Wisconsin Rowing Recaptures Walsh Cup From Navy
May 28, 2006 | Men's Rowing
For the first time since 2002, Wisconsin owns the Walsh Cup as winner of the annual varsity eight race against Navy. The Badgers took the event Sunday on the Severn River in Annapolis, Md.
The No. 7 Badgers clocked a 5:50.53 over 2000 meters to defeat No. 11 Navy's 5:52.43 and win the Walsh Cup and ending a two-year winning streak by Navy. The Midshipmen had won the last two races, while the 2003 event was cancelled due to fog.
'In the varsity eight race, it looked like in both us and Navy, the absolute intensity that you see at the Eastern Sprints was not there in either boat, or that you'll see in just a few days at the IRA,' commented head coach Chris Clark 'It was good that we won and we were happy about it. We haven't won the Walsh Cup since 2002. We noticed our all time record is that we have won the Walsh Cup 15 times and Navy has 14.'
Wisconsin ended up sweeping all seven races for the first time since 2001, with wins in the second varsity eight, varsity four, varsity four without coxswain, freshmen four, freshmen eight and varsity pair. Normally the teams compete in eight events, but Navy scratched its open four so the UW raced two boats against one another.
Wisconsin also won the Fisher Cup on Sunday, a trophy awarded to the team of the day with the most cumulative points. More importantly, the Badgers raced their last preparatory event before the 2006 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, this coming Thursday through Saturday on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J.
'This race is a difficult one for both teams because on the years that the Eastern Sprints are one week prior to the Walsh Cup, you can really see it, ' head coach Chris Clark added. 'On one hand it's a great start to the IRA week because it sort of slaps you our of your doldrums and gets you back into your racing mode. On the other hand you can see all the boats are not at their 'A' game. That is why both teams like this race, because it brings you back into racing mode because there is a general let down, sort of a flattening after the Eastern Sprints.'
