Page 10 - Alumni Horae: Vol. 93, No. 4 Summer 2013

Crew: A Good Balance
ATHLETICS
by Jana F. Brown
Crews from 1959, 1964, 1974, 1979, 1989,
1994, 2004, and 2009, among other com-
posite alumni crews, graced Turkey Pond
on Saturday, May 31, some returning to the
sport for the first time in many years,
others trying it for the first time, and some
just making rowing look easy.
Halcyon ruled the 142nd Annual Boat
Races over Anniversary Weekend, winning
three of the four club races on Turkey Pond
to win the Majority Cup. The winning club
later raised its red and white oars up the
flagpole in the center of campus.
Rowers pushed through the water in
weather that alternated between heat and
rain showers on Anniversary Saturday.
“I know a lot of these guys have rowed
in these same boats,” said Halcyon first
boat stroke Jack Schrupp ’14, whose win-
ning crew entered the day as the underdog
to the favored Shattucks. “It was awe-
some to hear the roar coming from the
bridge and show the alumni that we are
giving back.”
The Boat Races represent a longstand-
ing tradition of club crew at the School.
All students are still assigned to one of the
boat clubs upon their arrival at St. Paul’s.
But unlike many of their predecessors, who
competed only at the club level, the major-
ity of today’s student rowers compete for
their club only on Anniversary Weekend.
This year, the Halcyon first and second
boys joined the second girls boat to earn
a majority of the victories on Turkey Pond,
much to the delight of the alumni donning
the club’s signature red. The Shattuck
first girls crew represented well in the
club’s lone victory of the day, winning by
open water with a time of 5:32.5. In the
process, the Shattucks established a new
course record, beating a mark set in 2012
by Halcyon’s first girls.
The Form of 1964 was well represented,
with two alumni crews – an eight and a
four – taking to the water. The eight in-
cluded Peter Gerry (bow), Bill Purdy (7),
Rick Sperry (six), Mike Howard (5), Chris
Howard (4), Tony Parker (3), Roger Young
(2), Fred Morris (stroke), and Charles
JANA BROWN
Stevenson (cox), while the four included
Ray Payson (stroke), Jad Roberts (3), Peter
Humphrey (2), and Jason Smith (bow).
“We just motored along and it all came
back to us out on the water,” said Sperry.
“And, after 50 years, I’d say our balance
was pretty good out there.”
Student oarsmen and oarswomen
marveled at the enthusiasm of the alumni
rowers. Second Halcyon Gus Hirschfeld ’17,
who grew up on the SPS campus and had
attended the Anniversary Boat Races many
times as a spectator, was thrilled to finally
participate as a competitor.
“It’s so much fun to finally be a part
of it after watching it for so many years,”
he said.
JANA BROWN
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