Project Editor: Joshua Vapenik, History 470: Digital History, Spring 2008

The Head of the Charles

Nebraska placed 12 out of 39 boats at the 1973 Head of the Charles Regatta. While this may seem unimpressive, the context of the race must be understood. Widely regarded as the largest and most prestigious regatta in the United States, the Head of the Charles is THE race. Competing in this regatta was and remains a big deal, and was an honor for a smaller program like Nebraska.

Coach Pete Zandbergen; four rowers, Matthew Kush, Mark Stormberg, Scott Lewis, and Ron Rsthoven; two alternates, Scott Svoboda and Mike Everett; and one coxswain, Bruce Frederik, traveled 1,500 miles in thirty hours in a station wagon to Philadelphia in order to take part in the race (Whye, 1973). Harvard University hosted the Huskers, accommodating them with a place to stay, allowing them to use their facilities, and loaning them a shell and oars for the race. This was especially remarkable because not one of the other 108 schools and clubs participating that year were offered any of those amenities (Whye, 1973). The shell used by the Huskers was rowed by Harvard in the 1964 Olympics, but was still two years newer than anything the Huskers had at home.

The reception of the Nebraskans by the Bostonians was nothing short of amazing. At one point as the team passed under the Boyleston bridge, the onlooking crowd cheered louder for them than any other team that day. "As No. 78 slid under the bridge, the air reverberated with yells of, 'Go Nebraska, -braska, -braska, -ka, -ka...'" (Whye, 1976).

At the end of the day, the Nebraskans placed 12 out of 39 other shells, beating larger and more established schools like Rutgers, Holy Cross, Dartmouth, Virginia, MIT, Boston University, Pennsylvania, Notre Dame, and even the Canadian National Team from Quebec. If they would have been two seconds faster, they would have placed in the top 10. Afterward, Ron Rusthoven, who transferred from Holy Cross where he regularly competed against the large teams Nebraska faced that day, said it was "his best race ever" (Whye, 1973). This was the first trip a Nebraska boat made to the Head of the Charles, but it would not be the last, and Nebraskans would continue to make the trip to compete with the nation's best.