Competitive College Rowing

philrow · Post by **philrow** » February 17th, 2008, 2:09 pm

Sammac112,

Congratulations with your acceptance into Trinity! I actually have a Trinity College application on my desk right in front of me; I've very much been considering applying. 6:40 by next fall should be "easy" with all the free time for training over the summer.

Nosmo,

I've looked into Craftsbury and Black Bear as well as a few other camps. I'm going to be sculling later this spring back home on Presque Isle Bay with some Mercyhurst College rowers and coaches, if nothing else.

Because I'm so new to rowing yet so infatuated, I would say that I'd prefer to be on a team that could "win the nationals." I might not be in that boat in three years, but at least I'd assuredly have some constant aspiration. Who knows how long I'll continue to drop off ~10-20 seconds per 2k attempt, so who know where I might end up. But at this point, I'd give anything to be on a Varsity crew with a decent fleet, a good pool of dedicated rowers, and a vested coach.

Thanks guys,
Phil

Elamonta · Post by **Elamonta** » February 17th, 2008, 4:36 pm

Hey Phil,

I have followed your story ever since Jamie "introduced" me to you and your training (since we are similar in times/size etc...and both row for dad vail schools).

Rowing camps can be expensive, but from what I have heard Craftsbury up in Vermont is top notch. I am actually interning there from May 30-June 15...gives me 2 weeks to train while helping others out also...very unique internship offered every summer.

I also can relate to having a team that is less than capable when it comes to rowing this semester. At the completion of our fall semester we were looking towards having a strong LTWT 8 (including novice rowers) or if not a kick ass LTWT 4 (like last year at Vails).

Of course half of the men's team quit...again (happens every year)...so we are left with less than mediocre lineups. From our LTWT 4 last year we have returned 2 (including myself) and at best we have two guys who pull 7:15 2ks, row "not tooo bad, but not good", and both weigh about 170...so making weight is now an issue.

It would seem that as the semester goes on the team is going to have to take into consideration our chances and what might happen is that I will race a pair at Dad Vail with my stroke Will. We are very strong in a pair...posting times (without training) of around 7:30-7:35 for a 2k....so worst case scenario we would be in a pair...but in conclusion I defintely can relate with you on a mental note where the team seems to let you down. I had so many high hopes because I would have been stroking that LTWT8...but it fell through.

On a side note however, we are racing at the Mayor's Cup in Tampa, Florida and many IVY league schools come down and race in that event because it falls on their spring training. We entered a Varsity 8 (going to get our asses KICKED) but I am the stroke of that eight. So far Temple, FIT, Marietta, Colgate, Yale, and others have entered that event. I think it would be a rare and fruitful opportunity to be able to line my eight up against the likes up Yale and Temple...and also be the stroke of that eight up against that tough of competition.

So even through all the discouragement I am looking to that race...very few small schools can even touch the same water as Yale and the other IVY leagues...so hopefully our eight can show up and not be more than a minute behind

Rowan11088 · Post by **Rowan11088** » February 20th, 2008, 9:14 am

If you can beat 6:40, you'll be in very good shape to fit in as a lightweight anywhere. Not 1st boat material probably, unless you're a technical genius, but with potential to contend for that in the future. As others have said, a summer OTW rowing experience would be good for you, but of course you need to figure out school issues first. It seems like you're looking at all the right places, so if I were you I would just start filling out those applications (boring, I know), based more on where you'd rather be than where you'd rather row. Keep trying to contact coaches, within reason, and make sure to include your most impressive scores along with how long you've been rowing.

Ultimately I expect that you'll have to have a bit of luck to get through to one of these guys- they have a lot on their minds, and usually aren't thinking about transfers. But if you're persistent one of them will eventually realize you would be a good "get".

Edit: Don't think I can say who I row for, my coach is ridiculously careful about how we represent ourselves, on facebook and other online stuff. But I'm a heavy, so it wouldn't help ya much I'm afraid.

philrow · Post by **philrow** » February 20th, 2008, 12:04 pm

Elamonta,

I was just reading about Craftsbury and was delighted to come across the intern option! Apparently, they are still accepting applications, so I may well submit one. The only problem is trying to find a two week span of time in which I don't already have some significant obligations... If nothing else, then I may just spend a week up there to train.

It's unfortunate that your boats fell through! In fact, a good number of the team here quit after fall too. So in effect, whatever ridiculous and remotely competitive boats that could've been put together are no longer possible. In fact, I decided yesterday for a multitude of reasons that I'm not going to row for the club. In any case, the team is really just too heterogeneous, which stifles any possibility of putting together a relatively "normal" team boat. At a touch over 6'2, I was the tallest; at ~160lbs, I was the only varsity lightweight (there's one tiny lightweight novice kid). I dare say that a boatload of 5'9 170lb unmotivated rowers won't stand up well against a typical heavyweight boat. So, I'm going to join a local rowing association that happens to own and hence row out of the same boathouse that the school club uses.

I'll be spending a lot of time in a 1x, then, and if all goes well then maybe I'll compete a few times in the spring. Good luck with your 2- and with your race in Florida!

Rowan,

Well I do consider my technique to be quite "special."

Nah, I'm told by various coaches that I have good technique, at least in sweeps. I really haven't gotten an opinion on my sculling, although I haven't flipped yet! Ok so maybe I flipped once, but that was only because some jerk in his power yacht waked me to death and nearly flipped a nearby 8+! Speaking of applications, I think I'll finish my Cornell app...!

By the way, what do you all think about getting a recommendation from my former coach? He's very much up to date on all the progress I've made since leaving his program. Would it be valuable to coaches?

Thanks,
Phil

almostflipped · Post by **almostflipped** » February 20th, 2008, 1:07 pm

As a transfer, I really think its going to come down to whether you have the scores or not. Coaches have minimal if any pull to help get you in. Once you are in, you will be competing against athletes that have already been training in that school's system for a year. So, if you go to a major program (ie: EARC) come fall it will just be a question of whether you are strong enough to make a team. If you have the scores, they will develop your technique. This means you should expect to be in the lower boats that first season, maybe year, and show them you can be coached (you are still new kid on the block and need to learn the team's style). If you don't have the scores, you will either be cut or you will be a spare who barely sees water time (and thus has no real shot at racing in a good boat). Keep your grades up, get into the school, and put some serious sport specific work into that endurance over the summer.

Nosmo · Post by **Nosmo** » February 20th, 2008, 1:18 pm

almostflipped wrote:As a transfer, I really think its going to come down to whether you have the scores or not. Coaches have minimal if any pull to help get you in. Once you are in, you will be competing against athletes that have already been training in that school's system for a year. So, if you go to a major program (ie: EARC) come fall it will just be a question of whether you are strong enough to make a team. If you have the scores, they will develop your technique. This means you should expect to be in the lower boats that first season, maybe year, and show them you can be coached (you are still new kid on the block and need to learn the team's style). If you don't have the scores, you will either be cut or you will be a spare who barely sees water time (and thus has no real shot at racing in a good boat). Keep your grades up, get into the school, and put some serious sport specific work into that endurance over the summer.

I think this depends on the school. Some schools will race everyone they can. They will race four 8's if they have the people and the coaches. You may miss out going to the Head of the Charles, and get less attention then the A boat but you will still be on the team.

Ben Rea · Post by **Ben Rea** » February 20th, 2008, 1:48 pm

Phil,

A felllow rower and friend of mine will be attending Mercyhurst in the fall of '08 and he is planning on rowing for the team. and he is planning on it being a competative program. His name is Dan Lorenzini and he is from Fayetteville, NY (near Syracuse). My question is...should I warn him that the program isn't so hot???

his 2k PB is 6:48 he is around 6'1" and he is a heavyweight although he is in really good shape and plays on the varsity football team at the highschool aswell.

philrow · Post by **philrow** » February 20th, 2008, 4:18 pm

Ben,

I went to Mercyhurst Prep, which is the high school on the same campus as Mercyhurst College; I go to Case Western Reserve University now. Both the Mercyhurst high school and college programs are well-run. While most of what I hear about the Mercyhurst College team comes to me as legend, I know they have a large, competitive, and well-funded crew. They race Filippis, half the Bulgarian national team rows for them, and they have a tendency to perform well wherever they compete. If I recall correctly, most of their boats dominated the Head of the Speakmon in Columbus, Ohio this past fall. Honestly, if anything, you should tell him to prep to get that 2k down, because those Bulgarians will be as fierce as ever next year assuming they're not too busy racing at Lucerne.

Blah. This whole transfer thing is so ridiculous. All I want to do is row. What's so wrong with that!? There seems to be a kind of paradox at work here. If I have good times, then I'll get into a good program. But if I'm in a good program, then I'll develop good (better) times. How frustrating.

Elamonta · Post by **Elamonta** » February 25th, 2008, 9:57 pm

Ironically Mercyhurst just began their spring training out of our site a few days ago. I believe it is Mercyhurst College (green and blue checkered oars). They actually had practice while we were racing on Saturday lol...they should have just entered the regatta lol.

Anywho, results from the race...men's schools which participated were UCF, University of Florida, Rollins College, Stetson University, Bates College, and University of Tampa (1x only).

In the Men's 1x there were two flights and I took first in my flight finishing 10 seconds faster than second place.

In the Men's 2- it was combined down to one flight due to some last minute scratches....end result I (well we) got first place by .6 seconds over Rollins.

In the Men's Lightweight Four my boat took first place over UCF by about 3 seconds.

Overall, Stetson University won the Overall Points Trophy, while UCF barely beat us out for the Men's Overall Trophy, and our Stetson women easily took the first place trophy.

Horrible wind/rain, but I am happy we survived and winning gold at most events never hurts either.

Next race is in two weeks down in Melbourne Florida against most of the same crews plus FIT (much stronger competition). Should be good fun.