With 14 teams and nearly 120 boats scheduled to compete this year's Lindamood Cup, set to take place this weekend, is slated to be one of the biggest and most exciting regattas to hit the river in recent years.
The only problem is, Marietta may not get to have it unless Mother Nature decides to calm down and stop putting so much debris and water in the river.
Heavy rainfall that has hit the area in recent days has caused the river level to swell, but in spite of the higher waters the Tiger Navy is thrilled about the prospect of the upcoming regatta, their only home meet on the season.
"We're definitely looking forward to it," said Marietta boys' crew coach Eric Dowler.
Three states are represented as there will be 13 teams traveling to Marietta to join the Tigers on the water.
Included in the teams traveling to Marietta are power house schools like Cleveland St. Ignatius and Upper Arlington. Also slated to compete in the Lindamood Cup are Allderdice (Pa.), Parkersburg, Cleveland Scholastic, Dublin, Hampton (Pa.), Hilliard, North Catholic (Pa.), Oakland Catholic (Pa.), Parkersburg South, St. Joseph Academy and Shaker Heights.
St. Ignatius will have the most individual entries of any team as the school will enter 18 events. Dublin is second as it is entering in 17 events. Marietta is entered in 13 events in its home regatta.
All told, there are officially 119 entries from the 14 teams that represent eight cities in the three states.
"It (Lindamood Cup) is bigger than it's been in recent years," said Marietta girls' crew coach Joe Tewkesbury.
With so many schools slated to participate this year the first event in the Lindamood Cup is set for 7:30 a.m. with morning heats for each event that has more than five sculls entered.
Finals are set to take place in the afternoon with the final event, the boys and girls varsity eight races, to begin approximately 4 p.m.
"It's just going to be a full day of events. You'll constantly be seeing races and boats going down the river," Dowler said.
A year ago the Tiger Navy claimed both the boys and girls overall team titles and despite the obstacles they've faced this spring with the weather, they're anxious to defend those titles.
"We're going to be pretty quick still. We have a lot of seniors on the team, but we're not going to be as quick as we will in May," Dowler said.
No matter how quick the Tigers are on the river, they just want to put forth their best effort and from there let the chips fall where they may.
"We just have to row our best and hopefully we're faster than the other teams," Tewkesbury said.
Speed on the water may be the goal for crew teams, but for the Tiger coaching staff right now the speed of the water is a real concern.
"Depth of water isn't the issue, except for getting to the docks. It's the speed of the water," Tewkesbury said.
The heavy rainfalls have added considerable speed to the river, and it's one of the things the coaches will have to look at before making a decision on whether or not to hold the regatta this year. Dowler said he hopes to have a decision made on the Lindamood Cup by this evening for schools that will be traveling into the area.
Weather has been a factor in the Tiger Navy's practices, so with limited time on the water Dowler believes keeping the title of the Lindamood Cup in Marietta will come down to heart.
"With the situation with the water and the amount of time we've had on the water, it's going to come down to how bad these guys want to win," Dowler said.
"These guys are tough. They're going to fight for it."
