Champions for the past two years in the California Collegiate Oarsmen Association, the Dons are training to win their third title under Coach Bill Lenhart. Veterans Bob Neal, Ross Dunleavy, Bill Reynolds, Charles Fournier, Joe Kane and Tom Waters, with freshmen Bill Campbell, Dave Morris, Bob Rossi, Bob Flood, Don Helbig, and Leo Orginos are heavy favorites in league circles to win the championship again. Competition in crew is restricted to two years as other members of the association are junior colleges. Consequently the Dons lost many men from last year who are still in school but ineligible to compete.
League races with San Mateo Junior College, San Francisco Junior College, and Polytechnic College of Oakland are not held until early May. However, in practice races with San Francisco high school crews, the Dons have won handily.
Races are held over a 2000 meter course along the Marina. Special block letters are awarded crew men. This crew block was designed two years ago by the Athletic Office when the Dons won their first championship (TheDon).
Leo Orginos was a native of San Francisco, and graduated in Accounting in 1942. After graduation, he entered the Navy's V-7 program, an expedited auxiliary Naval officer training program instituted in 1940.
