It is Sparty versus Smarty on the high seas as the Michigan State women’s rowing team travels out east to face off against No. 9 Brown and No. 5 Princeton this Saturday on Lake Carnegie, near Princeton, N.J.

This will be the first race for Princeton and Brown, while Michigan State on the other hand, has several races under its belt, including one against Rutgers and Boston University yesterday.

The Spartans currently sit just outside of the CRCA Division-I poll, and a good showing against these two elite teams will certainly be enough to push them into the top 25.

The Spartans have been making strides over the past few weeks and it seems as if their stock is on the rise. The question is whether the match on Friday will be an asset to MSU or a liability. If it is the latter, then it could be a long morning.

Second varsity four starts at 9:00 a.m., third varsity eight starts at 9:20 a.m., varsity four starts at 9:40 a.m., second varsity eight starts at 10:00 a.m., and varsity eight starts at 10:20 a.m. All times are EST.

Jason Ruff is a multimedia journalist for Impact Sports.

Photo: Michigan State University Women’s Rowing