Duke beats IU after 3-way tie in Dale England Cup

Entering Saturday morning in a three-way tie for first with 31 points, IU Rowing Coach Steve Peterson said he was excited for his team to have a chance at redemption during the fourth-annual Dale England Cup at Lake Lemon at Riddle Point Park.

But that chance never came.

At 10:30 a.m., referees and coaches decided the day’s racing had to be canceled due to weather and they would “call it a regatta,” Peterson said.

After IU finished three seconds behind Duke in the First Varsity 8 race, the Hoosiers tied for second and gave up the cup.

“Really kinda bummed me out,” Peterson said of the decision to call the race. “I totally understand it and, given the weather conditions, agree with the situation. But it was really disappointing because the race on Friday was not what we were capable of.”

Poor conditions Friday afternoon changed the original race set-up to having all four teams race at once. The cup was originally supposed to be head-to-head match-ups throughout the course of Friday and Saturday.

Peterson said his team did not adjust well to the conditions Friday afternoon, and that was what disappointed him the most.

“It was a real strong headwind, which changes it a little bit technically and things like that,” Peterson said. “We honestly did not handle the fact that the wind was as strong as it was. I’m very frustrated because I know we’re capable of much faster, and we didn’t show that.”

IU’s Second Varsity 8 also finished second in its Friday race, trailing Rhode Island, the third team in the three-way tie, by nearly six seconds.

The Varsity 4 finished in last place in its race, with Central Florida winning that heat.
Peterson said he was pleased with his Novice 8 crew, who managed the winds effectively, winning its race nearly 10 seconds ahead of second-place Duke.

“The Novice 8 did a great job,” Peterson said. “It was a new lineup. That was a great improvement as far as that. They did a nice job.”

Still, Peterson handed over the Dale England Cup, which the Hoosiers have only won once in the trophy’s four-year history.

“Whoever finishes highest in the First Varsity 8 wins the trophy,” Peterson said. “Well, that was Duke, so we had to hand over the trophy to them. That was kind of frustrating.”

The Hoosiers will now turn their attention to the Big Ten Championships in two weeks at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis, where they have already competed this year.

Peterson said for the team to have any chance at advancing beyond the Big Ten, it will need to have a very strong showing at Eagle Creek.

“Hopefully it’s going to be motivation for us to go as fast as we can right off the bat,” Peterson said. “There’s no room for error at all in the Big Ten.”