Courtesy: Princeton Athletic CommunicationsOne year after recording a perfect season but missing out on postseason titles, the Princeton women's lightweight rowing team is ready to gradually build towards a fantastic finish.
Head coach Paul Rassam has a mostly young first varsity squad, and he has devised a plan for the entire season.
"We need to be absolutely sure we are peaking at the right time," Rassam said. "We have freshmen and sophomores at some key positions, so we are going to be very systematic in our approach."
The team hasn't done significant speedwork yet, but it still posted a strong first weekend at the Pac-Ten Challenge; the Tigers defeated 2008 IRA bronze medalist Stanford and California last weekend, and lost a tight race to reigning champion Wisconsin. It was an encouraging result for Rassam, but it won't make him change his approach for the month of April.
With a fairly small squad, which will field only a varsity eight and varsity four this weekend, Rassam has a fairly good idea of how his lineup will shake out throughout the season. His goal is to develop endurance now and work for pure speed as Easterns and the IRA national championships draw closer. He doesn't have to be the only leader on the squad, and he points to two specific seniors who he depends on.
"I have to give a lot of credit to coxswain Alyx Cullen and senior captain Madeline Davis," Rassam said. "Cullen has great experience and race savvy; she has the experience to know how to respond to any situation. Davis has seen it all and is a great leader for our younger rowers."
With talented and driven underclassmen, Rassam has been pleased with the development from the fall, through the winter and into the preseason. With challenging regattas upcoming against Bucknell, Georgetown, Stanford and Harvard, Rassam is hoping to see the progress continue, but his main goal is to see the team at its maximum speed when the postseason arrives.
