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Show mmm ;Mv G reatest Thrill in Sport! J By FREDERICK MILLER j t Coach of Columbia University Crew J ii My prcant thrill in spore was in watching the varsity eiht race at I'oughkeepsie June Jii, r.i'J'J. This may i seem strange when the Columbia crew In which I was, needless to say, most interested, finished fifth. The real thrill, however, came in watching the great race betweeu the Navy eight and Washington eight, Fred Miller. CML.;,ej by FA Leader. No matter which particular particu-lar crew tiny one of the spectators was interested in, I doubt if there were any among them that did not get a thrill from watching those two crews, especially In the last half mile of the race. The day was one of the most ideal I have ever seen for an Intercollegiate regatta at Poughkeepsle. It was clear, not too hot, with a slight breeze blowing blow-ing down stream willi the current, smooth water and generally fast con ditions. The crews lined up from ttu west shore Syracuse, Columbia, Wash Ington, Cornell, Navy and l'ennsyl vallia. After a false start all crews got off perfectly, Cornell going Into the lead and maintaining it until nbout tin mile, when the Navy took the lead Cornell clung to the Navy f..r a time. Then, as they began to drop back, It looked as if the Navy would win and the other crews, which were fairl well bunched, would have a tine fight for second place. At that moment t!ie Washington crew commenced to raise Its strokf and change the entire situation. They were rowing very evenly, more so than the Navy, and between the mile and the two and a half marks they picked up the Navy, and at thai point started a sorlnt which carried them ahead. The Navy then started their mighty sprint to overhaul Washington Wash-ington and for a quarter of a mile there was a terrific struggle. The Washington crew was rowing about 30 strokes to the minute and the Navy -12. It hardly seemed possible. possi-ble. that the Navy could mulntnin this terrific stroke and pace with which they set out to overtake Washington. However, stroking with the precision of a tireless, well-oiled machine, they pulled abreast of the Washington crew about three hundred yards from the finish. The wonderful stamina of the Navy men was further shown by the fact that In these last few hundred yards they gained a lead of nearly a length on Washington and pushed the nose of their shell over the finish line in the record time of 13 minutes nnd 33 3-5 seconds. It was a defeat of which Wusbing ton could well be proud. ICcl by PuMtc Lodger Company. |