Harvard Heavyweight Crew Captures Henley Ladies’ Plate

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Courtesy of Harvard Athletic Communications

HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England -- The Harvard heavyweight varsity eight edged Oxford Brookes University and Oxford University by one-third of a length Sunday on the Thames River to capture the Ladies’ Challenge Plate at the 2010 Henley Royal Regatta.

The Crimson won a tight race in 6:50. Harvard held a slim lead throughout much of the race and held off Oxford Brookes/Oxford for the narrow victory. The Henley title captures a season full of championships for Harvard, which previously won Eastern Sprints and Harvard/Yale crowns. It was the Crimson’s seventh Ladies’ Challenge Plate title and its second in as many tries. The Crimson previously won the Ladies’ Plate in 1973, ’83, ’90, ’98, 2002 and ’07.

Competing for Harvard were coxswain Kelly Evans, stroke Patrick Lapage, Matt Edstein, Nick Jordan, David Wakulich, Sam O'Connor, Michael DiSanto, Anthony Locke and bowman Blake Pucsek. Oxford rower Simon Gawlik ’09 was on the opposing side after helping row Harvard to the 2007 Ladies’ Plate title.

Another member of Harvard’s 2007 championship entry, Henrik Rummel ’09, captured a Henley championship Sunday as a member of the four without coxswain from the Princeton Training Center. That four won the Stewards’ Challenge Cup by three-quarters of a length over Club France. The race was tight throughout, but Rummel’s U.S. crew pulled out the win in 7:09.