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 GW women's rowers push away from the dock in the shadow of the Kennedy Center. |
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Women's Rowing Set to Begin 30th Season as a Varsity Program
March 23, 2006
The 2005-06 season marks the 30th anniversary of varsity women's rowing at The George Washington University. This year's edition of Colonials rowing is set to kick-off its spring racing season in March.
After graduating two seniors from last year's squad, the Colonials return a number of experienced rowers from last season who help to make this one of the largest and deepest teams in several years. Also returning, and ready to make an impact, are several members of last year's first novice eight that made it to the grand final at the 2005 Eastern Sprints Regatta.
"Each member of the team is expected to do her part over the course of the season to help the team experience success. The 2006 spring racing season promises to be a challenging one for us," Head Coach Robert McCracken reports. "With races against some of the top teams in the country, the team will have to be at its best every weekend."
"Our team is looking to improve on last year's performance and win the A-10 Championship," said senior co-captain MaryKate Martelon. "We are proud that our program is now 30 years old and we hope to show others with our hard work, that this program will last another 30 years."
Following a strong fall racing season, highlighted by a 21st place finish in the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta, the team moved indoors for winter training. The Colonials believe that their hard work over the past several months will lead to a number of strong performances in important races this spring.
During the university's winter break, the team spent ten days training in Augusta, Georgia. The trip enabled the team to get back on the water and spend time working on technique, fitness and improving boat speed. Once classes resumed, team members returned to Lerner Health and Wellness Center and Charles E. Smith Athletic Center where they spent January and February training on indoor rowing machines and improving their strength and conditioning.
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"Winter training isn't easy and isn't always fun, but it is critical, as we gain a lot of speed and strength both on the ergs and in the weight room," says Assistant Coach Sarah Dondero. "The novice team has definitely found some speed, as well as a strong team dynamic. The best part of winter training is that everyone gets to know one another so much better and they feed off of the energy everyone brings to practices."
"This winter training was one of the hardest mental and physical activities of my life," says freshman standout Jennifer Phillips. "As much as we dreaded aspects of it, the winter season really made us become a team, so we are entering the spring season with excitement and lots of trust in each other."
After spending an intense week of training during Spring Break, the team will get its first opportunity to test its racing skills during a scrimmage against West Virginia University and A-10 foe Duquesne on March 18, 2006. The scrimmage will serve as a warm-up for the regular season.
The Colonials will officially kick off their spring racing season on March 25 with a race in New Brunswick, NJ against Rutgers and the University of Rhode Island. The following weekend, the team will head to Boston to compete for the Playfair Cup against Boston University and MIT. While in Boston, the Colonials will also go to the line against Boston College.
April 8 will mark the first time in 19 years that the team has not participated in the George Washington University Invitational. Due to a number of major races scheduled for that same weekend, the women's portion of the Invitational was cancelled and will resume again in 2007. To replace the Invitational, the team will head south to Raleigh, NC for the Lake Wheeler Invitational hosted by the University of North Carolina and Duke University. In additional to those two schools, the Colonials will also face Bucknell, Eastern Michigan, Tulsa, Navy and Southern Methodist University.
The team will compete for the Class of 1998 Cup against Georgetown on April 15. The following weekend the Colonials head to the 2006 Atlantic 10 Rowing Championship where they hope to improve on last years third place team finish. While the Colonials were picked to finish third behind Massachusetts and Saint Joseph's in this year's preseason A-10 poll, the team has set a goal of claiming the A-10 title and winning gold in each event it enters.
On April 29, the Colonials will face Princeton and the University of Tennessee, two teams that were selected for the 2005 NCAA Championships, as well as A-10 rival the University of Massachusetts.
The Colonials will have their chance to see how months of hard work and preparation pay off when they compete in the Eastern Sprints Women's Regatta on May 14. The regatta features some of the fastest teams in the country, including five teams who qualified for last year's NCAA Championships.
George Washington Women's Rowing 30th anniversary year got underway on March 18th with a scrimmage at West Virginia against WVU and Duquesne.
2006 WOMEN'S ROWING SPRING SCHEDULE
MARCH
Sat 18 West Virginia and Duquesne (scrimmage) Morgantown, WV
Sat 25 Rhode Island and Rutgers New Brunswick, NJ
APRIL
Sat 1 Playfair Cup Boston, MA
Sat 8 Lake Wheeler Invitational Raleigh, NC
Sat 15 Georgetown Washington, DC
Sat 22 Atlantic 10 Championships Camden, NJ
Sat 29 Princeton, Tennessee and UMass Princeton, NJ
MAY
Sun 14 Eastern Sprints Camden, NJ
Fri-Sun 26-28 NCAA Championships Mercer, NJ