Rowing Association Returns Copley Cup to Washington

The University of Washington men’s varsity eight is again winner of the San Diego Crew Classic’s Copley Cup after a ruling announced Friday by the United States Rowing Assn.

Washington won and then lost the cup last Saturday after its victory in the first running of the final was voided when a Wisconsin protest was upheld by the event’s panel of judges. A re-row was ordered, and it was won by Harvard, with Washington finishing last.

A news release issued by the Crew Classic said Washington Coach Robert Ernst then filed an appeal with the USRA, and the organization’s Judge-Referee Committee reinstated the original result Friday. That left Washington as the champion, with Harvard second, Navy third, Wisconsin fourth, UCLA fifth and Syracuse sixth.

Wisconsin protested the first race because it said it had gotten an unfair start. Coxswain Mark Sniderman said a stiff crosswind had blown the shell about 20 degrees off its mark and that he was trying to get the starter’s attention when the race was begun. Wisconsin then started anyway and rowed the entire race.

Ernst was upset by the decision, saying coaches and coxswains had been told earlier in that week that boats that were not ready when a race began were simply to wait at the line and allow officials to call a restart.

“(Wisconsin) should have stayed there,” he said at the time. “That specific question was discussed at the meeting.”

Friday’s news release said that the event’s board of directors would determine when and where to present Washington with the Copley Cup.