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Grace Rett, a member of the Holy Cross women's rowing team, was killed in a van crash Wednesday in Vero Beach, Florida, according to the Boston Herald's Alexi Iafrato and Lisa Kashinsky.
Rett, 20, was traveling in one of two vans transporting the team that was hit by a pickup truck. WBZ in Boston published photos of the damage to the vehicles:
The Holy Cross athletics department issued a statement:
"This morning, members of the Holy Cross women's rowing team were involved in a serious crash while traveling in Florida. The College is in contact with authorities in Florida and is in the process of gathering more information. Holy Cross has been in touch with the families of those students and coaches and is offering support for all those involved."
The college also sent an email to students (via Iafrato and Kashinsky): "It is with great sadness that we share with you that Grace Rett '22, a resident of Healy, has passed away following this morning's accident involving the women's rowing team. Our thoughts and prayers are with Grace's family, friends and teammates at this time."
Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey confirmed during a press conference that 11 others from the crash were transported to local medical facilities. A few with serious injuries were taken to a trauma hospital.
The second van wasn't involved in the crash, but Currey said the vehicle's passengers were "not doing well" following their teammate's death.
Rett competed in nine races for the Crusaders and was a member of the Patriot League honor roll during the 2018-19 season.
There were shocking scenes in the build-up to the 2016 Boat Races on Sunday, as lightning struck the River Thames less than an hour before the start of the women's edition.
The dramatic footage showed lightning striking a tree just beside the water, as London was engulfed in a brief but violent thunderstorm.
This year will be the 162nd time the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge have competed in the event, with the overall score reading Cambridge 81-79 Oxford and the only dead heat occurring in 1877.
[Twitter, h/t Mirror]
Oxford will be confident of continuing their recent dominance in the iconic Boat Race as they get set for a yet another battle with longstanding rivals Cambridge on the River Thames on Sunday.
The Dark Blues of Oxford were comprehensive winners last year when the two crews went head-to-head, putting together a whopping 19-second advantage by the time they crossed the finishing line. It was their sixth win in the last eight runnings of this traditional sporting event.
Ahead of the men’s race, the women’s teams are also set for a battle, with Cambridge again looking to avenge an emphatic defeat from 2015.
Here are the key details for this one, including where to catch the action and a look at how the event is likely to pan out.
Date: Sunday, March 27
Time (GMT): 3:10 p.m. (Women’s), 4:10 p.m. (Men’s)
TV Info: BBC Two (U.K.)
Live Stream: BBC iPlayer (U.K.)
Details of the full route are available on the event's official website.
Although this spectacle may not be the most glamorous, it’s an occasion many still look out for on the sporting calendar, and one that will draw swathes of spectators down to the banks of the Thames.
The race is staged between Putney and Mortlake over a 6.8-kilometre section of the London river, and despite a pretty substantial distance, there have been some tight finishes down the years. Three times since 2007 the winning margin has been less than one-and-a-third lengths, whereas in 2003, it was just a solitary foot.
As we can see courtesy of Culturaltales, a lot has changed when it comes to race day despite the longstanding traditions that have been preserved:
Cambridge have long held the bragging rights when it comes to the overall totals in this timeless head-to-head, but those backing the Light Blues will be feeling a little edgy ahead of this weekend’s showdown.
That’s because the Oxford men’s crew are closing the gap quickly, with three wins in the last three years putting the score at 81-79. They will be without a critical influence in their recent triumphs, though, with Constantine Louloudis no longer in the crew. The former team president had led the Dark Blues to wins in four of the last five years.
“As president, I feel personally responsible for making sure we never lose sight of beating whatever crew Cambridge put out,” said the man filling his shoes in the buildup to this one, American Morgan Gerlak, per Richard Amofa of the Daily Telegraph. “That’s the pressure that I feel.”
In the women’s event, Cambridge’s advantage is a little more substantial, with 41 wins secured compared to Oxford’s 29. But, like the men’s race, the Dark Blues seem to be on the charge, with a comfortable win last season making it three in succession.
Cambridge’s president, Hannah Roberts, has offered insight into the team’s preparations this year on social media, with the entire crew in close quarters in the buildup to the big day:
This clip from the London Port Authority shows the kind of preparations that go into the event's setup:
In the men’s race, the loss of a figure such as Louloudis will be tough to compensate for Oxford, who have relied on him for guidance and inspiration during their dominant patch.
Cambridge have a lot of class within their ranks too, including former Great Britain oarsman Lance Tredell, and a coach in Steve Trapmore who is a former Olympic gold medalist.
So while there’s little inclination that anything will alter drastically in the women’s race compared to last year, the men’s event will be a lot more competitive. And after three lean years, the Light Blues seem well-placed to stop the rot.
Oxford battled against the tide to emerge victorious in the 2015 Boat Race on Saturday, beating Cambridge to win their third title in succession.
The university's official Twitter account confirmed their men's team's triumph, pulling Oxford to within two races of their close rivals in the race's all-time standings (Cambridge 81, Oxford 79):
There was twice the reason for the Dark Blues to celebrate, too, after the women's team led Saturday's parade with a victory over their Cambridge counterparts earlier in the schedule.
Oxford's female representatives were understandably elated in the wake of their win, also claiming a third back-to-back triumph and another year of bragging rights:
It was clear from the beginning that Oxford were the in-form outfit, enjoying a more positive start to the race and taking off toward Craven Cottage with a lead already in the bag.
Winding their way down the Thames the Dark Blues continued to edge their way further ahead of Cambridge before coming upon Hammersmith Bridge, where Cambridge would look to take advantage of their inside track at the bend.
It would prove to be fruitless, however, as a combination of choppy conditions and the Oxford team matching them every stroke of the way saw the eventual winners come out with a length's lead.
Although the spirit of competition called for a tighter contest, Oxford looked the likely victors before even reaching halfway, with The Independent taking note of their clear cushion:
And full credit must got to Louloudis and Co. for their work in battling against the strong winds and bends, which should rightfully have seen them concede territory, instead emerging with an even greater lead.
Even Match of the Day's Gary Lineker tuned in to the annual event, although some may well question the football pundit's input:
With such a distance between the two foes, Oxford may have eased up on their Cambridge opponents, but their efforts were merciless until the end, winning by an incredible six lengths.
Per The Telegraph's Alan Tyers, Oxford captain Stan Louloudis confirmed it was far from a perfect build-up to the race, but the Great Britain Olympian was ultimately full of praise for his crew:
"I felt a lot more pressure this time. Partly because I was leading the guys and partly because we had some dark moments in the build-up. But we went out and executed a really good race."
With the margin reduced to just two in the overall scores, Oxford will sense the coming years as their opportunity to wrestle bragging honours back from their university foes.
The last time Oxford clinched three Boat Race triumphs in a row came in their six-year streak between 1987 and 1992, but they'll seek to ensure this can be the continuation of a similar spree.
The annual boat race between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge is one of the most longstanding and traditional occasions on the English sporting calendar.
This weekend, the two prestigious institutions will go head-to-head in the event for the 161st time, with Cambridge leading the overall standings 81-78. Oxford won this event by a massive margin last year, though, and will feel as though momentum is behind them as they bid to cut the gap to two.
Here's all the information you need on where to catch this iconic event and a look at how things are set to pan out when these eternal rivals square off on the River Thames once again.
Date: Saturday, April 11
Time (BST): 4:50 p.m. (Women), 5:50 p.m. (Men)
TV Info: BBC (UK)
Live Stream: BBC iPlayer (UK)
Click here for the full race route.
As these two teams geared up for the race back in April 2008, the light blue jerseys of Cambridge boasted a six-race lead over the darker shade of blue donned by their rivals. But after winning five of the last seven runnings of this event, Oxford have the chance to cut the gap to just two in this prolonged series.
This is how the race panned out last year:
Coming into this one, it's the team on the chase who are favourites once again. With memories of that 11-length win from 2014 still fresh—the largest winning margin since 1973—Oxford's spirits will be buoyed, and with a star-studded squad at their disposal, the Dark Blues look ready to decrease the deficit further.
Here's a look at how their preparations have been going ahead of Saturday's showdown, per the university's official Twitter feed:
While the reserve races between the two teams have often provided an excellent warm-up for the main event, this year, those spectators set to line the banks of the River Thames will be treated to what should be three engrossing races. That's because the women's equivalent will be held on the Tideway on the same day for the first time ever.
In their series, it's Cambridge who hold a sizeable overall lead of 41-28, but having triumphed in 11 of the last 15 races, Oxford are on the charge and look to be the massive favourites to sample victory once again this weekend.
The Dark Blues team will be hoping that things go a lot better for them on race day than they have been going in practice, however, as noted here by The Independent:
Provided the weather doesn't whip up a storm this weekend, it's going to be a fine day for Oxford. While they are behind in both disciplines, the men and women representing the university have massive impetus behind them after their dominance in recent years.
Cambridge will be hoping to put things right, and maybe some tougher conditions will prove to be something of a leveller on the day. But if both crews perform to their maximum, the Light Blues will be looking over their shoulders with festering concern by the time the race comes around again in 2016.
The 160th edition of the Boat Race takes place this Sunday as Oxford and Cambridge once again ready their oars for one of the most hotly contested university traditions in the world.
One-hundred-and-eighty-five years after the first race was held, these two boat clubs will once again take to the River Thames in the hopes of deciding upon who takes bragging rights for the next 12 months.
As things stands, Cambridge hold a slight advantage over their bitter rivals in total Boat Race victories, having claimed 81 wins while Oxford, the reigning champions, have only 77.
Not since 2009 has either of these two teams claimed back-to-back triumphs, giving Oxford some extra incentive to break ranks and close the gap further on their foes.
Read on for a full preview of the event, as well as all the viewing information.
Date: Sunday, April 6
Time: 5:55 p.m. BST/12:55 p.m. ET
Stream: BBC Sport website
TV Info: BBC One (UK), BBC World News (Worldwide)
Race Info
The Boat Race course, otherwise known as the Championship Course, is a four-mile stretch of water located in South West London, beginning in Putney and winding its way to Mortlake, where the race reaches its finish-line climax.
Sky News' Sally Hitchiner provides some trivia regarding the Putney Bridge section of the race:
Prior to the race, an umpire will hold a coin toss between the presidents of Oxford and Cambridge's crews in order to decide which side (or "station") the respective teams will race on.
The Middlesex side of the Thames gives some advantage on the first and final bends of the course, while a long, middle section gives some help to that team staged on the Surrey side. These are small margins, however, as in the last 20 races, 11 winners have come from the Surrey side.
Infostrada Sports give some statistical background to this Sunday's collision:
The Hammersmith Bridge is just under halfway round the course and most teams that have gained a lead at this stage have gone on to win the race outright.
Descending into Chiswick, it's here that the race really heats up. In the last five races, the winning teams have all taken between 17 and 18 minutes to complete their run, giving some idea of just how long this year's head-to-head will last.
Teams (via BBC Sport)
Oxford
Storm Uru (bow seat, NZ), Tom Watson (two seat, Can), Karl Hudspith (three seat, GB), Tom Swartz (four seat, US), Malcolm Howard (five seat, GB), Michael Di Santo (six seat, US), Sam O'Connor (seven seat, NZ), Constantine Louloudis (stroke seat, GB), Laurence Harvey (cox, GB)
Cambridge
Mike Thorp (bow seat, GB), Luke Juckett (two seat, US), Ivo Dawkins (three seat, GB), Steve Dudek (four seat, US), Helge Gruetjen (five seat, Ger), Matthew Jackson (six seat, US), Joshua Hooper (seven seat, Aus), Henry Hoffstot (stroke seat, US), Ian Middleton (cox, GB)
Friday saw the start of the first round of the 2014 Rowing World Cup as part of this week's Sydney International Rowing Regatta at Penrith. More than 200 competitors have travelled to Australia for the first of three total regattas.
Sydney is hosting the World Cup for the second year in a row, and with a chance to gain some valuable points on home soil before the competition resumes in Europe, many of the top competitors from Australia and New Zealand have descended on the 2000 Olympic regatta course.
Sunday results, recap
Once again the Australian's were dominant in Sunday's finals. Of the 13 races to take place, six were won by the hosts to send the crowd into rapture.
Sally Kehoe and Olumpia Aldersey set the pace in the Women's double sculls final and were holding the lead at halfway, with a settled 35 stroke rate.
Reigning world champions, Lithuania's Donata Vistartaite and Milda Valciukaite, gave themselves too much to do in the latter stages and whilst a quick burst took them second, they were never going to catch Kehoe and Aldersey.
Building on his excellent performance on Friday, Australia's Nicholas Purnell led the way in the men's sculls final, moving quickly away from the field.
However, his over-exuberance saw him tire badly towards the end of the race and a last place finish would not be what he would've envisaged at the start of the race.
Instead, Dirk Uittenbogaard of the Netherlands took up the pace and could not be caught, Australia's Rhys Grant following him home in a distant second.
The mens eight final was an epic encounter. Australia1 got off to the best start, and by 500m were a quarter of a length up on the Netherlands.
New Zealand came with a late sprint to take themselves past Australia2 and with the line approaching they were gaining on the Netherlands with every stroke.
With 200 meters left, Australia1 could afford to ease themselves home, with the Dutch managing to keep the New Zealanders at bay.
| Race | Class | Description | Winning Boat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 507 | LM1x | Final A | CHN |
| 508 | LW1x | Final A | CHN1 |
| 509 | M4x | Final A | AUS1 |
| 510 | W4x | Final A | AUS |
| 511 | M2- | Final A | NED1 |
| 512 | W2- | Final A | NZL |
| 513 | M4- | Final A | AUS1 |
| 514 | LM2x | Final A | GRE |
| 515 | LW2x | Final A | AUS2 |
| 516 | M2x | Final A | LTU |
| 517 | W2x | Final A | AUS1 |
| 518 | M1x | Final A | NED1 |
| 519 | W1x | Final A | NZL |
| 520 | M8+ | Final A | AUS1 |
Friday results, recap
As was expected, the hosting Australians put together an excellent first day of competition with multiple teams dominating their races on the way to Sunday's finals.
Angus Moore, Alexander Hill, Spencer Turrin and Alexander Lloyd surprised everyone by winning the opening race in the coxless four, defeating the reigning world champion Dutch boat in the process.
The inexperienced but highly talented Australian crew took an early lead, forcing the Dutch boat (with Vincent van der Want stepping in as a substitute) to play catch-up for the entire race. The world champions came close, but the Australians were able to hold on to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
In the men's pair, Dutch favourites Rogier Blink and Mitchell Steenman did what they had to do, easily handling the field of crews to book their place in Sunday's finals.
A valiant effort from New Zealand's Thomas Murray and Alex Kennedy kept things exciting, but the youngsters lacked the power to overtake the 2013 bronze medalists.
The team's women's pair did better, however, with favourites Rebecca Scown and Louise Trappitt easily dominating heat one to secure a spot in the middle lanes on Sunday.
The women's double scull saw one of the strongest fields with several of last year's medallists present, but the team of Olympia Aldersey and Sally Kehoe won it for the hosts, holding off the heavily favoured Lithuanian crew.
Australia also performed well in the single sculls with Nicholas Purnell recording the fastest qualifying time and reigning Olympic champion Kim Crow dominating her race from start to finish.
In the men's eight, the top crews of Australia and Holland finally went head-to-head, giving spectators a marvelous show to end the first day of qualifiers. Though the hosts grabbed the early lead and pushed the tempo, Holland were able to beat the Aussie crew with a big final push in the sprint.
| Race | Class | Description | Winning Boat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 378 | M2- | X | NED1 |
| 379 | W2- | H1 | NZL |
| 380 | W2- | H2 | CAN1 |
| 381 | LM1x | H1 | CHN |
| 382 | LM1x | H2 | AUS1 |
| 383 | LW1x | H1 | CHN1 |
| 384 | LW1x | H2 | CHN3 |
| 386 | M4- | X | AUS1 |
| 387 | M2x | X | AUS1 |
| 388 | W2x | H1 | AUS1 |
| 389 | W2x | H2 | GER2 |
| 390 | LW2x | X | AUS1 |
| 391 | M1x | H1 | NED1 |
| 392 | M1x | H2 | AUS1 |
| 393 | W1x | H1 | NZL |
| 394 | W1x | H2 | AUS |
| 395 | LM2x | H1 | GRE |
| 396 | LM2x | H2 | CHN2 |
| 417 | M4x | X | AUS1 |
| 418 | W4x | X | AUS |
| 419 | M8+ | X | NED |
| Race | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 460 | LM1x | R |
| 461 | LW1x | R1 |
| 462 | LW1x | R2 |
| 463 | W2- | R1 |
| 464 | W2- | R2 |
| 465 | W2x | R |
| 466 | M1x | R |
| 467 | W1x | R |
| 468 | LM2x | R |
Listings of further positions and times can be found at Rowingone.com.
Competition will resume on Saturday with the remaining teams racing for a spot and a favourable lane in Sunday's finals.
No gold medals were handed out on day four of the 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju but there was plenty of drama in Korea.
Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand was a big-name casualty as he failed to reach the semi-finals of the men’s single sculls.
Former world champion Marcel Hacker of Germany won the heat with Aleksandar Aleksandrov of Azerbaijan and Georgi Bozhilov of Bulgaria taking the remaining two qualifying places.
Drysdale, who turned 34 in December, has been considering retirement since his triumph at the London Games.
The five-time world champion also suffered a disrupted preparation after he collided with the side of a truck in Korea last week.
However. the two other medallists from the Eton Dorney regatta, Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic and Alan Campbell of Great Britain, progressed to Friday's semi-finals.
Kim Crow, who won bronze at last year's Olympics, qualified fastest for the women's single sculls semi-finals, while Britain's Vicky Thornley also progressed.
It was a second day of repechages, and Great Britain and the Netherlands edged out New Zealand to reach the final of the women’s eight, while France and the Netherlands got themselves into the showpiece of the men's equivalent.
Korea and Russia reached the final of the lightweight women’s quadruple sculls, while Hong Kong and Denmark made it through to the gold medal decider in the men's version.
It is finals day for non-Olympic-class events on Friday, with the marquee events being settled on Saturday and Sunday.
The 2013 World Rowing Championships have kicked off in Chungju, South Korea. Day 1's extensive run of heats provided plenty of interesting results for rowers who are looking to score a major victory in Asia.
Onlookers were treated to races in 10 boat classes in comfortable conditions on the Tangeum Lake International Rowing Regatta course. As we recap the opening day of action, let's also take at the rowers to watch across the rest of the event's duration.
Day 1 Results Recap
Here's each of the results from the elite class races.
It's worth noting that in the Lightweight Men's Single Sculls, the top four from each of the five heats qualified for the quarterfinal clashes. In the Men's Single Sculls, only the top three qualified across six heats.
Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls—Heats
| Winner | Runner-up | Third | Fourth | |
| Heat 1 | Henrik Stephansen | Jeremie Azou | Rajko Hrvat | Aymen Mejri |
| Heat 2 | Michael Schmid | Nicholas Pratt | Nedelcho Vasilev | Jose Casiraghi |
| Heat 3 | Andrew Campbell | Jonathan Koch | Nikolaos Afentoulis | Wong |
| Heat 4 | Peter Galambos | Jamie Kirkwood | Hakbeom Lee | Benjamin Tolention |
| Heat 5 | Pedro Fraga | Alan Eber Armenta Vega | Duncan Grant | Catalan Flores |
Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls—Heats
Qualifiers: GRE, USA, AUT, GBR, RSA, BLR, BRA, NZL
Women’s Pair—Heats
Qualifiers: GBR, ROU, SRB, NED, NZL, UKR, USA, RSA, GER
Men’s Pair—Heats
Qualifiers: ITA, NZL, ESP, FRA
Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls—Heats
Qualifiers: ITA, GBR, SUI, NED
Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls—Heats
Qualifiers: ITA, GER, USA, NED, GBR, NZL
Men’s Four—Heats
Qualifiers: NED, ITA, USA, GBR, AUS, BLR
Women’s Quadruple Sculls—Heats
Qualifiers: GER, CAN
Men’s Quadruple Sculls—Heats
Qualifiers: GER, UKR, CRO, SUI, GBR, EST
Men’s Single Sculls—Heats
| Winner | Runner-up | Third | |
| Heat 1 | Mahe Drysdale | Petru Codau | Domonkos Szell |
| Heat 2 | Mindaugas Griskonis | Roel Braas | Roman Roeoesli |
| Heat 3 | Ondrej Synek | Sawarn Singh | Dani Fridman |
| Heat 4 | Alan Campbell | Nicholas Purnell | Georgi Bozhilov |
| Heat 5 | Angel Fournier | Aleksandar Aleksandrov | Vladislav Yakovlev |
| Heat 6 | Marcel Hacker | Luka Spik | Artem Kosov |
Rowers to Watch in South Korea
Sunday's showing has outlined a number of favourites to watch during the rest of the competition. While many of the heats finished in close contention, who destroyed the rest of the field with an easy victory? Let's take a look.
Henrik Stephansen
Stephansen was tasked with an immensely difficult opening race in the Lightweight Men's Single Sculls. The 25-year-old Dane was pitted up against Jeremie Azou, beating the Frenchman by just 0.14 seconds. This race quite literally went down to the last stroke as both rowers strived to assert dominance in the first clash.
Such a win gives Stephansen the edge as the competition progresses. His fast-finishing prowess is a potent weapon on his quest for glory and has already proven vital in South Korea.
He also set the fastest qualifying time at 6:56.61, as reported by World Rowing.
Helen Glover and Polly Swann
British hopefuls performed extremely well during Day 1. Glover and Swann's new partnership may have only started at the beginning of the season, but since hitting the water together, the pair have won every single race.
An intense battle with Romania's Roxana Cogianu and Nicoleta Albu saw the British duo pushed to the limit. Glover and Swann started slowly and had work to do in the latter half of the race to ensure victory. Encouragingly, even with the trundling start, they set the fastest qualifying time across all of the Women's Pair heats.
Alan Campbell
Campbell will be pleased for his fellow Brits, but the 30-year-old had his own reasons to celebrate in the cloudy South Korean conditions.
The 2012 Olympic bronze medallist hasn't enjoyed the best of spells in recent times. A misfired start in the Men's Single Sculls would have dented the confidence of a man who has struggled for rhythm all season. Luckily, a comfortable 31 strokes per minute was enough to safely qualify from his heat in first.
This win will do wonders for Campbell's confidence. Although it means nothing yet, the British rower will head into the quarterfinal with a rejuvenated morale and increased focus.
