Pirates take 3-of-4 over UCLA in dual matchup
NEWPORT BEACH -- Under perfect racing conditions, the Orange Coast College men's crew nearly pulled off a perfect morning against UCLA in a dual matchup on the Newport Harbor.
In four races against the Bruins, the Pirates won three, and were edged at the wire on the fourth, giving head coach Cam Brown plenty to smile about throughout Saturday morning.
"After a heavy week of training it was great to see some solid racing across the board," Brown said. "As a squad we are looking forward to competing at the San Diego Crew Classic next week."
In the Novice 8, the OCC "A" boat jumped out to the early lead and cruised to victory, posting a time of 6 minutes, 9 seconds. The OCC "B" boat took second with a time of 6:36, while UCLA took third with a 6:38.
Up next was the Varsity 4 and again, it was the Pirates on top as they crossed the finish line with a time of 7:06, five seconds ahead of the Bruins (7:11.4).
In the Second Varsity 8 race, UCLA and the Pirates battled the entire length of the 2,000-meter race, but in the end, the Bruins edged out a win with a time of 6:13.4, just three-tenths ahead of the Pirates (6:13.7).
In the final race of the morning, the OCC Varsity 8 took on the top eight from the Bruins and led from the opening stroke of the race. Coast dominated the Bruins and crossed the line with a time of 5:56.3, a full 14 seconds ahead of the Bruins' time of 6:10.4.
The Pirates will return to the water on Saturday down in Mission Bay for the 2017 San Diego Crew Classic, which kicks off at 7 a.m.
