TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

What goals do you and your teammates have for women's crew at UB? What has been your biggest accomplishment thus far?
I think that the major goal that my teammates and I have for women's crew at UB, at least for this season, is to make it to the finals at the Dad Vail Regatta in the spring. It is our biggest race of the spring season, and reaching the finals is something that we have never done before. So, I think I would have to say that that would probably be what we have our sights on for the moment. Aside from that, I think that each person on the team has their own personal goals to become stronger, and with that faster on the water so that we can work for towards our team goal at Dad Vails.

This past weekend, we took a boat to the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. We had the luck of the draw this year, and through a random lottery we were able to enter one eight in the Club Eight category. This race is nationally known, and it is the biggest fall regatta in the United States. At the Charles, schools come from all over to compete; competition ranges from Yale to some of the national teams from European countries. In our even, there were 55 entries. Our coaches were hoping that we would place top 25. But, as we were barreling down the Charles, everyone in the boat had a different outlook. We were all determined and wanted to make a mark – and show some of the other schools out there who we were. Everyone in the boat gave everything that they possibly could and it showed. We ended up placing 13th out of 55! With that finish we were invited back next year, so now we don't have to worry about being getting the luck of the draw. I definitely think that this was a huge steppingstone for our whole program, and we can only get faster from that. In the words of coach Weiler, "You can fly if you try."

Do you wish there was more support and understanding of crew? How can people support your team?
Yes, I do wish that there was more support for our team. I think it is difficult for people to become interested in it and support us because they really are not too sure what crew is. We receive a lot of support from the UB Athletic Department – but as far as from students and others, there really isn't too much support. It actually is a little difficult to support our team though because we don't have too many home races. However, we do have one in Buffalo in the fall and a few that are not too far from home in the spring.

How did you first get involved in crew?
I first became involved in crew during my freshman year of high school. One of my older cousins rowed for a local high school here in Buffalo and he constantly talked about it – eventually persuading me to become involved. I went down to the rowing club and instantly knew that it was something I wanted to do. I joined my freshman team at high school, and from there the rest is history; this is currently my sixth year of crew.

What is your specific role as the coxswain?
The role of being a coxswain is more than meets the eye. During our races and practices on the water, the coxswain is basically the eyes and ears of the crew. Since the rowers are facing backwards on the seats, it is my job to steer the shell and keep everyone on task. Also as a coxswain you have to be a good motivator. You have to know what to say to keep your crew moving and pulling hard, this is especially important during the races when everyone gets so excited and starts to rush the slides. It's important that the coxswain keeps everyone rowing together following the stroke's (the first person in the boat who sets the pace of the boat) rhythm and pace. During practice, coxswains act like a coach in the boat. Our coaches ride in motorboats alongside of us but they cannot feel how the boat is moving; we also call all of the drills and pieces during our practice. It is very important for us to have good communication with the coaches to give them feedback about how our rows went.

What are the other crew positions and what are their duties?
The other positions on the team consist of the rowers. They basically have one job to do. That would be to go out and pull as hard as they know, basically to the point of exhaustion. It is extremely important that everyone in a boat works together. Crew is different from every other sport because unlike soccer or basketball where you can have one outstanding player who can make or break a game or season, one person cannot determine the outcome of a crew race. Each person in the boat has to follow the person in front of them, come up and down the slides together, catch together, and drive their legs down together. When you can put all of those together, the outcome is a fast boat. So, basically the job of the rowers is to go out and empty the tanks in every stroke.

Describe the head race format in the fall. In the fall we row what we call a head race. They are usually around three miles in distance. In these races, instead of having heats and finals - where you can row more than once in a day - you row only once and are up against the clock. All of the boats in your category (there can be up to around 60 at some races) gather in the starting area and then the officials call you one by one, spacing you ten to fifteen seconds apart. You do not start from a dead stop in these races, rather you row into it, and the name of the game basically is to try to catch and pass the crews that started ahead of you, while trying to prevent the crews that started behind you from passing you. What matters though, is your time.

Now, discuss what the sprint races during the spring entail.
During the spring we have what we call our sprint season. In these races, we race a strict 2,000-meter course. Generally there are about seven boats that line up across the water, (stake boats are holding onto them so no one has an advantage at the start) and there is an official that calls out at the start, "Attention all, and row,” – and then a horn sounds. From the sound of the horn, all boats jump to start and take off, racing to the designated finish. Unlike the fall head races, you know how you placed right away because everyone finishes together. During these races - depending on how many entries there are in your category - you may have heats, semifinals, quarterfinals and then finals.

How often do you practice? What type of work does your team do in practice (on the water, weight lifting, etc.)?
Our team usually practices six days a week, depending on our race schedule. We practice Monday through Saturday morning at 5:45 a.m. on the Tonawanda Creek. Generally, each day that we are on the water we practice for about two hours in the morning. During these workouts we start out with drills (these are used to warm everyone up and to help everyone get a feel for the boat), and then when we turn around to head back and do a lot of full pressure pieces. During the fall season, the pieces are usually a bit longer to help build endurance so that we have strong finishes in the races. We also have a second practice of the day, which either entails weightlifting or erging (on the indoor rowing machine). We usually alternate each day to vary the workout.

How many team members compete at each tournament?
At our races, everyone rows. We race in two types of boats, a four-man shell and an eight-man shell. Both boats also include a coxswain. There are usually different categories that you can enter, which include an open category and a lightweight category. In the open competition, there is no weight requirement - but in the lightweight event, the limit is usually around 135 pounds.

What type of involvement can you have in crew beyond the collegiate level?
You can definitely be involved in crew after participating at the collegiate level. There are a lot of rowing clubs throughout the country that offer rowing as a recreational sport. In these programs, you can just go out for fun without the worries or stresses of competition. However, if it's competition that you like, then there are a lot of clubs that offer that. In the summer especially, a lot of us on the team row for our hometown club - which can be quite competitive. There are a lot of races during this time that help to keep us in shape for our coming seasons at UB.