Crews Prep for Spring Racing
March 15, 2004
The most noticeable trait around the boathouse this year is the enthusiasm and vigor that all of the squads have shown as they go about their preparations for the racing season. Part of the source of that enthusiasm can be seen in the healthy numbers on the freshmen squads-there are two eights or more with both of the freshmen men's squads and the heavyweight women, and there is an eight and a half with the lightweight women. Rebecca Besant's Eastern Sprint Champions novice lightweight women's squad had similar numbers last year.
As is typical here, there is a large contingent of rowers on our freshmen teams who only started our sport when they came out for crew in August. They have improved enormously over the course of the year and they will certainly continue to do so as long as they keep working the way they have. The experience developed freshmen year, where the rowers learn to push themselves and their teammates, will pay dividends throughout their careers. We look forward to seeing just how far this new group of Hoyas will go.
Both of the men's varsity squads have two eights plus of oarsmen. The varsity lightweights, who are coming off their exciting third place finish at the 2003 IRA, return a solid core of rowers. They will miss the leadership and experience of the four seniors who graduated last year, but they have worked hard and are enthusiastic and eager to race this spring.
The heavyweight squad is led by a core group of seniors who have shown in the winter workouts that they care very much about having their best year ever. Although one would never suspect it from looking at the results of last Fall's head racing, the ergometer scores this year are as good as any group we have had at Georgetown. It is a pleasure to see so many rowers continue to record personal bests. We expect the winter training to translate into speed in the boats and into positive results this spring, and the rowers are all eager for the challenges ahead of us on the water.
