The team practices on the water five days a week at 5:00 in
the morning on weekdays and at 7:00 on Saturdays. If weather conditions are
fair the team takes out three eight-man rowing shells on Lake Whatcom and
spends the first half working on drills to improve technique, and the second
half doing race practice. “Waking up is the hardest part of being on the crew
team. Practices are really strenuous, especially that early in the morning,”
said freshman Luke Triemstra (front).
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| Senior Nate Theis, and juniors Zak Balonick and Joe Gregersen team prepare for practice on Monday at 5 AM by rigging the boats. The boats must be unrigged before transporting the rowing shell and then re-rigged before they can row in them again. They use crescent wrenches to secure the riggers onto the boats. The entire process of putting riggers on the three takes about an hour. |
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On days with thick fog or high winds, the team trains by
running Alabama Hill, the Taylor Street Stairs, or using ergometers in the
Carver Gym on campus. “For how much running we do we could compete at some
cross country meets,” said junior Erik Clark jokingly. The team also trains
individually off the water by doing daily erg workouts assigned by head coach
Jack Marolich. “Being on a the men’s crew team helps keep me in shape. It
forces me to work our regularly when I probably otherwise wouldn’t,” said sophomore
Brayden Jacobson.
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Sophomore Nolan Shinn (front), stroke seat of the A boat
carries down a Vespoli rowing shell with junior captain Joe Gregersen (behind)
and six other members of the varsity boat to the dock at Lake Samish minutes
before their race against University of Puget Sound on Saturday March 9. Shinn
says that after three years on the team he has grown in strength as a rower,
but even more so as a supportive teammate for the newer rowers. “This year I
think my biggest changes have been involvement off the water. This is the first
year here I’ve really felt like one of the ‘old guys.’ This year I’ve really
made an effort of get to know the novices, to try to set a good example for
them, as well as helping them whenever I can,” said Shinn.
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Sophomore Nathan Haase secures his port oar in the oarlock
in preparation for the race against UPS on Saturday. “I’m looking forward to
the animosity of a winning team; at a time when all the quitters have dropped
off and only those who are fighting for a common goal emerge victorious,” said
Haase.
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The men’s B boat raced against the UPS B boat on Saturday
and won their race. Later they raced the UPS A boat and won that race also. The
A boat also raced two times and won, which shows an improvement over winter
season, when they raced against Washington State University and lost all races.
“Off the water, the team has grouped up tightly in erg speed making for very
competitive individual results which translates well to the water. In the boats
everyone seems very focused and working on technical issues to try to beat out
the guy in front of them. The focus and determination of the guys has
accelerated the rowing ability as a boat, only making us faster as a team,”
said junior Joe Gregersen, team captain.
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