Women’s rowing failed to take down Rutgers on Saturday, with all four Columbia boats losing their respective races.

The Lions’ varsity eight and second varsity eight both dropped their matchups, coming up 5.9 seconds and 8.3 seconds short of victory, respectively. The third varsity eight—racing against Rutgers’ novice eight––and varsity four each defeated one Rutgers boat and lost to another. The varsity three’s time was over 20 seconds slower than Rutgers’, while the varsity four was less than two seconds behind Rutgers.

The race took place on the Raritan River in New Jersey. On the same weekend in spring 2017, the Lions defeated both of the Scarlet Knights’ varsity eight boats at Overpeck Park, Columbia’s home course. This season, Columbia faced Rutgers at the Princeton Chase in the fall. The team’s only boat, a novice eight, crossed the finish line ahead of Rutgers’ three boats.

Against Rutgers, Columbia’s varsity eight had the same lineup as its races during the spring training trip in Florida. Over spring break, the team travelled to Fellsmere, Florida, where it competed in the Governor’s Cup against the Florida Institute of Technology and Barry University. Columbia swept its competitors—the smallest margin of victory for the Lions was 11 seconds for the varsity four, and the largest was a whopping 33 seconds for the Lion’s varsity four.

This time, however, the lineup failed to match Rutgers’ speed even though it boasted 6 members and the coxswain from the team’s varsity eight from the 53rd Head of the Charles Regatta in the fall. This weekend’s boat consisted of four seniors—including co-captain Charlotte Buck, who attended the Women’s U23 National Team Selection Camp last summer—three sophomores, and one junior. All three sophomores were members of the Head of the Charles varsity eight, suggesting that the team’s younger members will help replace the eight departing seniors.

The strength of the lineup, Columbia’s recent successes, and its history against Rutgers suggests that this loss was an anomaly for women’s rowing. Despite the across-the-board defeats, women’s rowing will have a chance at redemption this Saturday in Princeton against Notre Dame and Princeton.

aeshna.chandra@columbiaspectator.com | @CUSpecSports