MALDEN - Tufts University Men's Varsity Crew got off to a strong start Saturday, with a wire to wire victory against the visiting Tulane Green Wave.
Despite three challenges to an early lead, the Jumbos responded strongly, and pushed out to a 5.3 second win over their New Orleans visitors. Tufts pushed off effectively at the start and had a one length lead going into the second 500 meters.
Tulane, taking advantage of the inside of the turn on the Malden River race course, moved back effectively in the second five hundred to close water on Tufts, but the Jumbos, under the guidance of coxswain Kasia Gawlas and stroke Sam Helrich, put the pedal to the metal in the third five hundred to regain the one length advantage.
The last five hundred belonged to the Jumbos, who responded after the third and final Tulane push, and opened up what amounted to the game winner, a length and a quarter margin at the finish.
The race was contested under fine conditions, with only a slight headwind and a little head current on the course abutting the William A. Shoemaker Boathouse.
The Jumbo Varsity returns to the Malden tomorrow (along with the remainder of the men's team), for races against Hamilton and Wentworth, as the Lady Jumbos open their season with Trinity College, Mt. Holyoke and Hamilton.
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