June 28, 2006

HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England (AP) -The Kent School from Connecticut became the first American team to challenge for the new Prince Albert Cup at the 168-year-old Henley Royal Regatta, beating the University of London's "B" crew by 2 1/4 lengths Wednesday.

It will not face another English crew, the University of Durham, in the second round of the competition for student coxed fours.

The University of Cincinnati fought back from three lengths down at the halfway mark, but lost by 1 1/2 lengths to England's University of Bristol.

In the prestigious Princess Elizabeth Cup for international schoolboy eights, Thomas Jefferson College from Alexandria, Va., beat the Kent School by 3 3/4 lengths. Thomas Jefferson now faces the London-based Emanuel School in the second round.

In the same event, St. Ignatius College from San Francisco dominated local school Shiplake College to such an extent that the race was awarded an "easily" verdict.

In the Temple Cup for student eights, Cornell University cruised to an "easily" verdict over a composite crew from Pembroke and Christ Church Colleges, Oxford.

Cornell now races the Imperial College from London, which beat Scotland's Edinburgh University in its opener.