OCC Crew Loses in Quarterfinals of Henley Regatta

The Orange Coast College crew lost to Trinity College of Dublin Friday in the 151st Henley Royal Regatta.

The two crews rowed in the quarterfinals of the Henley Prize Cup division.

Trinity, the No. 1 collegiate crew in Ireland this season, finished a 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Orange Coast. Trinity had a time of 6 minutes, 38 seconds on the 1-mile, 550-yard Thames River course.

“I have no complaints about the race whatsoever,” Pirate Coach Dave Grant said. “Trinity is a very fine crew. We rowed a good race. We didn’t make any mistakes and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Grant said Trinity’s oarsmen are bigger, older and more mature than their Orange Coast counterparts.

“In the British Isles they don’t worry about things like eligibility. You can continue to row for your college or university throughout graduate school. Some of the oarsmen in the Trinity boat have been involved in collegiate rowing for eight or nine years. Our oarsmen, on the other hand, have just two years’ of experience.”

Grant admitted that his oarsmen, who won the Pacific Coast Championship in May and took their opening Henley race against University College of Oxford Wednesday, were disappointed with the loss.

“There were some tears in the finish-line tent following the race,” Grant said. “It was a long time before anyone could speak. But to lose is no disgrace.”

Orange Coast will stay at Henley today and Sunday to watch the Regatta semifinals and finals and return home Monday.

The four crews that remain in the running for the Henley Prize cup are Trinity, Downing College of Cambridge, Imperial College of London and Oxford Polytechnic.

The Orange Coast team consisted of Sean Nicholson, Jon Kern, Kyle Enger, Ed Turner, Jeff Lundwall, Ramsey Madsen, Charlie Stewart, Tom Mitchell and coxswain Steve Morris.

Eight of the oarsmen will row at four-year colleges next season. Five will go to UCLA.