Sorry for the enormous delay in blog posting. A lot has happened between last spring and now, and I hope I don't miss anything as I fill you in.
Personally, I have had an exciting time rowing in these past months. Over the summer I was lucky enough to row with Riverside Boatclub and work for Community Rowing Inc., both out of Boston. I had a blast this summer, making the final at the USRowing National Championships (Men's 2x) and getting two 3rd place finishes at Canadian Henley (U23 2x Top US Crew, Sr. Men's 8+). I mention this summer because all of my great success and memories would not have been possible without the awesome Marist Crew Alumni support I received. Will Allen ('06) was a great friend at Riverside Boat Club and Brendan Mulvey ('09) was a great co-worker at CRI. My biggest thank you goes to Andrew Hashway ('07) who not only provided great advice at Riverside, but provided a room for my girlfriend and I to live in for two months when we needed to sudden leave our apartment in July. I can say for certain that this summer would be possible without the strength of the Marist Crew Alumni and its support for current rowers. Thank you guys!
Now enough about me, let me share how our fall went...
We started the season off knowing that we have a large amount to learn, but also a lot of potential. We found ourselves in the position of having only one senior (Me!) With the graduation of 4 seniors from the 1v, there were many large shoes to fill. Luckily for us, the younger rowers stepped up tremendously and have contributed to both the 1v and 2v. Sophomore walkon Chris Behnke has been one of the shining star of this group, pulling some of the best times on the team in only his 2nd year rowing. Harrison Reed and Doug Woolley round out the sophomore group in the 1v.
We were forced to overcome some adversity early on when we lost a key member of the 1v in James Wojcik(Jr.) to a shoulder injury. We had to row the Head of the Charles without James, and managed a solid, but disappointing effort. It was our first head race of the season and we didn't execute well. Hopefully the group next year can be better prepared and take advantage of this special event. On a positive it was awesome to hear the cheers for Marist coming from Riverside (I think Hashway was the loudest).
The Head of the Fish (Saratoga Lake) was the next weekend, and had a decidedly different tone. We went in there hungry, with a lot of experience on Fish Creek. I couldn't even count the number of times that 1v rowers Sam Garrison (Albany), Seaton Debritko (Schenectady) and myself (Burnt Hills) have raced that course, let alone Cox. Emma Flynn (A Saratoga Rowing native). That being said, I was a little bit too comfortable in my Collegiate 1x that opened the day. I left a little too much in the tank for the end (headracing 1x rookie mistake) and had to settle for 3rd place. The 2v was able to secure a 4th place finish, which was a nice showing for their only race of the fall. We had a strong performance in the 1v, getting 2nd place behind perennial Head of the Charles winner, Williams. This was a good rebound from the week before. The big surprise of the weekend was the novice 8s securing 2nd and 15th place finishes out of 26. This was a tremendous achievement and is thanks to the dedication from a strong group of recruits and walk ons, as well as new Assistant Coach Matt Lavin. Matt has done an excellent job promoting a culture of hard work to these freshman, and it has clearly began to pay dividends already. We are all looking forward to a strong spring and very promising futures for these freshman.
We now look forward to the bleek and dreary pain of winter erg season that I'm sure you all miss so much. To keep things interesting during the winter months I'll be doing a profile of a rower on the team every now and then, so that you guys get the chance to know some of us.
See you in the spring!
This is a blog by a member of the Men's Varsity Crew @ Marist. Blog is intended for anyone who is a member, fan, family member or alumni of Marist Crew. This particular blog will focus on the men's side of things, but a women's blog should be in the works shortly.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
NY State Championships... kind of
On Thursday, we were notified that Whitney Point, NY was so flooded that racing would be impossible that weekend. Not again!? was our immediate reaction. This would have marked the third straight weekend of cancelled racing. Luckily, the Ithaca coaches were able to throw together an impromptu "NYS Championship", and with some quick wheeling and dealing on the part of Sean Clarke and Tom Sanford, we departed for the regatta on Saturday night.
The men's V8 was set to face off against familiar foes, Hobart, Ithaca and Army amongst others. Having not raced since Knecht Cup, we were forced to shake off the rust a little bit on the way up to the starting line @ Cayuga Lake. Apparently this was the first time anyone has ever raced on the lake, as opposed to the Inlet. We were without our normal 1V cox, Kyle Ward, so Emma Flynn, the F8 cox was forced to pull double duty. This last minute change along with nerves and rustiness seemed to get the best of us in Ithaca, as we finished 3rd behind Hobart and Army. This was a disappointing result, as we dominated both of these teams at Knecht Cup earlier in the season. Although it was a tough pill to swallow, I think this served as a bit of a wake up call, and we will be back in form this weekend @ ECAC/NIRC in Worcester.
Luckily, the event went very well for the rest of the men's team...
The 2V8 had a very strong performance, defeating R.I.T., Ithaca, Army and Hobart. With a very strong start, they had the piece basically wire to wire. This boat has been looking to find its form since Knecht Cup, and a few weeks of strong practices have had the desired effect on the 2V. This is a boat that is feeling very confident going into Worcester, and with the right performance, could definitely be a medal threat.
The F8 had a very exciting piece, as they captured the "NYS Championship". After trade blows with Ithaca down the course, the Marist frosh caught a crab with roughly 700m to go. Normally, this disastrous stoppage of the boat would doom a boat, especially in the last 2 minutes. Our boys responded with poise, picking it back up and moving back into Ithaca. Their composure was rewarded, as an Ithaca rower caught a monstrous crab, which catapulted him from the boat. I was SO upset that we couldn't see the racing, as I'm sure this is one of the moments that anyone watching will never forget. The F8 took off past the now 7 person Ithaca 8, and won going away. This was a great win for the frosh, who have struggled with consistency and lineup changes all year, and have finally found their form.
I apologize to all of you eager blog viewers for the delay in reporting, but final projects and work have been catch up to me. Also, with the exception of this past weekend, there hasn't been much to say! We all look forward to seeing you parents and alumni in Worcester tomorrow. This is a regatta with excellent competition, and the speed of the competition should bring out the best in us. See you there!
President's Cup (Marist v. Army)
On Easter weekend, we travelled down the river to take on Army @ West Point. It was a very typical race @ West Point, complete with the rain and wind that make West Point look as intimidating as intended. If you haven't even gotten the chance to see West Point, it is one of my favorite features of the Hudson Valley. Their facilities are wonderful, and the campus is spectacular. Luckily, I appreciate the history of the U.S Military Academy, because a historic field trip was all this trip was good for.
The racing was immediately put on hold, due to conditions, and was subsequently cancelled. We felt very bad for all the parents who came up to support us, and were relegated to huddling under the food tent for shelter. A big shout out to alumni Marie Wicks, Kevin Glover, Craig Herman and Steve Kuhnert, and to all the others I missed. Sorry you guys came to another weather induced luncheon, but it was great to see you guys, so thanks!
MAAC Championships
We arrived in NJ with high spirits and were poised to dominate the regatta. This MAAC championship would be our 11th straight and we couldn't have been more excited to sweep. Coach Sean Clarke set a men's team goal of winning the regatta by a combined 100 seconds over all of the events...
Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. Soon after we arrived, a strong wind picked up. There was a significant cross-tail wind coming down the course, making for whitecap conditions across all lanes. The regatta was delayed until noon, at which point it was outright cancelled. We were very disappointed, but managed to enjoy the BBQ that the MAAC provided for everyone. Big thanks to all the parents who traveled to support us. Special thanks to alumni Marie Wicks, Kevin Glover and any other alum I didn't get a chance to see. Your continued support means a lot to us.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Knecht Cup Recap
This weekend was a true exercise in overcoming adversity for the men's team, and looking back, I'd say we did a pretty good job.
Due to the injury of Capt. Ryan Wojcik in CT last week, some lineups had to be shuffled around. Brendan O'Bryan was brought up from the 2V, Sean Patterson took the empty seat in the 2V, and both boats had people rowing in different seats than they were used to so far. The practices started off very rocky early in the week, but by Friday, we had really come together and were excited, but unsure how we would fair at the Knecht Cup.
The bus left Friday afternoon and both boats were able to get out and practice on the course, which is always nice to have before a regatta. Unfortunately, it was quite cold and raining the entire time. After the team got back to the hotel, we changed out of our wet clothes, warmed up and headed to Wegman's for dinner. The Wegman's experience was great, especially for the freshman who had never been to one. I think they were a bit overwhelmed by all the dinner options, as Wegman's is essentially a combination grocery store/cafeteria in this case. I, myself enjoyed a great crabcake sandwich with sweet potatoes and rice for only 10 bucks! Very full and very satisfied, we all slept well at the hotel the night before racing began.
The 2V had many racing opportunities over the weekend, as they rowed the 2V8 and also broke down into a 1V4 and a 2V4. The 2V8 drew a very tough heat in a thin field, and ultimately finished 4th, behind eventual winner Temple, Bucknell and Marietta, in a time of 6:48.02. This was actually a fine showing, as all of the teams that beat them have many more people on their team, so the 2V is one of the better boats, as opposed to just the only boat other than V8. Teams like Marietta and Temple often can boat multiple 8s and 4s at a regatta, and not have anyone rowing more than once. Unfortunately for us, if you aren't in the 1V, your in the 2V and with only one sub, the lack of depth was exposed when Ryan's injury occurred. The 2V is now back intact, and have their spirits up for the rest of the season getting back on track.
2V8:
Cox- Bre Rodriguez
Stroke- Billy Hawxhurst
7- Ben Smith
6- James Wojcik
5- Ben Clark
4- Pete Vinnecombe
3- Sean Patterson
2- Paul Tracey
Bow- John Boss
The 1V and 2V 4's didn't fare much better than the 2V8. The 1V4 finished last in a quick heat, with a time of 7:54.59. The 2V4 was the talk of the regatta, and definitely the most hyped up on the Marist team going into the event, earning nicknames such as the Death 4, Battle 4, Defcon 4 and my personal name for them, THE FUN V! The 2V4 was a final only at night on Saturday, and they placed 4th with a time of 7:14.20. You might be asking yourself how the 2V4 was 40 seconds faster than the 1V4, and it is important to note at all races, that conditions can vary greatly throughout the course of a day, or even an hour. Both of these boats had decent rows, especially when you consider they only practiced them once last week.
Lineups:
1V4 2V4
Cox-Bre Rodriguez Kyle Ward
Stroke- James Wojcik Billy Hawxhurst
3- John Boss Sean Patterson
2- Paul Tracey Pete Vinnecombe
Bow- Ben Smith Ben Clark
The Men's Freshman 8 continued to perform well, even without some of their best rowers, due to injury and lineup adjustments. They qualified for semi finals with a 3rd place finish (6:38.79). The semifinal displayed the speed of the field, as Marist finished last in the semi (6:35.33), but were only 2.5s from placing 4th. Relegated to the petite final, the boys placed 5th (6:38.46), ending the regatta with a 11th place overall finish.
The Men's V8 is the main event of most regattas, and this year it certainly didn't disappoint. We were unsure as to how we would perform without Ryan, one of our strongest rowers both technically and physically, and also with a totally reshuffled lineup. We thought we had a pretty tough heat, with Grand Valley State and Mercyhurst primed to give us trouble, along with a Lasalle crew looking to exact revenge. We needed a top 3 showing to move on to semifinals, and about 20 strokes into the piece, that didn't look to be much of a challenge. We blasted off the starting line and quickly moved out to a few seat advantage over GVSU, and almost a length on the field. We never looked back, and after 1k were not challenged again and cruised comfortably to a 1st place heat finish (6:19.15). We knew that going into the semifinal, it would be a battle just to make the final, considering the substantial depth of the field this year. We went to the line with confidence in our race plan after an impressive heat performance, and the semi went off without a hitch. We flew off the line at a 45, and quickly established a small length on Temple, leaving the rest of the field in our respective wakes. Through 1k, we had as much as a half boat length lead over Temple, with the rest of the pack (Hobart, Delaware, Marietta and Mercyhurst) well back. Temple proved to be the more fit crew as they were able to come back and walk through us in the last 500, winning with a time of 5:56.41 to our 5:58.00. Our semifinal time was good enough to be the 2nd fastest qualifying time for finals, and we knew with a well executed race, we could have a great shot at medaling.
The final on Sunday was one for the ages, and will not soon be forgotten by any spectators. Crowds often gather just for the Men's V8 final and this crowd was wild as we drew down the course. After another strong start, we found ourselves battling with Temple to put our bow ball in front, with Trinity a foot or two behind us, and Delaware a few seats back. This race was a battle all the way down the course, and one of the best I have ever been a part of. Much like the semifinal, the much larger and more fit Temple crew pulled away in the last 500 and won with a 6:00.15. Delaware threw down a devastating last 750m and were able to pull ahead of us for 2nd (6:01.59). Finally, we crossed the finish line right with Trinity, and neither crew was sure who was 3rd/4th. It was revealed that Trinity was 3rd and beat us by .33 seconds. Our final time was a 6:02.66, and as you can imagine, with 1st through 4th separated by 2.5 seconds, the crowd was lucky enough to witness a tremendous race. Although disappointed that we didn't medal, we are happy that even with a replacement rower from the 2V, we cut down the distance between us and Trinity from 3.5 seconds the week before, to less than half a second. ECACs should be a great race at the end of the season, and I strongly encourage all parent's and alumni to be in attendance. Our outlook for the season is incredibly positive now, as Temple is one of the faster teams in the country every year, and we were so close to them, without our true lineup.
GF Results
V8 Lineup
Cox- Kyle Ward
Stroke- James Barker
7- Sam Garrison
6- Eric Mathes
5- Andy Sayles
4- Bill Lyons
3- Max Kenney
2- Seaton Debritko
Bow- Brendan O'Bryan
This weekend is the MAAC Championship, which we are all of course, very excited about. The Men's Team is primed to win its 11th consecutive and 14th overall team points trophy, and our goal is to sweep every event with a dominant display in the Men's V8 as the cornerstone. All of the Varsity and Frosh boats should perform very, very well, and for you parents, this is a great regatta to watch. Mercer County Park is a nice venue, with a fully buoyed course, and a nice pavilion and gazebo on the point to watch racing all the way down the course. Most rowers will be racing at least 2 times, as we are entered in the Men's V8+, 2V8+, V4+, 2V4+, LWT 4+, N8+, N4+ and V2-. Hope to see all you parents and alumni there!!!
Due to the injury of Capt. Ryan Wojcik in CT last week, some lineups had to be shuffled around. Brendan O'Bryan was brought up from the 2V, Sean Patterson took the empty seat in the 2V, and both boats had people rowing in different seats than they were used to so far. The practices started off very rocky early in the week, but by Friday, we had really come together and were excited, but unsure how we would fair at the Knecht Cup.
The bus left Friday afternoon and both boats were able to get out and practice on the course, which is always nice to have before a regatta. Unfortunately, it was quite cold and raining the entire time. After the team got back to the hotel, we changed out of our wet clothes, warmed up and headed to Wegman's for dinner. The Wegman's experience was great, especially for the freshman who had never been to one. I think they were a bit overwhelmed by all the dinner options, as Wegman's is essentially a combination grocery store/cafeteria in this case. I, myself enjoyed a great crabcake sandwich with sweet potatoes and rice for only 10 bucks! Very full and very satisfied, we all slept well at the hotel the night before racing began.
The 2V had many racing opportunities over the weekend, as they rowed the 2V8 and also broke down into a 1V4 and a 2V4. The 2V8 drew a very tough heat in a thin field, and ultimately finished 4th, behind eventual winner Temple, Bucknell and Marietta, in a time of 6:48.02. This was actually a fine showing, as all of the teams that beat them have many more people on their team, so the 2V is one of the better boats, as opposed to just the only boat other than V8. Teams like Marietta and Temple often can boat multiple 8s and 4s at a regatta, and not have anyone rowing more than once. Unfortunately for us, if you aren't in the 1V, your in the 2V and with only one sub, the lack of depth was exposed when Ryan's injury occurred. The 2V is now back intact, and have their spirits up for the rest of the season getting back on track.
2V8:
Cox- Bre Rodriguez
Stroke- Billy Hawxhurst
7- Ben Smith
6- James Wojcik
5- Ben Clark
4- Pete Vinnecombe
3- Sean Patterson
2- Paul Tracey
Bow- John Boss
The 1V and 2V 4's didn't fare much better than the 2V8. The 1V4 finished last in a quick heat, with a time of 7:54.59. The 2V4 was the talk of the regatta, and definitely the most hyped up on the Marist team going into the event, earning nicknames such as the Death 4, Battle 4, Defcon 4 and my personal name for them, THE FUN V! The 2V4 was a final only at night on Saturday, and they placed 4th with a time of 7:14.20. You might be asking yourself how the 2V4 was 40 seconds faster than the 1V4, and it is important to note at all races, that conditions can vary greatly throughout the course of a day, or even an hour. Both of these boats had decent rows, especially when you consider they only practiced them once last week.
Lineups:
1V4 2V4
Cox-Bre Rodriguez Kyle Ward
Stroke- James Wojcik Billy Hawxhurst
3- John Boss Sean Patterson
2- Paul Tracey Pete Vinnecombe
Bow- Ben Smith Ben Clark
The Men's Freshman 8 continued to perform well, even without some of their best rowers, due to injury and lineup adjustments. They qualified for semi finals with a 3rd place finish (6:38.79). The semifinal displayed the speed of the field, as Marist finished last in the semi (6:35.33), but were only 2.5s from placing 4th. Relegated to the petite final, the boys placed 5th (6:38.46), ending the regatta with a 11th place overall finish.
The Men's V8 is the main event of most regattas, and this year it certainly didn't disappoint. We were unsure as to how we would perform without Ryan, one of our strongest rowers both technically and physically, and also with a totally reshuffled lineup. We thought we had a pretty tough heat, with Grand Valley State and Mercyhurst primed to give us trouble, along with a Lasalle crew looking to exact revenge. We needed a top 3 showing to move on to semifinals, and about 20 strokes into the piece, that didn't look to be much of a challenge. We blasted off the starting line and quickly moved out to a few seat advantage over GVSU, and almost a length on the field. We never looked back, and after 1k were not challenged again and cruised comfortably to a 1st place heat finish (6:19.15). We knew that going into the semifinal, it would be a battle just to make the final, considering the substantial depth of the field this year. We went to the line with confidence in our race plan after an impressive heat performance, and the semi went off without a hitch. We flew off the line at a 45, and quickly established a small length on Temple, leaving the rest of the field in our respective wakes. Through 1k, we had as much as a half boat length lead over Temple, with the rest of the pack (Hobart, Delaware, Marietta and Mercyhurst) well back. Temple proved to be the more fit crew as they were able to come back and walk through us in the last 500, winning with a time of 5:56.41 to our 5:58.00. Our semifinal time was good enough to be the 2nd fastest qualifying time for finals, and we knew with a well executed race, we could have a great shot at medaling.
The final on Sunday was one for the ages, and will not soon be forgotten by any spectators. Crowds often gather just for the Men's V8 final and this crowd was wild as we drew down the course. After another strong start, we found ourselves battling with Temple to put our bow ball in front, with Trinity a foot or two behind us, and Delaware a few seats back. This race was a battle all the way down the course, and one of the best I have ever been a part of. Much like the semifinal, the much larger and more fit Temple crew pulled away in the last 500 and won with a 6:00.15. Delaware threw down a devastating last 750m and were able to pull ahead of us for 2nd (6:01.59). Finally, we crossed the finish line right with Trinity, and neither crew was sure who was 3rd/4th. It was revealed that Trinity was 3rd and beat us by .33 seconds. Our final time was a 6:02.66, and as you can imagine, with 1st through 4th separated by 2.5 seconds, the crowd was lucky enough to witness a tremendous race. Although disappointed that we didn't medal, we are happy that even with a replacement rower from the 2V, we cut down the distance between us and Trinity from 3.5 seconds the week before, to less than half a second. ECACs should be a great race at the end of the season, and I strongly encourage all parent's and alumni to be in attendance. Our outlook for the season is incredibly positive now, as Temple is one of the faster teams in the country every year, and we were so close to them, without our true lineup.
GF Results
| 1. | Temple | 6:00.15 | |
| 2. | Delaware | 6:01.59 | 1.44 |
| 3. | Trinity | 6:02.33 | 2.18 |
| 4. | Marist | 6:02.66 | 2.51 |
| 5. | Drexel | 6:07.04 | 6.89 |
| 6. | Grand Valley | 6:08.01 |
V8 Lineup
Cox- Kyle Ward
Stroke- James Barker
7- Sam Garrison
6- Eric Mathes
5- Andy Sayles
4- Bill Lyons
3- Max Kenney
2- Seaton Debritko
Bow- Brendan O'Bryan
This weekend is the MAAC Championship, which we are all of course, very excited about. The Men's Team is primed to win its 11th consecutive and 14th overall team points trophy, and our goal is to sweep every event with a dominant display in the Men's V8 as the cornerstone. All of the Varsity and Frosh boats should perform very, very well, and for you parents, this is a great regatta to watch. Mercer County Park is a nice venue, with a fully buoyed course, and a nice pavilion and gazebo on the point to watch racing all the way down the course. Most rowers will be racing at least 2 times, as we are entered in the Men's V8+, 2V8+, V4+, 2V4+, LWT 4+, N8+, N4+ and V2-. Hope to see all you parents and alumni there!!!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Coventry, CT Weekend Recap
Both the men's and women's team brought everyone to Coventry, CT this weekend for some early morning, exciting racing. The weekend was broken down into two different races, with Day 1 against Trinity, UConn and Coast Guard, and Day 2 against Lasalle and UConn. The weekend had its ups and downs, with the only constant being increasingly windy and choppy conditions.
Day 1:
The 2V started off the day for us, earning a strong 2nd place showing. The 2V lead the race, up until the last 500m or so, when they were sprinted through by a fit Trinity boat. It was a very encouraging race for the 2V guys, as every week they continue to put together a better executed race. Hopefully next week they will have it for the full 2k!
Times:
2V Lineup:
Cox- Kyle Ward
Stroke- Billy Hawxhurst
7- Brendan O' Bryan
6- James Wojcik
5- Ben Clark
4- Pete Vinnecombe
3- John Boss
2- Paul Tracey
Bow- Ben Smith
The 1V was very excited for its race, as we haven't faced Trinity yet this spring, but we know they will be a team to beat at future events. The first 1k of the race went well, as we were right there with Trinity. We didn't handle the rough conditions as well as we'd have liked in the last half of the race, and Trinity was able to pull away and win with a 3.5s margin. We absolutely destroyed UConn, who was in the race for maybe the first 20 strokes.
Times:
Lineup:
Cox- Chris Leonard
Stroke- Bill Lyons
7- Andy Sayles
6- Eric Mathes
5- Ryan Wojcik
4- Seaton Debritko
3- Max Kenney
2- James Barker
Bow- Sam Garrison
The Frosh 8 handled their conditions well, as they continue to try new lineups with new rowers, and work through some injuries. They ended up with a strong 2nd place showing against a deep Trinity novice roster.
Times:
Day 1:
The 2V started off the day for us, earning a strong 2nd place showing. The 2V lead the race, up until the last 500m or so, when they were sprinted through by a fit Trinity boat. It was a very encouraging race for the 2V guys, as every week they continue to put together a better executed race. Hopefully next week they will have it for the full 2k!
Times:
| Trinity A | 6:06.7 |
| Marist | 6:13.74 |
| Coast Guard | 6:24.6 |
| Trinity B | 6:34.5 |
| UConn | 6:36.2 |
2V Lineup:
Cox- Kyle Ward
Stroke- Billy Hawxhurst
7- Brendan O' Bryan
6- James Wojcik
5- Ben Clark
4- Pete Vinnecombe
3- John Boss
2- Paul Tracey
Bow- Ben Smith
The 1V was very excited for its race, as we haven't faced Trinity yet this spring, but we know they will be a team to beat at future events. The first 1k of the race went well, as we were right there with Trinity. We didn't handle the rough conditions as well as we'd have liked in the last half of the race, and Trinity was able to pull away and win with a 3.5s margin. We absolutely destroyed UConn, who was in the race for maybe the first 20 strokes.
Times:
| Trinity | 5:52.7 |
| Marist | 5:56.01 |
| UConn | 6:27.85 |
Lineup:
Cox- Chris Leonard
Stroke- Bill Lyons
7- Andy Sayles
6- Eric Mathes
5- Ryan Wojcik
4- Seaton Debritko
3- Max Kenney
2- James Barker
Bow- Sam Garrison
The Frosh 8 handled their conditions well, as they continue to try new lineups with new rowers, and work through some injuries. They ended up with a strong 2nd place showing against a deep Trinity novice roster.
Times:
| Trinity 6:11.6 | |
| Marist 6:16.7 | |
Day 2: The Marist Men found themselves up against some adverse conditions in Sunday's racing. The 2V and Freshman had to make a 5:20AM bus, as their racing concluded before 7:00. Racing that early was the only way to get this race off, as the conditions rapidly deteriorated. By the time the V8 took the water, the tail wind had picked up and the lake provided some lovely 3ft swells with whitecaps for us. The 2V8+ dominated its only competition, UConn, putting up a time of 6:22.10. They defeated UConn by 23s and cruised in the last half of the race to victory. The V4 was composed of 2V guys, and they handled UConn and Lasalle with almost as much ease as the 8, winning with a time of 6:54.31, besting UConn (7:00.43) and Lasalle (7:16.33). 2V Lineup: Cox- Kyle Ward Stroke- Billy Hawxhurst 7- Brendan O' Bryan 6- James Wojcik 5- Ben Clark 4- Pete Vinnecombe 3- John Boss 2- Paul Tracey Bow- Ben Smith V4 Lineup: Stroke- James Wojcik 3- Brendan O'Bryan 2- Paul Tracey Bow- Ben Smith Cox- Kyle Ward The V8, although ultimately triumphant, had a large setback before the race was even started. Capt. Ryan Wojcik had been rowing through an injury all week, and it caught up with him during the warmups. Almost immediately his rib injury was too much to deal with, and we decided to turn around and not risk further injury for Ryan. Freshman Harrison Reed jumped into 5 seat, having just demolished a delicious egg sandwich from the food tent, and we went back out. The conditions were some of the worst I have ever raced in, but we handled them very well. The swells proved to be too much for Lasalle to handle and we jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. We won with a time of 6:02.98, beating Lasalle (6:23.5) and UConn (6:43.52) handily. This race got off just in the nick of time, as the Women's 2V8 race was cancelled as it was underway, due to the now enormous white caps that had taken over the lake. V8 Lineup: Cox- Chris Leonard Stroke- Bill Lyons 7- Andy Sayles 6- Eric Mathes 5- Harrison Reed 4- Seaton Debritko 3- Max Kenney 2- James Barker Bow- Sam Garrison The Men's Frosh 8 had an unfortunate amount of bad luck in their race against Lasalle and UConn. They were in the lead for the vast majority of the race, but 4 crabs caught by a novice walkon rower proved to be too much to overcome. They finished in 2nd place (6:20.5) behind Lasalle (6:11.38) and ahead of UConn (6:46.44). Overall the weekend went well, with the Varsity winning all of its races in convincing fashion. The Men's freshman proved up to the task, and with some better luck, and a lesson learned in rough conditions, their season outlook is still very bright. The team will be in action this weekend at the Knecht Cup in Camden, NJ. Hope to see you there! CHECKOUT THE NEW PHOTO'S TAB ON THE SIDEBAR! |
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Murphy Cup Recap
First off, a HUGE thanks to the Barker family for hosting the men's team for dinner on Friday night before the regatta (see above photo). Dinner was excellent and it was nice to have a home cooked meal the night before a race. Also a big thanks to all the parents who supported and helped out with the food tent, and for those who came to cheer us on!
The team had its first regatta in Philly on 3/26 @ the Murphy Cup. This is an annual event hosted by Temple University, and brings together some fast school that we don't often race. All the boats, 1V through 1F were excited to see what we could do in our first real test.
The 1V had a solid heat, winning with a time of 5:59.04, defeating Delaware and Fordham among others. Going into the afternoon final, the 1V had a bit of trouble handling the tough winds and chop of the Schuylkill and finished in 5th place with a time of 6:07.39. The finishing order was UVA, Temple, Jacksonville U, Delaware, Marist and LaSalle. We finished 15 seconds off of UVA. We were disappointed by this result, as we had beaten Delaware earlier in the afternoon without too much trouble. The good news is that had we executed well, previous racing indicates we would have been right up there with Temple and Jacksonville. Both of these teams have solid speed, especially early in the season. Looking at the big picture, all of these final teams have been on the water for weeks or months more than we have, so the season outlook is definitely positive after this race.
1V Lineup:
Cox- Chris Leonard (Fr.)
Stroke- Bill Lyons (Sr.)
7- Andy Sayles (Jr.)
6- Eric Mathes (Sr.)
5- Ryan Wojcik (Sr.)
4- Seaton Debritko (So.)
3- Max Kenney (So.)
2- James Barker (Sr.)
Bow- Sam Garrison (So.)
The JV 8 also performed well at the Murphy Cup, finishing 5th in the grand final. They were 3rd in their heat, finishing with a 6:18.36, and rowed to 5th in the final in a time of 6:27.41. The JV was 21s off the winner, UVA. Considering how early we are in the season, the age of the boat, and the fact that our JV 8 is literally the rest of team, with the exception of one sub, this performance was strong. All of the boats they face in the final have much deeper rosters than we do. This is a boat that will do very well in a lot of races this season, as their outlook in the boat is one of drive and incredible positivity day to day.
JV Lineup:
Cox- Kyle Ward (Jr.)
Stroke- Billy Hawxhurst (So.)
7- Brendan O'Bryan (Sr.)
6- James Wojcik (So.)
5- Ben Clark (So.)
4- Pete Vinnecombe (So.)
3- John Boss (So.)
2- Paul Tracey (Jr.)
Bow- Ben Smith (So.)
The Freshman 8 showed good early form with their 5th place finish. Given the fact that they had a injury remove one of their stronger rowers from traveling this weekend, and they had many true novices in the boat, racing for their first time ever, they should be proud of 5th. Their time of 7:14.93 was 24s off of the winner, UVA, whose 2nd frosh boat placed 4th in this same event. The freshman have a lot of desire and some talented young oarsmen, which will translate to wins later in the season as they figure out set lineups and collegiate racing.
We have hit practice hard this week, as we prepare for two races this weekend. On Saturday, all boats will be taking on Trinity, UConn and USCGA (Coast Guard) in Coventry, CT. On Sunday, we will faceoff against UConn and LaSalle, again in Coventry. We believe that all boats will have strong performances in CT, and are hoping to leave with some new clothing (SHIRT BETTING SEASON IS HERE)
The team had its first regatta in Philly on 3/26 @ the Murphy Cup. This is an annual event hosted by Temple University, and brings together some fast school that we don't often race. All the boats, 1V through 1F were excited to see what we could do in our first real test.
The 1V had a solid heat, winning with a time of 5:59.04, defeating Delaware and Fordham among others. Going into the afternoon final, the 1V had a bit of trouble handling the tough winds and chop of the Schuylkill and finished in 5th place with a time of 6:07.39. The finishing order was UVA, Temple, Jacksonville U, Delaware, Marist and LaSalle. We finished 15 seconds off of UVA. We were disappointed by this result, as we had beaten Delaware earlier in the afternoon without too much trouble. The good news is that had we executed well, previous racing indicates we would have been right up there with Temple and Jacksonville. Both of these teams have solid speed, especially early in the season. Looking at the big picture, all of these final teams have been on the water for weeks or months more than we have, so the season outlook is definitely positive after this race.
1V Lineup:
Cox- Chris Leonard (Fr.)
Stroke- Bill Lyons (Sr.)
7- Andy Sayles (Jr.)
6- Eric Mathes (Sr.)
5- Ryan Wojcik (Sr.)
4- Seaton Debritko (So.)
3- Max Kenney (So.)
2- James Barker (Sr.)
Bow- Sam Garrison (So.)
The JV 8 also performed well at the Murphy Cup, finishing 5th in the grand final. They were 3rd in their heat, finishing with a 6:18.36, and rowed to 5th in the final in a time of 6:27.41. The JV was 21s off the winner, UVA. Considering how early we are in the season, the age of the boat, and the fact that our JV 8 is literally the rest of team, with the exception of one sub, this performance was strong. All of the boats they face in the final have much deeper rosters than we do. This is a boat that will do very well in a lot of races this season, as their outlook in the boat is one of drive and incredible positivity day to day.
JV Lineup:
Cox- Kyle Ward (Jr.)
Stroke- Billy Hawxhurst (So.)
7- Brendan O'Bryan (Sr.)
6- James Wojcik (So.)
5- Ben Clark (So.)
4- Pete Vinnecombe (So.)
3- John Boss (So.)
2- Paul Tracey (Jr.)
Bow- Ben Smith (So.)
The Freshman 8 showed good early form with their 5th place finish. Given the fact that they had a injury remove one of their stronger rowers from traveling this weekend, and they had many true novices in the boat, racing for their first time ever, they should be proud of 5th. Their time of 7:14.93 was 24s off of the winner, UVA, whose 2nd frosh boat placed 4th in this same event. The freshman have a lot of desire and some talented young oarsmen, which will translate to wins later in the season as they figure out set lineups and collegiate racing.
We have hit practice hard this week, as we prepare for two races this weekend. On Saturday, all boats will be taking on Trinity, UConn and USCGA (Coast Guard) in Coventry, CT. On Sunday, we will faceoff against UConn and LaSalle, again in Coventry. We believe that all boats will have strong performances in CT, and are hoping to leave with some new clothing (SHIRT BETTING SEASON IS HERE)
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