Lions take cup, first time in 46 years

While all three Columbia rowing teams competed this weekend, it was the heavyweight team that proved most impressive. The Lions defeated Princeton and Penn to take the Childs Cup for the first time in 46 years.

The Childs Cup dates back to 1879, making it the oldest collegiate rowing race. The eighth-ranked Princeton Tigers have won the cup every year since 1993, including last year’s one-second victory over the Light Blue. However, this year, the tenth-ranked Lions managed to pull off the upset and take the cup from Princeton for the first time since 1963.

Despite poor conditions, the Light Blue was able to defeat both the Tigers and the Quakers in the varsity-eight race. Columbia finished in 6:20.8, more than three boat-lengths ahead of Princeton, which came in at 6:29.6. Penn was close behind with a time of 6:33.7.
This triumph was the heavyweights’ fourth consecutive victory, bringing their overall record to 8-0. Though the Lions have been extremely successful thus far, this victory was their most impressive as they triumphed over one of the top ranked crews in the country.
The second varsity and freshman boats were not as successful. The second varsity boat finished in fourth with a time of 6:46.7, while the freshmen finished in third with a time of 7:11.4.

Next up for the Lions is the Blackwell Cup against Yale and Penn this Saturday.

The women’s rowing team was also victorious this weekend, winning the Howard W. Wilkins Bowl at the George Washington Invitational.
Over the course of two days, Columbia faced Saint Joseph’s, Navy, Georgetown, and George Washington. The Lions won a total of eleven races throughout the invitational, including a sweep of their three varsity eight races.

On Friday, the Lions faced off against the Hawks and the Colonials. The Light Blue finished the varsity race first, with a time of 6:31.7, ahead of Saint Joseph’s and George Washington. The Lions also won the second-varsity, varsity-four, and freshman-eight races on Friday.
On Saturday, Columbia had a pair of matches, the first of which was against Georgetown. The Lions won the varsity race in 6:46.3, and swept the second-varsity, varsity-four, and freshman-eight races. Their second match of the day was against Navy. Columbia won the varsity-eight race in a time of 6:23.9, and took the second-varsity and freshman-eight races. However, Navy won the varsity-four race.
The women’s team will take a week off from racing before participating in the Dunn Bowl on April 25 against Cornell and Brown.

The lightweights continued to struggle this weekend, losing to third-ranked Yale and eighth-ranked Penn at the Dodge Cup.

The Lions finished last in the varsity-eight race, with a time of 5:57.3. The Bulldogs came in first in 5:57.3, ahead of the Quakers who came in just ahead of the Light Blue in 6:02.1.

Columbia was able to finish ahead of Penn in both the second varsity race and the freshman-eight race, but were not able to outpace Yale, who swept all three races.

The lightweights will compete in the Geiger Cup next weekend against MIT and Cornell.