Note: This is the first installment of a column that will give you a look at the competitive sports that some of Conn’s professors enjoy on a regular basis.
For this inaugural article, I was able to talk with Professor Stephen Loomis of the biology department about his sport of choice: rowing.
Loomis’s interest in crew was first sparked eight years ago when his daughter decided to give it a try in high school. After watching several of her races, he thought it looked fun and decided to try it himself.
Loomis started out by purchasing an old training boat from Connecticut College coach Ric Ricci and joining a rowing class. He remained in this class for several years, and through repeated practice, his love for the sport grew.
Eventually, he purchased a better racing boat (called a “shell”) and started training in East Lyme on both the Niantic River and Pattagansett Lake.
On one particular day during a training session, Loomis was approached by photographer Jack Sauer for The Day. Sauer asked Loomis if he could take a few pictures of him rowing on the lake for the paper.
After this brief photo session, Loomis learned that Sauer was, in fact, also a part of a crew team based in Niantic called the Sculling Warthogs.
When he expressed interest in joining them to see what being part of a rowing team was like, Sauer promised he would contact Loomis if they had an opening for him.
As it turned out, Loomis received the call sooner than he had expected. When a teammate went on vacation, Sauer invited Loomis to participate in a practice with the rest of the team. He took part in single and double scull training with the Warthogs, and before long, he became a member himself.
Since joining the Sculling Warthogs, Loomis has enjoyed practicing and competing with the team in various head races from late March to early December.
When he’s not out on the water during the winter, Loomis continues to train on Nordic and ergometer machines. Commenting on his affection for rowing, Loomis said, “It’s a passion. I’m addicted to the sport!”
Loomis’s passion is quite evident on our campus. He serves as an advisor for the women’s rowing team at Conn.
According to rower Katy Varga ’11, “He plays an active role and comes to all of our races. He’s also great about spreading the word about our races among the faculty.”
Loomis has made a huge commitment to the sport during the past decade, and he is now looking forward to many more years of rowing with the Warthogs. The team’s logo is proudly displayed on the side of his truck, and when I asked him why the team is named the Warthogs, he happily replied, “Because they have small arms and big bodies!”
