon on the Raritan River in New Brunswick, N.J.

Navy's varsity boat fought through some added problems inside the boat over the closing stretch of its race to record a four-second victory over both the Scarlet Knights and the Lions. The Mids crossed the finish line in a winning time of 6:03.1, with Rutgers clocking in at 6:07.3 to place second and the Lions finishing in third place with a time of 6:07.8.

"It was a good race for us," said Navy head coach Rob Friedrich of the varsity contest. "We had enough of a lead to be able to overcome technical issues with the boat over the last 500 meters to win the race."

Navy's second varsity and varsity four crews also recorded four-second victories in their respective races, with the freshman boat posting a seven-second triumph on the day.

"Overall it was a very good day for our program," said Friedrich. "I thought our freshman did an especially nice job in overcoming the rough water to pick up a very nice win."

The Mids will next race Saturday when Navy competes against Georgetown on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

First Varsity
Navy, 6:03.1; Rutgers, 6:07.3; Columbia, 6:07.8
Second Varsity
Navy, 6:10.6; Columbia, 6:14.5; Rutgers, 6:25.6
Varsity Four
Navy 'A', 7:09.9; Navy 'B', 7:14.5; Columbia, 7:24.5
Freshman
Navy, 6:12.3; Columbia, 6:19.1; Rutgers, 6:29.4