Sunday, October 05, 2003

By Pohla Smith, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The boat was borrowed. Their coxswain was still on the river with another crew. So were their usual oars.

	Erin Breen, 22, plays the bagpipes while one of Carnegie Mellon's rowing teams competes in the Head of the Ohio yesterday. Breen, 22, a former CMU rower who graduated last spring, now lives in Connecticut. (Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette) Related articles Novices try their hand at dragon-boat rowing Head of the Ohio Regatta results

None of that mattered.

The men from Carnegie Mellon just rowed with the flow at the Head of the Ohio yesterday and went out with a different coxswain and unfamiliar oars.

The Tartans came home fast enough to win the inaugural Governor's Cup as top college or university club eight from Pennsylvania. They covered the 2.8-mile course, which ran down the Allegheny River from the tip of Herr's Island to a spot between PNC Park and Heinz Field, in 13 minutes, 49 seconds.

That time was good enough to place the Tartans sixth among 24 crews from the United States and Canada in the men's eights, which was won by the MIT Boat Club in 13:19. MIT is the oldest rowing club in the nation.

"They're adaptable," Carnegie Mellon coach Donald Webber-Plank said. "That's one of the things I try to coach."

Carnegie Mellon's women's lightweight eights also won, making for quite a day for a team in its 16th year.

"I'm proud of them representing Pennsylvania schools well. Given the age of our program, having the depth to put together an eight sometimes is very difficult," Webber-Plank said.

Since it is a club team, rather than a varsity sport, Carnegie Mellon's equipment is not the best. One boat is as old as the club, and the other two were purchased secondhand.

"We have to do a lot of fund raising," said Jason Pock, third seat in the Tartans' crew.

Mercyhurst was the next-best Pennsylvania school in the men's club eights, finishing ninth, while Duquesne was 10th and Pitt 15th. West Virginia was 22nd.

The rain and cold winds of the morning notwithstanding, it was a good day for Pittsburgh rowers.

Three Rivers Rowing Association, co-host of the fund-raiser for the Mercy Hospital Burn Center, finished third in the competition for Head of the Ohio, awarded to the organization earning the most points in the 28 events. Leander Boat Club of Leander, Ontario, won the title and South Niagara, Ontario, was second.

Depth of membership is the major determining factor in the Head of the Ohio competition.

Three Rivers Rowing, however, limits each of its rowers to one event to help offset its home advantage, said Mike Lambert, executive director of Three Rivers Rowing and the regatta director. Scores of college and high school teams rowing out of the club did not count for the overall title.

The Duquesne University varsity won the Governor's Cup in women's eights and finished seventh overall among 29 boats with a time of 15:50. Mercyhurst was 10th, Pitt 13 and Carnegie Mellon 23.

"The girls work very hard all year," Duquesne coach Katie Kirsten said. "I ask them to be on the river at 5:15 [a.m.] and they're there. They're very disciplined."

Carnegie Mellon, which also rows out of Three Rivers' boat house at Washington's Landing on Herr's Island, is on the water at 5:30 a.m.

Both teams said they warm up by running from their campuses to the boat house, which means they're getting up around 3:30 or 4 in the morning.

"They pull all-nighters to row," Webber-Plank said.

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