Photo by Kyra Gabow
In rowing, there’s a winner-takes-all attitude. And this past Saturday at the New England Rowing Championships Conn’s Men’s and Women’s Rowing teams did the taking. By the late afternoon as the crews packed up to leave the regatta grounds in Worchester, Massachusetts, the Camels had won one bronze and three gold medals for their school.
It was chilly and overcast on Lake Quinsigamond as the rowers kicked off their day with qualifying heats, the top finishers of which are allowed to move on to the grand finals. Every Conn boat qualified for grand finals, some under tougher circumstances than others.
“We got off the line with a perfect start, but Franklin Pierce collided oars with us within the first 10 strokes,” said Matthew Murdock ’13, the three-seat of the Men’s Varsity Four.
Less than twenty-five meters into the heat, the bow of the Franklin Pierce Four entered Conn’s lane and clashed oars, bringing both boats to a screeching halt.
Despite their disadvantage, the Camels nevertheless moved through other crews to finish third – just one place short of qualifying. After protesting the race to an official they were admitted into the seventh lane of the grand final.
By the afternoon the clouds had broken and the day took on a new vitality as spectators gathered at the finishing stretch to watch the grand finals.
The Women’s Novice Four, consisting of Emily Wilde ’14, Sohpia Mueller ’14, Lindsey Stokes ’14, Emily Goldstein ’14 and coxswain Valentine Goldstein ’14, started the medal count, getting the bronze medal after finishing behind Amherst and Bowdoin. “I’m really proud of them because they’ve only been in that lineup for a week,” said Novice coach Leah Hiendlmayr ’07 in reference to their recent changes to the boat’s seating order.
The Men’s Novice Four, comprised of Phil Steuber ’14, Travis Beach ’14, Matthew August ’13, Nick Gollner ’14 and Coxswain Drew Frazier ’12, continued the streak, placing first to finish off an undefeated season, with WPI and Wesleyan coming in behind for silver and bronze. After getting off the start relatively slow, the novices gradually moved into the lead. Steuber cited the boat’s efficient stroke as key to their win: “Once we got out in front in the first 1000 [meters] they just didn’t have the energy to push past us,” he said, “Overall there was a good rhythm, and we felt really smooth and in sync together.” After battling them in the first thousand meters, the other boats slowed down while Conn continued to widen the gap, finishing the race by open water.
The Men’s Varsity Four, comprised of Rob Jubenville ’13, Murdock, Matthew Larkin ’13, John Kelly ’13 and coxswain Marc Zhao ’13, had a more disappointing final, finishing in seventh place in the grand final. “Once you’re not a freshman anymore, the dynamic changes,” said Men’s Head Coach Ric Ricci, “Rowing freshman is one thing but varsity is another.” After winning bronze the previous year as novices on a team with no upperclassmen, the men had a difficult transition to their varsity season.
Both of the Women’s Varsity boats won gold in their finals, with decisive wins over the competition.
The First Varsity boat, comprised of Lucy Frye ’12, Shana Seikman ’13, Emily Perry ’11, Meghan McLean ’12 and Coxswain Maureen Sweeny ’13, had a challenging final, battling Bowdoin neck and neck for first place. It was not until the last 500 meters that Conn walked away from them, gaining ground with every stroke and holding off the Polar Bears for the gold.
The Second Varsity, comprised of Miriam Singer ’11, Janan Evans-Wilent ’11, Sprague ’13, Lila Douglas ’13 and Coxswain Kate Gulick ’13, dominated their heat, passing the other boats within the first 500 meters. The drop-off in skill from first to second varsity seemed apparent in all but the Camel’s Second Varsity, whose finishing time put them only two seconds behind the boat that finished third in the first varsity heat.
Back at the boathouse after the regatta, both teams unloaded boats and wound down from a long day of racing. The sun set behind the sand-dune peaks of Luce Fieldhouse as the Camels re-rigged and scrubbed down boats, their unity and discipline equally as evident on land as it had been on water. The Thames, a normally daunting body of water, was as calm as a bathtub.
The sound of a trumpet playing “Taps” drifted across the water from the Submarine Base, signifying the end of the day, and for the rowers, the end of a season.
The women will compete in the ECAC regatta next week while the Men will wrap things up until the fall, when they begin their training in single shells again.
the conn mv4 had no business in the grand final. there were 4 boats in the petite final that would have beaten them. protesting your way into the grand final is not the same as qualifying
JMH,
Actually, factually you are wrong. As a USRA official who was working that regatta (though I did not follow that race) I will tell you that they had every right to protest if there was a collision. Within the first 100 meters of the race there is a breakage zone, where if an equipment breakage were to occur the boat may stop rowing without penalty. A collision is not breakage. In truth, if it stopped the boats it did have a material impact in the crews ability to win the race. Franklin Pierce denied them the ability for a fair race. They had a right to protest, did the right thing, and truthfully deserved to be in the final if they were third and it was two to qualify. I could have been and was successfully argued that they had the possibility of making a top 2 finish if they were to not have been collided with. With all due respect, you don’t really know what you are talking about. They had every right to be in the final, and I congratulate them for it!
Conn’s women have no business in the fours— your own article even mentions it: the ability level drops off drastically from the 1v to the 2v. The fours are for small programs with few athletes and meager funding– not schools with a boathouse on campus, indoor rowing tanks, and a complete workout facility of their own. Time to step up, Conn women!
Dear ‘midnightpaddle,’
The point of the article was to celebrate the team’s victories over the weekend, rather than diminish it, as your comments have suggested. It is clear that Conn has done well in the four’s, and the program, in the past, has been smaller in numbers. Racing competitive 4’s then would be an advantageous decision for the program as a response to the needs of the team. If the program is smaller, than why not try and compete (andexcel) where there are opportunities to succeed? Are gold medals still not medals? I also think it is unfair to make comments such as “step it up, conn women.” Do you realize what that does to the victories and successes of the women that have worked hard all along? It is also unfair to assume that resources (ie: indoor facilities, etc) will guarentee successes.
Congratulations to the team on their medal at NE. Success in fours in a very nice accomplishment. That said moving back into 8’s would be better for the stature of the program and hence recruiting. Similarly sized NESCAC schools, Williams or Trinity, both have larger programs and larger upperclassman pools.