The Bates Rower

The Class of 2016 (Part 1)

2012-02-01T13:30:00.001-05:00

As the first round of the admission process comes to a close CoachSteenstra, Hurley, myself, and Bates College Rowers both past and presentwanted to take this opportunity to congratulate the class of 2016 upon theiracceptance to matriculate in the fall of 2012. Since this is the firstrecruiting class for Coach Hurly and I, it has been a real pleasure getting thechance to explore the opportunities available here at Bates College as theseyoung men and women begin to take the next step in their academic and athleticlives. This large class, encompasses states such as California and Florida,contains athletes who are still one season into their rowing career, and thosewho have won regional and national medals. We have high expectations for thecoming spring, and expect the class of 2016 to come in and build upon whatthose in previous years have worked so hard to achieve.

Here is a closer look at the Class of 2016:

(Ladies first)

Sarah Brooks

Ht: 5’9”

HighSchool: Groton School

RowingProgram: Groton Crew

Background:Sarah comes from a crew who went 33-0 and 2^nd in NEIRA for the 2011Spring Season. Stroke of Groton’s 3^rd 4, Sarah is a seasonedoarswoman who will make a solid addition to the class of 2016.

Margaux Joselow

Ht: 5’11”

HighSchool: The Derryfield School

RowingProgram: Derryfield High School Crew

Background:Margaux comes to Bates proficient in both sweep and scull. As a captain withthree years experience on the water, Margaux has helped her crews tocommendable finishes in regattas such as New Hampshire Championships, Head ofthe Fish, and Head of the Charles.

Emma Taylor

Ht: 5’8”

HighSchool: Thayer Academy

RowingProgram: Thayer Academy Crew/ Community Rowing Incorporated

Background:Emma comes to us from the small but dedicated program of Thayer crew. Holdingfour years experience and her team’s top erg score, Emma pushes her teammatesto become faster rowers. She battled a concussion for the better part of theFall season, but will be back in action come Spring.

And the Gentlemen

(though I use that term very loosely)

John Albanese

Ht – 5’10”

High School – Montclair, NJ

Rowing Program – MontclairHigh School Rowing

Background – John comesfrom a program where he has had valuable experience in both sweep and sculling,which will be a great advantage in the team small boat racing we do through thefall season. He sent the fall season in a 2x, and will be training alongsideLeo as the two prepare for their final season at Montclair.

Dante Colicchio

Ht – 6’

High School – Middlesex, MA

Rowing Program – Middlesex

Background – Dante has beenrowing for Middlesex, a 4+ program in the highly competitive NEIRA, for thepast four years. He stroked their top 4+ through the fall season, which has showna great deal of promise as they prepare for the spring season.

Tom Fitzgerald

Ht – 6’5”

High School – Weston, MA

Rowing Program – CommunityRowing Incorporated

Background – Tom is stillvery young as an oarsman, coming off his novice year in 2010-2011. However he hasused a strong background as a state champion swimmer, to move right into themix at the highly competitive CRI. With such an athletic background we expecthis learning curve will allow him to be a 4 year contributor to the program.

Leo Foglizzo

Ht – 6’7”

High School – Montclair, NJ

Rowing Program – MontclairHigh School Rowing

Background – Leo, likeJohn, is coming from a program that stresses the importance being a wellrounded athlete, giving him extensive flexibility to sit just about anywhere inthe boat. He follows in line of the likes of PC Miller, Andre Gobo, and HankSchless of 6’5” plus and the some room to gain a pound or two. We look forwardto adding some meat to his frame as he follows in the footsteps of hiscounterparts as solid overall contributors.

William Hilton

Ht – 5’10”

High School – MAST Academy,FL

Rowing Program – MiamiRowing Club

Background – William beganrowing for Miami Rowing and Watersports Center in the Fall of 2009. During hisfirst year and a half MRC was able to post strong results through out the stateof Florida. William was sidelined by injury half way through his Junior Year,but has but in the work at rehab, and is moving back to fulltime training withhis club. Utilizing the ability to spend a full year on the water, will allowhim to jump right into the mix come fall.

Chris Kussmaul

Ht – 5’10”

High School – Weston, MA

Rowing Program – Wayland/Weston

Background – Chris followsin the footsteps of his sister Carolyn who rowed for the Bobcats during 2009season. Chris has spent all 4 years rowing for the cross-town rival of CRI –Wayland/Weston. Chris just capped off a terrific fall season where he sat bowseat in the top 8+ that finished in the top 5 at The New HampshireChampionships and Head of the Housatonic.

Nick Muccio

Ht- 6’4”

High School – Concord, NH

Rowing Program – ConcordCrew

Background – Nick is a verymotivated young man, who has been able to achieve a high level of successthrough hard work. He currently holds the all time 6k record at Concord Crew,and was the stroke of the Varsity 8+ through the fall season, having strongperformances at the Head of the Housatonic, New Hampshire Championships, andThe Head of the Charles.

James Naso

Ht. -6’1”

High School – Redwood, CA

Rowing Program – MarinRowing Association

Background – Jamie comesfrom one of the top rowing clubs in the country, Marin. In the spring of 2011he won gold at the South West Regional in both the Men’s 2v 8+ and the Men’s155lb 8+. The Men’s 155lb 8+ went on to win the National Championship in Tennesseeonly a few weeks later, and during the fall of 2012 his boat went undefeated.Jamie brings an understanding of what it takes to be competitive at theNational Level, and will be a valuable asset as the program continues to buildupon previous successes.

Andrew Voss

Ht. – 6’1”

High School – DerryfieldSchool, NH

Rowing Program – DerryfieldHigh School Crew

Background – Andrew comesfrom the neighboring state of New Hampshire where he has spent the past 4 yearsas a member of the rowing program at Derryfield School. Elected as the Capitanduring his senior year, Andrew has shown to be a valuable leader in organizinghis team’s preseason, and winter conditioning programs, a skill that will beput to use here at Bates. He spent the spring of his junior year in the top 4+at Derryfield, and will be looked to continue to build upon their success in tocoming spring.

As the admission process continues we look forward to adding names to thealready talented group above, with more to come soon hopefully from SunnyAustin, TX.

2012-01-31T15:06:00.004-05:00

We took the trailer out for a brief spin today to make sure everything was still in working order. After concluding that everything was up to par, we decided that the only thing the Bates trailer was missing was a bit of a wash before the season starts.

Erg Room

2012-01-24T17:50:00.002-05:00

To brighten up the gray winter months, the coaching staff has taken it upon themselves to spruce up the erg room. Newly hung (or bolted) on the walls are photos of some of the most memorable winning crews in recent history, some of which include: The W1V 2011 HOTC 2^nd place crew, M1V 2009 NERC 3rd place crew as well as the W2V 2007 NERC bronze medalists. Also available now for your viewing pleasure are the team photos from 2007-2009. More are in the works and will be displayed before the spring season begins.

In addition to all of the memorabilia adorning the walls is the accumulation of two new ergs. Because of our growing numbers, we are constantly trying to accommodate our team with the space that we have. Hopefully we will be able to break free of the erg room early this year. The weather today, a balmy 46 degrees, looks promising for a quick return to the water come spring.

Go Bobcats!

2012-01-17T09:33:00.002-05:00

As the spring of 2012 approaches, we are excited to post our racing schedule. As the seasoned Batesie may notice, there are a few deviations from our usual schedule. Due in part to holiday conflicts, cost cutting measures and an "inconvenient" break week, we have no choice but to eliminate the trip to the far reaches of western Massachusetts and our annual regular season race with Williams College.

Kicking things off in Worcester, MA, the racing season begins a full week earlier then previous due to the Easter holiday (March 31st). The following weekend, Bates heads to Boston for their first (that we know of) spring race on the Charles. We will then return to the Boston area to continue with our traditional double-dual at Tufts followed by the President's Cup Regatta against our Maine rivals. And finally, to round out the regular season, Bates will host Middlebury at home.
We hope to see you at some of our races and look forward to a successful spring.

Go Bobcats!

SPRING 2012

Saturday, March 31 TBD

Sunday, April 1 @ WPI w/ U of Rochester et al. Worcester, MA

Saturday, April 7 MEN @ MIT w/ Trinity & Boston College Boston, MA

WOMEN @ Simmons Boston, MA

Sunday, April 8 EASTER

Saturday, April 14 @ Tufts w/ Wesleyan, UNH (men) & Wellesley Malden, MA

Sunday, April 15 TBD

Saturday, April 21 TBD

Sunday, April 22 President’s Cup vs. Colby & Bowdoin Greene, ME

Saturday April 28 TBD

Sunday, April 29 vs. Middlebury, et al. Greene, ME

Saturday, May 5 New England Rowing Championships Worcester, MA

Friday, May 11 ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships Worcester, MA

May, 25 – 27 NCAA Women’s Rowing National Championships West Windsor, NJ

2011-11-22T11:15:00.003-05:00

We put Elsie in the coxswain's seat, because ti made sense to do so, and she immediately stood up and turned around to face the stern.
I think she has made her choice.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
From all of us here at Bates

We hope that our entire rowing family
is happy and healthy

Thanks to Taylor Kniffin '14 for the great picture

Great River Challenge of 2011, Day - II

2011-11-08T09:21:00.006-05:00

(bow) Oliver Scholle '12 & Karnes (Lars) McCarrick '15

(bow) Peter K. Miller '12 & Santo Dettore '12

A million apologies for taking my sweet time to post Part-II of The Great River Challenge of 2011. The good new is that my basement is fully stocked with firewood for the winter.

Day-II was as picturesque, competitive and entertaining as Day-I. This time out we boated 4 doubles and 3 pairs. Sadly, Miller & Ditz were not afforded the opportunity for a rematch as MacGregor was unable to attend due to commitments that kept him on campus. Alas, despite the obvious disappointment from the gallery there was no shortage of confrontation. Bitter rivalries were revealed after having been held at bay throughout the fall as were pent up frustrations following a season of disappointment.

The first to strike was the double of Santo Dettore '12 and PK Miller '12 (no relation to PC). Following a sharp warm-up and some words of encouragement from the coaching launch, this duo put all their eggs into the one basket and shocked the field by taking the first piece in decisive fashion. This "bullet" was earned by the two men muscling the shell up river over the 4 minute course with a wire to wire performance. Believing strongly in the idiom "shoot first and ask questions later", Dettore demanded from his bowman to "Make the boat go straight and try to keep up." Miller, being a Geology major, was more than happy to comply but had a few baseball sized specimens of Maine's finest quartz and granite ready to hurl at any crew that dared challenge for the top spot. Dare I say, they had their bases covered?

In the second piece, the coaches made a slight error in judgment by sending the pairs ahead of the doubles. "Just trying to create some parody" was heard from a coaches launch following the failed piece. Two pairs, each containing a walk-on freshman and a really tall & skinny upperclassman (looking a bit more like a Father/Son regatta), had that certain magnetic attraction to one another. This fact, in and of itself, wasn't necessarily the problem; the surging doubles clawing for a piece of water to call their own, was. (Check your Strunk & White, I believe this sentence is grammatically correct).

The final piece was a terrific battle. Dettore & PK Miller had earned their 1st place finish for the day and appeared satisfied with that. As the final piece began to unfold two crews (both doubles) emerged from the field. One was made up of Ollie Scholle '12 & Karnes (Lars) McCarrick '15, while the other was Charley Carey '13 & Nick Flynn '15. It was when the two crews were clear of the field that they first noticed each other. About two minutes into the piece the race was on. The two crews began to size each other up. With a minute to go Carey was heard to call on his stroke man to "take a twenty here", the strategy being to move away and demoralize the competition. This strategy, to some measure, appeared to be working and they began to move through. But Scholle, knowing that his big freshman had more to give, waited to the final 30 seconds. With fifteen strokes to the line Scholle simply said "go", and that was the end of that. In 15 strokes they went from 1/2 of a boat down to 1/2 of a boat up and won the piece.

Congratulations to all the guys on a fine fall season. I hope you are all looking forward to spring as much as I am.

While I have you....
I thought we may take a moment to introduce our two walk-on freshman. Both complete novices to the sport these guys have really done well to pick it up and contribute to the program. Alex Hadiaris even made the Men's Varsity 4+ that competed in the Head of the Charles Regatta.

Matt Silverman '15

Alex Hadiaris '15

The Great River Challenge of 2011

2011-11-03T12:16:00.003-04:00

November 1st, 2011

The guys were out in 4 pairs, 3 doubles and 1 single. We lined them up eight wide and yelled, "GO!". Three short pieces later, along with one stoppage due to contact, it was determined that the fastest combination of the day. or shall we say the boldest, was a pair-oared shell rowed by (bow) Sam MacGregor '14 and (stroke) Hank Schless '14.

Apparently, their primary strategical tool was intimidation. Beginning the first piece six lanes apart did not suit MacGregor as he and his partner found it difficult to intimidate their main competition from such a distance. So step one was to slowly work their way across the course in order to face the pair of PC Miller '12 & Gar Ditz '14 directly; the six crews occupying those lanes being nothing more than a temporary obstacle. With this "lane shift" complete this dastardly duo was in position to aggressively confront their only competition.

Predictably, the second piece was a bit more like a jousting match in Elizabethan England than a pull-boat race. Blades were clashing, nostrils were flaring and inappropriate language was used by all - but the strategy had worked, the damage had been done. Mac & Hank forced their way to the front, showing no remorse, no caution, no consideration at all for the well-being of their opponent, and prevailed in fantastic fashion.

The third piece was uneventful and pedestrian. The intimidation had worked. Bloodied and worn from the previous battle, or simply fearing for their own safety and that of their equipment, the pair of Miller and Ditz was no match. MacGregor and Schless were victorious.

Part I of the Great River Challenge has come to an end. Check back tomorrow to see how Miller & Ditz respond in Part II.

All details and descriptions of the events portrayed are subject to interpretation and are in no way considered accurate. All names have been changed (not really) to protect the reputation and ego of the innocent. Any and all complaints should be submitted, in writing, directly to the original author of this blog, Tom Guncik.

The CHASE UP NORTH

2011-11-01T08:58:00.004-04:00

No - it isn't quite this bad - but like most of the folks along the east coast we did get a few inches of heavy wet snow on Saturday night. Most of it is already gone but the cold persists...especially after 5:00pm. In fact, if the computer models are correct this should be a really good week of rowing weather provided we get back to the dock before dark.

The Chase
BATES-BOWDOIN-COLBY

The team had a terrific day at Colby for the annual Fall scrimmage with Colby & Bowdoin; unfortunately, the Polar Bears were not able to attend. But Colby and Bates still had fun, and as you can see from the results below, Bates had a very successful day of racing winning all four varsity and all three novice events. Novice crews are indicated with (n).

In order to allow for doubling-up and more opportunities to race the coaches elected to shorten the course to roughly 3000m and run two groups. This worked out nicely and every rower from both programs was given an opportunity to race.

C-B (no B) Chase					2011
Waterville, ME


W8s	START	FINISH	TIME	PLACE	DIFF
BATES	0:44:44.0	0:54:25.9	09:41.9	1
Bates B	0:44:56.0	0:54:57.2	10:01.2	2	0:19.3
Colby A	0:45:10.0	0:55:55.2	10:45.2	3	0:44.0
Bates C (n)	0:45:32.0	0:56:42.3	11:10.3	4	0:25.1
Colby B (n)	0:45:51.0	0:57:41.9	11:50.9	5	0:40.6

M4s	START	FINISH	TIME	PLACE	DIFF
BATES	0:49:18.0	0:59:24.9	10:06.9	1
Colby A	0:49:06.0	0:59:17.0	10:11.0	2	0:04.1
Bates B (n)	0:49:52.0	1:00:40.9	10:48.9	3	0:37.9
Colby B	0:49:34.0	1:00:23.1	10:49.1	4	0:00.2
Colby C (n)	0:50:12.0	1:01:17.9	11:05.9	5	0:16.8



M8s	START	FINISH	TIME	PLACE	DIFF
BATES	27:36.0	36:33.7	08:57.7	1
Colby A	27:50.0	36:50.9	09:00.9	2	0:03.2
Colby B	28:07.0	37:33.7	09:26.7	3	0:25.8
Colby C (n)	28:30.0	38:55.9	10:25.9	4	0:59.2

W4s	START	FINISH	TIME	PLACE	DIFF
BATES	30:39.0	41:54.5	11:15.5	1
Colby A	31:01.0	42:45.8	11:44.8	2	0:29.3
Colby B	31:17.0	43:24.9	12:07.9	3	0:23.1
Bates B (n)	31:33.0	43:45.3	12:12.3	4	0:04.4
Colby C (n)	31:56.0	44:29.1	12:33.1	5	0:20.8

Below, the victorious Men's Varsity Eight is pictured in their Bobcat Cup racing attire. No, thankfully, they did not race in this kit on the day of the Chase. Once was enough. But, as the most recent picture of the crew I am obliged to post it here. As you can see from the results the MV8 race was tight and the guys did manage to best the Mules from Colby by a little better than three seconds. Starting first, the MV8 cox, Jake Sandor '14, new that he would have to look back regularly to keep an eye on the competition. By the half-way mark of the shortened course things were unclear so Jake demanded a bit more from the men in order to find some separation. Lucky he did.

In the Men's Novice 4+ Bates had a comfortable margin over their counterparts but also managed to just squeak out the win over Colby's 2nd V4+ by 0:00.2 seconds. And then on Monday, this freshman crew of Alex Hadiaris, Matt Silverman, Karnes McCarrick, Perry Mortimer and coxswain, Maggie Carey brought this victorious energy home and broke the all time MF/N4+ course record here on the Androscoggin by more than 5 MINUTES!! A tremendous run, boys. Well done! There's no better way to end a season.

The women's crews did well with the W1V8 finishing 1st and the W2V8 a close second but comfortably ahead of Colby in third place. It's important to note here that the Bates Women's 2nd Varsity Eight beat Colby by only 19 seconds at the 5000m QRA Snake regatta, but then improved at the Charles to a margin of almost a minute (again 5K). But in Waterville, on a much shorter course, they beat them by 44 seconds.
Perhaps the better comparison for our 2V is our 1V.
Difference at the Snake: 1.5 minutes
Difference at the Charles: 46 seconds
Difference at Chase (3K): 19.3 seconds
Clearly there is drive and the will to compete stirring at the bottom of our ranks.

The novice crews were the highlight of the day, however, as they bested Colby in each of the two novice categories. The story of the day was the Women's Novice 4+, a combination, to the best of my knowledge, that had never previously been in a four together. Alex Millstrom, Jenna Armstrong, Becky Moore, Eliza Barkan and cox, Emma-Kate Lindsay literally "learned" their way from the dock to the starting line and than gave it their all. Their reward was a 20 second victory over Colby. Congratulations to all the novice women for a fine day of racing.

4th Annual BOBCAT CUP

2011-10-27T09:34:00.004-04:00

The 4^th Annual BOBCAT CUP was held last night on the Androscoggin River in near perfect conditions. The bald eagles (America!) were on hand for the racing as were a few ducks & geese. The course was from the bridge in Turner to the dock at the boathouse, roughly 5.5K. There was almost no wind to speak of and the current was minimal although the water level was low.

The Cup is awarded to the crew with the fastest adjusted time. The formula we have concocted has been painstakingly researched and is based on the finishing times of all medal winning crews at the NERC and ECAC regattas over the past decade.

The victorious crew and new holder of The Bobcat Cup is the Women’s Varsity Eight comprised of bow: Haley Sive, 2: Amy Jacks, 3: Mallory Ward, 4: Hope King, 5: Alexandra Hill, 6: Heather Monty, 7: Elizabeth Sonshine, stroke: Allison DiSalvo and cox: Gabriella Bilotta. They won the coveted cup with a blistering adjusted time of 17:43.7.

Sophomore coxswain, Gabby Bilotta had this to say following the race: "We've had some really solid pieces recently and it felt good to end the season with a fast race piece on our home course."

The 2^nd Women’s Varsity Eight had an impressive run of their own to challenge the V8 for the Cup and finished a very close second. Following their record setting performance at the Charles the 2V was motivated to show their true colors once again but came up just short by finishing with an adjusted time of just over three seconds behind the V8.

The Men’s Varsity Eight really went at this piece with everything they had. Sophomore coxswain, Jake Sandor, pushed his men to the limit running the 5.5K course at an elevated rate knowing he would be giving the women’s crews a significant amount of time. They finished the course in 18:23.6 beating the old course record of 18:40.3 which was set on this day in 2010.

The Men’s Varsity Four w/ Cox also had a great run down the bridge course. They finished with a hard time that would have put them as third fastest all time for a MV4+. Unfortunately, their time will not be disclosed here as the calculations for the adjustments are Top Secret.

Lastly, although I am sure The Women’s Novice Eight is not pleased with their place standings they should know that the coaches are quite happy with their progress. This group continues to improve and I, for one, am really looking forward to their race this weekend at The Chase. Two weeks ago they were a mere 9.3 seconds off the pace of the varsity eight from Colby and since that time have gained a lot of speed.

4^th BOBCAT CUP - Results (all times are adjusted):

Women’s Varsity Eight 17:43.7

Women’s Second Varsity Eight 17:47.3

Men’s Varsity Eight 18:23.6

Men’s Varsity Four w/cox 18:44.1

Women’s Novice Eight 19:06.3

Coming up next....

The Crew travel to sunny Sydney, Maine for our final race of the fall. The Chase with Colby College will begin a little after 10:00am and will be done by noon.

Head of the Charles 2011

2011-10-25T08:55:00.005-04:00

Best Team Finish in Bates Women's Rowing History

The Bobcat Women had an outstanding showing for the second year in a row. The women improved upon their 2010 performance by finishing 2nd in the Collegiate Eight and improved on the 2007 team performance (5th & 13th place finishes respectively) when the 2V finished 10th!

This ground-breaking team performance was spearheaded by the WV8 and coxswain Gabby Bilotta ‘14 who expertly navigated the course from the 3rd starting position for that second place finish with a time of 17:18.5. They were able to get through the Bombers from Ithaca College almost immediately after coming through the BU bridge allowing Gabby to take to the course as she pleased. According to stroke seat and team co-captain, Allison DiSalvo '12, "She nailed it."

Women's Varsity Eight

2o some-odd bow numbers later, coxswain Molly Huffaker '14 and the W2V, had quite a bit of sparring with crews in their immediate vicinity in order to finish in the top 10. Starting with bow #26 Molly chose her opportunities wisely and took advantage of mistakes made by her competitors. The 2V women rowed to a 10^th place finish, beating out the top eights from Wesleyan, Ithaca, Simmons, Smith and more with a time of 18:04.4.

With only one other team finishing with two crews in the top 10 the expectations for Spring 2012 remain high.

Men's Varsity Eight

The MV8 finished a disappointing 23^rd out of 39 with a time of 16:10.7. They rowed solidly attacking the first half of the course and established a very good position for the turns to come in the second half. The final turn before heading into the Eliot bridge however, proved to be a challenge that would do them in. Heavy rains from days prior provided just enough of an edge on the current to throw sophomore coxswain, Jacob Sandor, off his line. Jake wisely took evasive action, knowing that safety is always priority one, and brought the shell back on line.

The MV4 with a crew of (from bow) Alexander Hadiaris’15, Matt Silverman’15, Samuel MacGregor’14, Jon Frye’14, and coxed by Margaret Carey’14 finished 21^st out of 39 in their event. With a time of 18:35.5, this young crew has potential and aims to move up in the standings for next year’s HOTC.

Next, the crews head up to Waterville, Maine for the annual Bates-Bowdoin-Colby scrimmage known as the Chase. Racing will begin at 10:30am and the crews will be launching from the Colby Hume Center in Sydney.

Additional congratulations go out to:
-- Nicole Ritchie '09 and her crew from Vesper that won the Champ Women's Four!
-- Blue Goose Boat Club Women -- 7th in the Alumni Eight (ahead of Williams!)
-- Brian Klein '09 -- 20th in the Club Single
-- Charlie Biddle '09 -- 18th in the Champ Single (and 1+ minutes faster than BK)
-- Lib Diamond '05 -- 23rd in the Champ Single
-- Christian Ford '08 & Brad Sherman '08 -- 25th in the Champ Eight
-- and finally, to the Blue Goose Boat Club Men for finishing ......
..............ahead of Messalonskee Rowing Club (Colby)

And a very special thank you to Lib Diamond '05, Mason Cox '07 and all the people at the Head of the Charles who make the event the festival of rowing that it is!

HOCR 2011: Crew Line-ups

2011-10-19T11:50:00.004-04:00

Men's Collegiate Eight - bow #10
bow: N. Flynn '15, C. Glassman '14, C. Carey '13, G. Ditz '14, P.C. Miller '12, H. Schless '14, O. Scholle '12, P.K. Miller '12 with coxswain, J. Sandor '14

Men's Collegiate Four - bow#9
bow: A. Hadiaris '15, S. Dettore '12, S. MacGregor '14, J. Frye '14 with coxswain, M. Carey '14

Women's Collegiate Eight (A) - bow #3
bow: H. Sive '12, A. Jacks '12, M. Ward '15, H. King '14, A. Hill '14, H. Monty '14, E. Sonshine '12, A. DiSalvo '12 with coxswain, G. Bilotta '14

Women's Collegiate Eight (B) - bow #26
bow: L. Sangree '15, T. Kniffin '14, C. Webb '12, T. Roach '14, A. Ryan '14, S. Murphy '14, R. Ellis '14, B. Baker '14 with coxswain, M. Huffaker '14

GO BOBCATS!

HOCR 2011: Who to Watch

2011-10-18T10:06:00.005-04:00

Before we announce the crews that will represent Bates College at the 47th Head of the Charles we'll take the time to provide a list of which Bates Rowing Alumni and Alumnae are racing in 2011 and the clubs they will represent.

SATURDAY
Event #11 - Men's Alumni Eight @ 11:08am
Blue Goose Boat Club (bow #18)
b: Eugene Kim '08
2: Graham Proud '08
3: Dan LaFontaine '10
4: Joseph Nowak '11
5: Jon Blanchard '08
6: James Grant '10
7: Glenn Kelly '10
s: Graham Pearson '10
c: Mason Cox '07

Event #12 - Women's Alumnae Eight @ 11:24am
Blue Goose Boat Club (bow #9)
b: Ellen Patterson '11
2: Kirsten Laaspere '11
3: Laura Hubbell '09
4: Kristen Anderson '00
5: Becca Waldo '11
6: Emma White '11
7: Jeanethe Falvey '07
s: Cait Murphy '09
c: Lindsay Thomson '10

In addition to the Bates Alumni/ae Eights we have a number of former Bobcats racing at a (slightly) more competitive level. These folks have made a significant commitment to train regularly for races throughout the year and the Charles is their chance to show off their work. I'm sure they would love any encouragement they can get along the course and nothing could be better than a GO BATES!

Event #13 - Club Men's 1x @ 11:38am
Brian Klein '09 - Rowing for Riverside Boat Club (bow #23)

Event #29 - Championship Men's 1x @ 4:04pm
Charlie Biddle '09 - Rowing for Undine Boat Club (bow #10)

Event #30 - Championship Women's 1x @ 4:15pm
Elizabeth (Lib) Diamond '05 - Rowing for Riverside Boat Club (bow #21)

SUNDAY
Event #48 - Championship Women's Fours @ 2:31pm
Nicole Ritchie '09 - stroke seat and Rowing for Vesper Boat Club (bow #13)

Event #49 - Championship Men's Eight @ 2:45pm
Brad Sherman '08 - 5 seat
Christian Ford '08 - coxswain and Rowing for Riverside Boat Club (bow #31)

Quinsigamond Snake Regatta

2011-10-17T13:25:00.003-04:00

The Bobcats proved that they are ready for another season with solid performances at the Quinsigamond Snake Regatta in Worcester, MA. Despite the windy conditions, the WV8 (bow) Ace Ryan, Amy Jacks, Mallory Ward, Hope King, Alexandra Hill, Heather Monty, Elizabeth Sonshine, Haley Sive and coxswain Gabby Bilotta (being tossed above), captured 1st place, a full 6 seconds ahead of rival school Wellesley. Using the tail wind to their advantage, the WV8 also set a new regatta course record of 14:22.5.

The women's 2V, (bow) Rebecca Moore, Taylor Kniffin, Rachel Ellis, Taylor Roach, Elizabeth Sangree, Bliss Baker, Caroline Webb, Sarah Murphy and coxswain Molly Huffaker, had a solid performance, finishing the race in 15:50.2

The MV8, (bow) Nick Flynn, Caleb Glassman, Charlie Carey, Garland Ditz, Peter C. Miller, Hank Schless, Oliver Scholle, Peter K. Miller and coxswain Jake Sandor, earned a silver medal for the day with a time of 13:14.1, finishing behind D-I Holy Cross and a club (non-collegiate) crew from Merrimack River Rowing.

Making their rowing debut this weekend, the WN8 of (bow) Alex Millstrom, Hannah Weiss, Rachel Garber, Rebecca O'Neill, Paige Collins, Jenna Armstrong, Hadley Dawson, Eliza Barkan and coxswain Emma Kate Lindsay rowed to a second place finish, just 10 seconds shy of the winning Tufts novice crew. Coming prepared for the less than ideal conditions, the WN8 managed to walk through two crews on their way to the finish line. Coxswain Emma Kate Lindsay kept her rowers motivated and focused as they brought the race home with a time of 16:18.6 making novice coach Liz Hurley extremely proud.

The MV4 of (bow) Alexander Hadiaris, Santo Dettore, Sam MacGregor, Jon Frye and coxswain Maggie Carey finished the race with a time of 16:11.6 earning 11^th place out of the 20 entries.

The Bobcats take to the water again next weekend for the Head of the Charles in Boston, MA. The women will be represented by the first and second varsity eights while the men’s side is sending down the top eight and a varsity four. All crews are ready to go and look forward to record setting performances. More information regarding the Charles to come in the days ahead!

October in MAINE

2011-10-13T13:07:00.003-04:00

We've had a string of beautiful days here in Greene, Maine and the sunsets have been spectacular. WV8 Coxswain Gabby Bilotta '14 provided the photo above. She was in the safety launch for one session while the women were in the pairs and she thoughtfully brought along a camera.

Quinsigamond Snake Regatta

The first race of the season is finally upon us. The crews will be heading to Worcester, MA on Saturday morning looking to continue the success that has been the norm at this regatta. They've had more than a month of practicing, erg testing and racing against one-another and it's clear that an actual regatta is needed. These athletes thrive on competition and it's time to put themselves to the test. We'll be racing the usual suspects: WPI, Conn College, Simmons, Colby, Bowdoin, Mt. Holyoke, Holy Cross, and many others.

Racing will begin at 9:45am with the Men's Fours and the Eights will be racing at 11:00am. Additional information regarding directions, parking and viewing the races can be found on the QRA website: www.qra.org.

Row small to go BIG

2011-10-05T08:50:00.007-04:00

Over the past decade it has become more common for college and university crews in the U.S. to spend the majority of their fall season in small boats instead of just mile after mile of rowing in eights. This philosophy is simple: create skilled oarsmen in addition to powerful rowers.

Watermanship is extremely difficult to learn in an eight - some would say impossible - but is crucial if one wants to excel in the sport of rowing. This focus on small boat skill and mileage is one that we have fully embraced here at Bates. (Above, men's team captain, Oliver Scholle is pictured preparing to race 'Round the Island. Thanks to Haley Sive.)

The commitment to this philosophy began in 2003 when the program purchased four pair-oared shells. The following year four more shells were purchased allowing the coaches to have both the V8 and the JV8 on the water, in pairs, together. This changed significantly the flavor of practice at Bates College forever - no longer is it merely the 1V vs. the 2V for supremacy, now it is you and your pair-mate vs. 7 other crews. You are responsible for one side of the boat, he is responsible for the other and finishing 5th instead of 4th will mean the difference between being in the Varsity Eight and being in the JV Eight.

The bottom line here is that it's no longer possible for an individual to hide in the eight and allow for your crew to compensate for your short-comings. You are no longer defined by your erg score. Your rowing skills are on display in a pair and you will either be revealed as talented or exposed as inefficient and disruptive to the run of the boat.

In the past two years we have continued to improve upon our fleet of eight pairs by converting four of them over to doubles (sculling vs. sweep rowing) and have also purchased a single. Incorporating sculling into our program serves two purposes in addition to the benefits mentioned above:
1) Injury Prevention - if one rows only one side of the boat for one's rowing career the body can become imbalanced and therefore susceptible to injury.
2) Increased Capability & Competition - If one rows only on one side of the boat then only four seats are available to that individual. Rowing both sides allows for the individual to be more competitive in more seats.

Having the access and capability to train with these various rowing combinations, not to mention having the ideal rowing venue to put them to good use, is a significant aspect of our program here at Bates. There is no doubt in my mind that the reason we row so BIG in the eights is because we take the time to gain skill through mileage and competition in the small boats.

17:49.1? Are you kidding?

2011-10-03T12:11:00.005-04:00

It was a tremendous day of racing on Saturday as both varsity eights shattered course records. The conditions could not have been more perfect. Not only did the crews enjoy a 5mph tailwind but they also took advantage of the increased flow of the mighty Androscoggin River due to the rains from the night before.

The WV8 of (from bow) Haley Sive, Amy Jacks, Alexandra Hill, Hopie King, Mallory Ward, Heather Monty, Elizabeth Sonshine, Allison DiSalvo and coxswain, Gabby Bilotta, broke the previous record by more than 1 minute when they clocked a time of 19:20.8. Distinguished members of the Class of 2011, Ellen Patterson & Hannah Richardson, were on hand for the "hull cracking" performance and were heard to exclaim,"I can't wait to see them race in the spring."

The Men's Varsity Eight had an equally impressive performance when they bested the previous record time of 18:40.3 (October 2010) by almost a full minute. Coxswain, Jake Sandor '14 pushed the men hard knowing that they had a real opportunity to set a mark that would be met by only the most fortunate of crews in the future. When they crossed the line it was immediately announced that they had pulled an outrageous time of 17:49.1!

Pictured above is the record setting crew of 2011: (from bow) Nick Flynn, Caleb Glassman, Charlie Carey, Gar Ditz, PC Miller, Hank Schless, Ollie Scholle, PK Miller, and cox: Jacob Sandor.

Following the morning's races the crews welcomed their parents, families and friends to the boathouse for coffee and muffins. The 1st-year parents had a chance to meet the new coaches for the first time and to see the Bates Rowing facility.

Once back on campus, the women's captains (Haley Sive '12 & Allison DiSalvo '12) officially presented the NCAA National Championship 2nd Place trophy to President Cable during the halftime of the Bates football game against Tufts. Again, we thank all the parents and friends who were able to join us for this terrific day of racing and recognition.

Getting into the Swing!

2011-09-26T10:49:00.005-04:00

We've had a terrific first couple of weeks here on the Androscoggin. The weather has been mild and calm. Aside from one morning session being interrupted by fog everything has run quite smoothly.

The varsity crews are getting 20+K each outing in the eights with additional mileage in the small boats. We have converted 4 pairs over to doubles with the intention of increasing overall boat sense and "watermanship" as well as to re-balance the athletes. This should result in fewer injuries due to over use and allow each rower to learn to row on both sides of the boat.

Pictured above are the two women's varsity eights during an outing last week (I think it accurately depicts the rough conditions we've had to deal with recently). We have only 5 seniors on the squad and with all four of the junior rowers abroad the program is almost entirely made from the Class of 2014. These two eights simultaneously broke the previous Bridge to Dock course record this past Saturday which gives us an indication of just how deep this team is at the moment.

We also have a number of first-year members brand new to the sport. Coach Hurley has a novice eight rowing daily that is advancing quickly and will be ready to race at the Quinsiggamond Snake Regatta on Oct. 15.

The men have three members of the junior class abroad and one injured for the season. Despite their absence, the two senior Captains (Peter C. Miller and Oliver Scholle) look to lead this small but talented squad as they build off of the impressive spring season of 2011. These men have a lot of small boat work to look forward to as we approach the fall racing season knowing that it will pay off in the long run.

The first-year men have already had two record setting performances here on the river. They have set the course records for the MF4+ and the MF2x over the Bridge to Dock course which is roughly 5.5K. I know that Coach Foglia is proud of his men for their early season accomplishments but looks forward to the very near future as these men best their own times.

Congratulations to the following crews:

M1x: P. K. Miller '12 (23:27.5)

MF2x: A. Hadiaris '15 & M. Silverman '15 (34:21.3)

MF4+ (27:26.8)
b: K. McCarrick '15
2: M. Silverman '15
3: A. Hadiaris '15
s: W. Mortimer '15
c: J. Mulvaney '12

WV8 (20:33.0)
b: R. Ellis '14
2: T. Roach '14
3: A. Ryan '14
4: H. King '14
5: A. Hill '14
6: H. Monty '14
7: E. Sonshine '12
s: S. Murphy '14
c: M. Huffaker '14

Fall 2011 Pre-view

2011-09-02T12:44:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe but the 2011-2012 school year is nearly upon us. The majority of the first-years are on their AESOP trips and a few of the upperclassmen have found they way onto campus. Some new equipment has arrived and been made ready, and we have added a few exterior racks to the boathouse for overflow storage. The boathouse itself survived Irene though the driveway, a few of the trees and one roof panel did not. So we have an improved driveway, a new roof panel...and a few less trees. But perhaps the biggest addition for the upcoming year is the new assistant coaching staff.

I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome Liz Hurley and Jesse Foglia to Bates and to our rowing family. I have had just a couple weeks to get them up-to-speed but I can safely say that I am pleased already. I am very much looking forward to working with Liz & Jesse as I am confident that their contributions to the program are going to be significant. You can read more about their backgrounds on the team website.

Two new assistants coming in means that two old ones had to leave. We had to say goodbye to Meghan and Tom following the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, CA. They both did a fantastic job for Bates and were instrumental in advancing the program. Meghan returned to her hometown of Buffalo to (begrudgingly) put her Law degree to work and Tom has moved to the next level of collegiate rowing by accepting the Frosh Men's coaching position at George Washington University.
Thanks for everything, guys! And we wish you luck in the next phase of your lives.

A few short months ago we said good bye to the Class of 2011. Their contribution to the overall well-being and performance level of this program is second to none. Case in point: the Class of 2011 is the only class to win four President's Cup Regattas. This "first ever" achievement is significant in that it exemplifies the depth and continuity of the program. The Class of 2011 carried forward a standard set by previous classes and has left behind an expectation for the classes yet to follow.

With that (and finally) I would like to welcome the Class of 2015. Made up of individuals from places like Seattle (WA), Pittsford and Harrison (NY), Marietta (GA), and Orono (ME); and from schools like Kent, Westminster, Taft, Wayne Fleet, and Noble & Greenough, the Class of 2015 is well rounded and experienced. I am very confident that this class will embrace the Bates College standard and not shy away from the expectation for excellence.

NCAA Race Report Day 2: Runners-Up at NCAA National Championships!

2011-05-28T18:18:00.004-04:00

The Bates second varsity eight finished second in the Petite Final and the first varsity eight finished second in the Grand Final to give Bates 16 points; enough to finish as national runners up for the third consecutive year.

Racing in the Petite Final, the second varsity eight lined up against three second varsity crews they had recently beaten as well as Trinity and Puget Sounds' first varsity crews. Puget Sound led off the start while Trinity and Bates battled for second and third - moving away from the rest of the field in the process. In the third 500 meters Bates and Trinity pulled ahead of and away from Puget Sound. As the race progressed into the final quarter Trinity gradually took control of the lead position and Bates finished second. The second place finish in the petite final makes the second varsity eight the 8th fastest in the country among Division III programs - a new high for the team.

With Williams having both of their crews in the Grand Final it would have been tough for Bates to come away with a national championship. This left Wellesley, Ithaca, and Bates battling for the runners' up position in the Grand Final. Bates was given some leeway because the second varsity crew finished ahead of their counterparts from Ithaca and Wellesley in the Petite Final.

But the first varsity didn't need that leeway. They went hard in the first 1000m to stick with Williams, which resulted in an open water lead over the rest of the field. The crew began to pay for their aggressive start as Wellesley slowly cut into Bates lead while Williams secured their first place position. This experienced Bates crew, containing multiple oarswomen who have finished second in the previous three years, held off Wellesley's late challenge to earn the silver medal.

Williams took the varsity eight and team title for the 6th consecutive year. Bates finished ahead of Wellesley (3rd) and Ithaca (4th) for a third consecutive runner's up finish.

NCAA Race Report: Day 1

2011-05-27T23:14:00.003-04:00

The blog is back! Apologies for the long delay between blog posts: preparation for the NCAA Championships has been very focused and time consuming. A multi-week stretch in which the sun did not shine also zapped whatever energy I had reserved for blog writing.

But the sun is out in Sacramento and the boats are fast! So without further delay, here is a recap of the first day of racing at the NCAA Championships:

Morning Heats

The second varsity eight kicked things off for Bates in the first of two Division III heats. The challenge for the crew was to finish among the top four, which would guarantee a shot at the grand finals - a feat which only defending champs Williams has achieved and which has become the de facto standard for any team hoping to win the National Championship. To finish in the top four was no small task as the second eight was placed in a heat with top ranked Williams I, Ithaca I, William Smith I, Puget Sound, Wellesley II, and Trinity II. Unfortunately they weren't able to finish ahead of any of the other first varsity eights. But they did cover the course in a much faster time than the other second varsity eights in their heat. The results meant the crew had to race in the afternoon's Petite Qualifier.

The first varsity eight, seeded second at the regatta, was hoping to win the heat; which would mean avoiding the afternoon repechage and taking the direct route to the Grand Final. They faced familiar opposition as Wellesley and Trinity threw everything they had at Bates. As the race entered the second thousand meters, Bates and Wellesley seemed to exchange the lead with every stroke. Bates pulled away heading into the final 500m and was able to hold off a late charge by Wellesley to win the heat and a spot in the Grand Finals!

Afternoon Repechage

With the first varsity's victory in the heats, the second varsity eight was the only Bates crew to race in the afternoon. They had to finish top four in the Petite Qualifier to secure a position in the Petite Final. The crew was upset with missing out on the Grand Qualifier in the morning and they rowed with great fury. Lined up mostly against the other second varsity eights, they rowed about as well as they could and led from start to finish.

Their six second victory over Wellesley II will bring confidence to this crew: they need to race extremely well in tomorrow's Petite Qualifier if Bates is to repeat as runners' up. We have an outside shot at winning the school's first National Championship. Williams qualified both of their eights for the grand finals again, which makes them clear favorites to repeat.

But the gameplan doesn't change for the Bobcats. If both crews row as well as they can, they'll either win or be beaten by very strong crews who had great races.

Bates Ties for 4th at ECAC National Invitational Regatta; Breaks More Records

2011-05-12T14:14:00.005-04:00

Bates followed up their successful weekend at the New England Championships by returning to Lake Quinsigamond to finish tied for 4th at the 2011 ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships. Bates was tied with Ithaca. Trinity won the regatta with Williams a close second. Four Bates crews made the grand finals and two medaled while multiple team records were matched or broken.

Bates College Rowing ECAC.archives 2011

Women's Varsity 8+
2nd Place - Grand Final

cox: Nora Collins - C '11, (stroke - bow): Allison DiSalvo '12, Elizabeth Sonshine '12, Emma White '11, Phoebe Reed '11, Rebecca Waldo '11, Kelsy Dion '12, Haley Sive '12, Ellen Patterson C '11

Grand Final

1 - Williams 6:45.177
2 - Bates 6:50.657
3 - Wellesley 6:52.895
4 - Trinity 6:55.733
5 - Ithaca 6:56.612
6 - William Smith 7:01.443

For the second week in a row the first varsity eight finished behind Williams and ahead of Wellesley. The crew qualified for the grand final by winning the morning heat, which was incredibly fast due to a light tailwind. Wellesley once again provided a mighty challenge to Bates for the silver medal, but the crew proved to have too much power through the body of the race and pulled away in the third 500.

The silver medal was well earned and represents a new best finish at this regatta. Last year the first varsity eight finished a disappointing 4th so it was good to show up and have a good race this time around. In the previous two years the women's crews have gained a lot of speed in the two weeks between ECAC and NCAAs, so things are heading in the right direction.

Women's Second Varsity 8+
2nd Place - Grand Final

cox: Gabby Bilotta '14, (stroke to bow): Sarah Murphy '14, Hannah Richardson '11, Hopie King '14, Catherine Tuttle '13, Heather Monty '14, Alexandra Hill '14, Amy Jacks '12, Aisling Ryan '14

Grand Final

1 - Williams 6:46.453
2 - Bates 6:52.088
3 - Trinity 6:58.459
4 - Ithaca 7:01.899
5 - UNH 7:07.536
6 - Wellesley 7:09.346

For the second straight year, the women's 2V took care of business and finished second among a competitive field. The race provided insight into the speed of the 2Vs who will be competing at the upcoming NCAA Championships. The crew will be comfortable knowing that they've solidified their place as the second fastest 2V in the country. This young crew will gain a lot of speed in the two weeks before NCAAs as they harness their technical skills.

Women's Third Varsity 8+
4th Place - Grand Final

cox: Molly Huffaker '14 (stroke to bow): Bliss Baker '14, Caroline Webb '12, Lauren Hadiaris '13, Kirsten Laaspere '11, Amanda Wescott '13, Carrie Dillaway '13, Taylor Kniffin '14, Rachel Ellis '14

Grand Final
1 - Williams 7:20.996
2 - Wellesley 7:23.535
3 - Trinity 7:26.456
4 - Bates 7:32.514
5 - Ithaca 7:33.927
6 - Wesleyan 7:41.659

This was the first time that Bates has fielded a women's 3V at the NIRC. After finishing an all-time high third at the New England Championships last week, they continued to break new ground when they finished third in the morning heat and qualified for the grand finals. Wellesley, who'd won the petite final at New Englands, showed their depth and increase in speed by qualifying for the grands and finishing third this weekend. These women have had a great season and many of them will return next fall hungry for a spot in the top crews.

Men's Varsity 8+
1st Place - Petite Final

cox: Jake Sandor '14, (stroke to bow): Gar Ditz '14, Peter Haley '13, Hank Schless '14, Andre Gobbo '13, Jake Harwood '14, Matt Johns '13, Jordy Winslow '13, Ollie Scholle C '12

Petite Final
1 - Bates 6:12.508
2 - Colby 6:14.898
3 - UNH 6:15.974
4 - URI 6:18.389
5 - WPI 6:18.788
6 - RIT 6:28.510

The men's varsity wrapped up a spectacular season with the second best performance in school history at the NIRC. Drawn into a fast heat with Williams and Marist, Bates finished a disappointing fourth in the heat. The petite final featured numerous crews that this bunch had seen over the course of the season and they rowed a confident race in the afternoon, leading from start to finish.

In winning the petite final the men improved on last year's 6th place a(12th overall) finish and were a spot off of the school record. They were the third fastest New England crew at the regatta, which puts them in the same position they were in at the New England Championships.

Men's Second Varsity 8+
4th Place - Grand Final

cox: Gabe Silverman '11 (stroke to bow): Peter K. Miller '12, Charlie Carey '13, Sam MacGregor '14, Harry Chung '11, Joseph Nowak C '11, Jason Weeks '11, Caleb Glassman '14, Jon Frye '14

Grand Final
1 - Williams 6:06.461
2 - Michigan 6:09.964
3 - Trinity 6:17.079
4 - Bates 6:19.185
5 - WPI 6:23.035
6 - RIT 6:24.359

This crew became the first men's 2V to find a place in the grand finals and rowed a strong race to finish 4th in the grand - the best ever finish by a men's crew at the NIRC. For the second week they nipped at the heels of Trinity and ranked third among New England crews. They comfortably earned their way into the grand by placing top three in their heat. The seniors were great leaders for this inexperienced crew and were pleased to improve upon 2010's upsetting result at this regatta.

San Diego Crew Classic To Be Broadcast on ESPNU

2011-05-06T10:03:00.002-04:00

Selected events and highlights from the San Diego Crew Classic will be broadcast on ESPNU tonight at 7 PM and Saturday at midnight, 3 AM, and 10 AM.

See the link from row2k for more information: http://www.row2k.com/news/news.cfm?ID=62204 .

2011 New England Rowing Championships - Men's and Women's Teams Combine for Bates' Best-Ever Performance!

2011-05-02T12:20:00.010-04:00

All five of Bates' eight-oared crews finished in the top three at the New England Rowing Championships, held in Worcester, MA this past Saturday. The results meant that each of the eights (three women's and two men's crews) matched or surpassed school records in their respective events.

It was a great day of racing that will make every rower, parent, alumnus, and fan of Bates rowing proud. Read below for a brief recap each event.

Women's Varsity Eight
coxswain: Nora Collins C-'11, stroke: Allison Di Salvo '12, 7: Elizabeth Sonshine '12, 6: Emma White '11, 5: Phoebe Reed '11, 4: Rebecca Waldo '11, 3: Kelsey Dion '12, 2: Haley Sive '12, bow: Ellen Patterson C-'11

Photo Credit: Mason D. Cox

Grand Final

1 - Williams 6:34.024
2 - Bates 6:41.614
3 - Wellesley 6:42.788
4 - Trinity 6:45.792
5 - Holy Cross 6:46.566
6 - UNH 6:48.941

The women's first varsity crew held off a big charge from Wellesley throughout the grand final. Bates was able to maintain contact with Williams throughout the first 1000 meters or so, but the Ephs took total control of the race in the 3rd 500.

This is now the 3rd consecutive year in which the women's first varsity eight earned a silver medal and the fifth consecutive year in which they've finished among the top four at New Englands.

Men's Varsity Eight
coxswain: Jake Sandor '14, stroke: Gar Ditz '14, 7: Peter Haley '13, 6: Hank Schless '14, 5: Andre Gobbo '13, 4: Jake Harwood '14, 3: Matt Johns '13, 2: Jordy Winslow '13, bow: Ollie Scholle '12

Photo Credit: Mason D. Cox

Grand Final

1 - Williams 5:50.315
2 - Trinity 5:56.442
3 - Bates 6:01.658
4 - UNH 6:01.995
5 - WPI 6:04.250
6 - URI 6:07.069

This young men's varsity crew showed poise and maturity to finish third in dramatic fashion. They were about half a boat back of the pack battling for third going into the second 500. In the third 500 they began to work their way back into the mix. Coxswain Jake Sandor '14 called for the crew to bring the rate up in an attempt to drive them onwards and the crew responded with some furious strokes in the final 500. They were neck and neck with UNH in the final strokes and the decision on who finished third was determined by photo finish. Fortunately the bow of the Semper Fidelis, a much longer hull than the older Hudsons, crossed the finish line first and Bates returned to the medals dock for the second time in three years.

Women's Second Varsity Eight
coxswain: Gabby Bilotta '14, stroke: Sarah Murphy '14, 7: Hannah Richardson '11, 6: Hopie King '14, 5: Alexandra Hill '14, 4: Heather Monty '14, 3: Catherine Tuttle '13, 2: Amy Jacks '12, bow: Aisling Ryan '14

Photo Credit: Mason D. Cox

Grand Final

1 - Williams 6:40.935
2 - Bates 6:44.851
3 - Holy Cross 6:50.657
4 - Trinity 6:51.034
5 - Smith 6:55.285
6 - Wellesley 6:56.600

The women's second varsity was the only Bates crew to actually set a new school record with their second place finish. This is another young crew that still has a lot of room to grow. They battled with Williams all the way down the course but it the Ephs were able to withstand Bates' challenges thanks in large part to establishing an early lead. Bates found themselves down almost three quarters of a boat length early in the race and then held Williams throughout the body of the race.

Men's Second Varsity
coxswain: Gabe Silverman '11, stroke: Peter K. Miller '12, 7: Charlie Carey '13, 6: Sam MacGregor '14, 5: Harry Chung '11, 4: Joseph Nowak C '11, 3: Jason Weeks '11, 2: Caleb Glassman '14, bow: Jon Frye '14

Photo Credit: Mason D. Cox

Grand Final

1 - Williams 6:00.817
2 - Trinity 6:08.811
3 - Bates 6:09.792
4 - WPI 6:10.255
5 - Wesleyan 6:14.797
6 - Colby 6:18.946

For the second straight year the men's second varsity eight took third. Like the first varsity crew, they found themselves back in the pack in the early stages of the race. But they were patient and knew their strength was in the body of the race. The crew worked their way through the field in the third 500m before sprinting ahead of WPI to take third.

Women's Novice 4 w/ Coxswain
coxswain: Maggie Carey '14, stroke: Heather Fisher '14, 3: Taylor Roach '14, Melanie Sklar '14, Paige Collins '14

Petite Final

1 - Tufts 8:29.655
2 - Clark 8:32.467
3 - Bates 8:42.860
4 - Assumption 8:58.324

This novice four featured women who have just learned to row in the past year. They've shown great improvement over the course of the last few weeks, with only limited water time. Look for them to be contributors over the course of the coming seasons.

Onota Cup Recap

2011-04-25T10:03:00.003-04:00

The Onota Cup, hosted by Williams and held in Pittsfield, was held in dreary conditions on Saturday. We were fortunate to be able to run races at all considering Saturday's forecast called for winds of 15 - 20 mph. Luckily the winds were kept at bay thanks to driving rain and cold temperatures. Making the long drive down to Pittsfield is always risky and everyone is thankful that the regatta went off without a hitch.

The Williams crews are incredibly fast. They won every varsity race by sizable margins, though the women's 2V and 3V were closer to the Ephs than in recent years. Bates raced well to finish second in every event we entered. Being the "best of the rest" is nothing to be sorry about in this field. Ithaca and Coast Guard always provide good competition and consistently finish strongly at the championship regattas in May.

Bates crews will now prepare for the New England Rowing Championships, held in Worcester, MA, this Saturday.

A Week's Worth of News

2011-04-21T09:05:00.012-04:00

The students are done with finals and we are officially on spring break, which means we can row twice a day instead of three times a week! Unfortunately this also means I've been unable to do anything for the blog. So here it is: a very brief review of the Presidents' Cup, the christening of the Semper Fidelis, and a short preview of this weekend's race at Williams.

15th Annual Thomas Hedley Reynolds Presidents' Cup Regatta

Captains Joseph Nowak '11, Nora Collins '11, and Ellen Patterson '11 with the Presidents' Cup. Their leadership over the course of the year helped the team retain the Cup for the fourth consecutive year. During their four years at Bates, the Cup has never left campus. (Photo Courtesy of RuthAnn Nowak P '11)

The Presidents' Cup will remain at Bates through 2011 and into 2012 thanks to a 14(Bates)-9(Bowdoin)-7(Colby) points victory. Bates has now won the cup outright 5 times and has retained the cup due to a draw once. The six victories brings Bates to within three of Colby, who won the regatta in eight out of its first ten years.

The regatta was delayed to the afternoon due to high winds but it was well worth the wait. The weather turned sunny, warm, and mostly wind-free during the afternoon. A good number of spectators were on land and with the finish line within 50 yards of the dock, they were able to migrate to the water's edge to cheer on the crews as some tight races wrapped up.

Racing for the day was tight with Bates coming out on top of all but two events - the men's and women's varsity fours, which Bowdoin has had a stranglehold on in recent years.

For more info about the race, check out the article here, though I will note that the lineups on the Bates website are a bit outdated.

"I christen this boat Semper Fidelis!"

Following the team's victory we were fortunate to have Kevin McHugh, Bates College Director of Athletics, christen a new men's eight: the Semper Fidelis.

Semper Fidelis is a Latin term meaning "Always Faithful" and is the motto for the United State Marine Corps as well as a number of other prestigious organizations around the world.
The shell is the latest mold of Hudson Boatwork's Super Predator series. Cambridge rowed the same mold, which a few tweaks, at the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race in March.
This specific shell was rowed by Eton College from England, who finished third in the Youth Men's Eight event at the 2010 Head of the Charles.

An anonymous gift received in the past year allowed the team to purchase the new racing shell just before the start of the race season. The men's first varsity eight have been practicing in it this week and will race in it for the remainder of the season.

Here are some pictures from the christening ceremony:

Bates College Director of Athletics Kevin McHugh christens the Semper Fidelis. Mr. McHugh delivered a rousing speech beforehand in which he recognized and thanked all those people who have helped to sustain the rowing team through gift-giving. He also mentioned that plans had been proposed for a new boathouse but that pledges towards the overall cost would need to be made before taking any further steps. (Photo courtesy of Hank Schless '14)

The men's 1V8 took the Semper Fidelis out for a short maiden voyage after the ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Jack Mulvaney '12)

Mr. McHugh got in on the action as he jumped into the coxswain seat for a few minutes. The guys showed him what a race start feels like from the coxswain position. (Photo courtesy of Jack Mulvaney '12)

Upcoming Race @ Williams

The team now heads to Pittsfield, MA to race Williams, Ithaca, and Coast Guard. Marist has been at this race in the past, but they've pulled out this year for whatever reason. It's a real shame because they usually put out fast crews. Williams is currently enjoying a significant period of success from both the men's and women's teams. Racing should be competitive and any victories by a non-Williams crew will have been well-earned.

Spectators should follow directions from the following page (brace yourselves for purple and yellow web design): Directions to Onota Lake

Whether the weather is good or bad , racing is scheduled to start at 8:00 AM and finish by 11:00 AM, so arrive early. For those who have never been to this race, be warned that, in the event the sun is out, it usually doesn't rise above the neighboring mountains until later in the morning. Bring warm clothes.

Crew Classic Picture Special

2011-04-07T11:13:00.010-04:00

If you haven't read the recap yet, check it out. It's the article from April 6.

One final acknowledgement goes out to everyone who made a donation for the cost of the trip. Donations from parents, alumni, and friends amounted to $10,000 for the cost of the San Diego trip.

Jason Weeks '11 and Joseph Nowak (captain) '11 reunite with Sam Milstein '08 (center) at the San Diego Crew Classic.

Class of 2011 - currently accepting any jobs in southern California!!!

A little bit of cloud cover did not keep these Mainers away from the Pacific before dinner on Saturday night. Hallie Preston '06 hosted the team for dinner in Carlsbad, CA.

Hallie and John Greer '04 served up enchiladas, rice and beans, salad, and a tray of layered chocolate chip cookies for dinner. The evening was perfect for getting out of the hotel and taking everyones' minds off of Sunday's finals. Good times we had by all. Thanks Hallie and John!

Sunday afternoon was spent at Mission Beach, which featured a mini-amusement park with a roller coaster and handful of rides. Many people rode this one, the Beach Master. Some of us rode it a few too many times during the five hour stay at the beach...

Walking along Mission Beach. Probably debating whether it's worth not boarding the return flight to Boston.

The sun sets on a memorable weekend. 'Till next time San Diego!

30th Annual San Diego Crew Classic Recap

2011-04-06T11:43:00.007-04:00

The Bates College rowing team's first trip to San Diego for America's Premier Spring Regatta was absolutely wonderful. Everything from the weather to the regatta setup to the meals could not have been better. New England regatta organizers could learn a thing or two about how to put on an exciting regatta. Jumbotrons, commentators, and the availability of DVDs of each individual race one hour after a race is run adds a previously unheard of level of entertainment value to a regatta. The production value for the video of the races rivals the coverage of the Olympics (see the embedded video of the men's 2V final below).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Certain people deserve recognition before the races are covered. Thanks to:

Raymond and Ruth-Ann Nowak P '11 for running the tent and providing lunch on Friday
Pablo Collins P '11 for providing snacks and fluids on Friday
Gordon and Webb P '12 for helping to cover the bill for dinner on Friday
Hallie Preston '06 and John Greer '04 for hosting dinner on Saturday night
Friends of Bates Athletics for paying for the tent at the regatta
University of California - San Diego coaching staff for providing men's eights
San Diego State University coaching staff for providing the women's four
Hudson Boatworks for providing the women's eight
Asst. Coach Meghan Leydecker for planning the logistics for the entire trip and keeping the herd in line during the weekend

RECAP

The key term this past weekend was "perspective." The level of competition was higher than what the rowers will see at the championship regattas next month so it would have been unrealistic for the crews to expect to win their events. The goal of each outing on the water was for the crews to get better with every race, every 500 meters, every stroke and each crew accomplished that goal. The fact that a few crews won tight races was a huge bonus that will pay off as the season goes on. The common theme among all crews was that speed throughout the body of the race and aerobic fitness levels are high. Start and sprint speed need some work, but that's exactly where everyone needs to be at this time in the year.

Women's Varsity 8+
7th in the Women's Collegiate Varsity Eight (won Petite Final)

(L-R) Rebecca Waldo '11, Emma White '11, Haley Sive '12, Kelsy Dion '12, Nora Collins (captain) '11, Elizabeth Sonshine '12, Allison DiSalvo '12, Ellen Patterson (captain) '11, Hannah Richardson '11

The women's 1V8 showed a lot of character in winning a tightly contested petite final over University of Victoria (Canada) and NCAA Division I crews representing Drexel University, San Diego State University, St. Mary's University, and Southern Methodist University. This crew was placed in the petites after finishing 3rd in the heat behind eventual cup winners University of Alabama and runners-up Tulsa. Their performance earned them Bobcat of the Week honors on the Bates website!

They handled the pressure of racing above their heads fantastically well. They haven't rowed more than four times since our trip to Texas in February so this result shows that water isn't needed to race well. A natural passion for racing can be enough to fuel a crew.

Men's Varsity 8+
9th in the Men's Collegiate Varsity (3rd in Petite Final)

(L-R) back row - Andre Gobbo '13, Peter Haley '13, Peter K. Miller '12, Joseph Nowak (captain) '11, Jason Weeks '11
front row - Jordy Winslow '13, Matt Johns '13, Ollie Scholle '13, Gabe Silverman '11

The men raced in one of the deepest fields at the regatta: 21 crews from the west coast, midwest, and east coast came to San Diego to test their early season speed. After barely finding their way into the petite final, the men raced well on Sunday to finish third behind Purdue and Washington St. The top four crews all finished within three seconds of one another and just having that type of race at this time of year is outstanding.

This is a young crew with lots of improving to do. They accomplished the goal of improving with each race and it will be exciting to see where they go from here.

Men's Second Varsity 8+
7th in the Men's Collegiate 2V Eight (won Petite Final)

(L-R) Hank Schless '14, Caleb Glassman '14, Charlie Carey '13, Jon Frye '14, Jake Sandor '14, Gar Ditz '14, Sam MacGregor '14, Harry Chung '11

Great race experience for this young crew. After being placed in a heat that featured two of the top three finishers (Stanford and Cal B) in the event, the men found themselves in the petite final against University of California Davis, Orange Coast College, University of California Santa Barbara, University of California Irvine, and Santa Clara.

No real write up on their race needed. Their performance in the race did earn them Bobcat of the Week honors on the Bates website! See the video:

Women's Second Varsity 8+
15th in the Women's Collegiate 2V Eight (3rd in the 3rd level final)

(L-R) Sarah Murphy '14, Aisling Ryan '14, Amy Jacks '12, Catherine Tuttle '13, Gabby Bilotta '14, Heather Monty '14, Bliss Baker '14, Hopie King '14, Alexandra Hill '14

Like the men's second varsity crew, this young crew gained a lot of experience and skill as the weekend went on. They came from behind to pass Georgetown and Tulsa in their Saturday final. Look for continued improvement from this bunch.

Women's Varsity 4+

12th in the Women's Collegiate 4+ (6th in Petite Final)

(L-R) Carrie Dillaway '13, Lauren Hadiaris '13, Molly Huffaker '14, Caroline Webb '12, Taylor Kniffin '14

The women's four had probably the tallest task facing them of any of the Bates crews. The quality of the depth of the Division I teams meant that this event would be full of fast crews. Remember that the four with coxswain is a critical event at the NCAA Division I Rowing Championships so a lot of strategy goes in to selecting these crews.

The women had a tough race on Saturday, but bounced back with a better performance on Sunday. It takes more time for a crew to gel in a four than in an eight, so it will be interesting to see how this crew progresses as more experience is gained.

That does it for the write up. This was a tough trip for the coaches and rowers to commit to. The sacrifices made for going out and racing in San Diego certainly paid off for everyone. Hopefully Bates will return to San Diego in future years.

Check back tomorrow for a picture special from San Diego. On Friday you can find a preview of the Saturday/Sunday races.

Crew Classic Recap to Come

2011-04-04T17:35:00.003-04:00

Everyone safely returned to campus this morning around 10:00 AM. We were welcomed to typical New England weather: grey, chilly, and wet. With sleep schedules completely thrown off by an overnight flight and the return to the eastern time zone after finally adapting to Pacific time, the team headed to the first of their last five days of classes for the winter semester.

The entire trip was amazing. For the seniors on the team, it will rank up there with some of their best memories of their time spent together at Bates.

Look for a recap about the racing and a bunch of pictures from an awesome weekend in San Diego for the Crew Classic.

Crew Classic Picture Special (Day 1)

2011-04-01T23:41:00.012-04:00

The Bates rowing team arrived in San Diego at 10:00 PM Pacific following what seemed like an endless wait at Logan Airport. All of the hassle from the day of travel was quickly forgotten as we woke up to clear skies and temps in the 70s. The weather was made even more perfect when messages from Bates concerning campus offices being closed and power going out during another winter storm.

Below are pics from Thursday and Friday. You can watch live video of the San Diego Crew Classic, as well as find live results, from the Official Crew Classic website.

Alexandra Hill '14 and Heather Monty '14 (both 6'1") work together
to get comfortable for the bus ride from Bates to Logan Airport.

The W1V8 practice in a brand new eight that Hudson Boatworks, by far the best boat builder in North America, has loaned to the team for the weekend. This boat, which is a replica of the shell the women rowed at the 2010 NCAA Championships, was literally wrapped in plastic an hour before this picture was taken. Rebecca Waldo '11 raises her arms to the heavens to show her enthusiasm for the boat.

M1V8 at 3/4 slide. The crew is rowing in a shell rented from University of California-San Diego. This 2006 Hudson Elite 8 is the same model as the two shells the varsity men have at Bates.

Much of the morning was spent lounging in the sun. Usually sitting in the sun is not the best way to prepare for a 2000m race, but these bodies haven't seen the sun since Austin, TX in February and Vitamin D levels are low.

This truck, crane, and camera was brought in to telecast the racing on a big screen at the race course and over the internet to be viewed in dozens of countries. Some events will be broadcast on ESPNU in a few weeks.

Probably the most gorgeous regatta site in the country. In typical SoCal fashion it is also probably one of the most laid-back even though crews are packed in as tight as they are at the Head of the Charles, where most people are pretty uptight.

The team enjoyed dinner at Buca di Beppo in downtown.

No longer hungry, everyone heads back to the hotel.

San Diego Crew Classic Lineups and Preview

2011-03-30T10:31:00.004-04:00

Somewhere in there is a regatta site and a 2000 meter race course.
We don't know where because a course map hasn't been published...

The journey to San Diego begins tomorrow afternoon when the team boards a bus bound for Logan Airport in Boston. This is the first time Bates has been represented at America's Premier Spring Regatta and it will be interesting to see how the crews handle unfamiliar waters, weather, and competition. Below are the lineups for each crew and and brief preview for each crew's event.

WOMEN'S VARSITY EIGHT
Racing for the SeaWorld Cal Cup in the Women's Collegiate Varsity event.

Heat: Saturday at 8:20 AM (Pacific)

Lineup:
bow - Ellen Patterson '11 (captain)
2 - Emma White '11
3 - Hannah Richardson '11
4 - Rebecca Waldo '11
5 - Elizabeth Sonshine '12
6 - Haley Sive '12
7 - Kelsey Dion '12
stroke - Allison DiSalvo '12
coxswain - Nora Collins '11 (captain)

The women's varsity eight will be racing primarily against Division I scholarship programs such as University of Alabama, Sacramento State, and Kansas State. Their heat will feature Alabama, Tulsa, British Columbia, Southern Methodist Unversity, and Arizona State University. This will be a very different brand of racing compared to what the women normally see throughout the spring season.

MEN'S VARSITY EIGHT
Racing for the American Specialty Health Cal Cup in the Men's Collegiate Varsity event.

Heat: Saturday at 7:40 (Pacific)

Lineup:
bow - Jason Weeks '11
2 - Joseph Nowak '11 (captain)
3 - Andre Gobbo '13
4 - Jordy Winslow '13
5 - Peter Haley '13
6 - Matt Johns '13
7 - Ollie Scholle '12
stroke - Peter K. Miller '12
coxswain - Gabe Silverman '11

The men are racing against some crews that we're familiar with from the Head of the Charles such as Notre Dame, Fordham, Drexel, and Minnesota; fast middle-of-the-country powerhouses Oklahoma City and Purdue; and a vast number of west coast teams headlined by University of British Columbia, University of California Davis, Orange Coast College, UCLA, and others. They will face off against Notre Dame, UCD, Sacramento State, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, and Loyola Marymount. Top two finishers make the Grand Finals and next two qualify for the petite finals.

WOMEN'S SECOND VARSITY EIGHT
Racing for the Jackie Ann Stitt Hungness Trophy in the Women's Collegiate 2V event.

Heat: Saturday at 10:30

Lineup:
bow - Aisling Ryan '14
2 - Bliss Baker '14
3 - Alexandra Hill '14
4 - Amy Jacks '12
5 - Catherine Tuttle '13
6 - Heather Monty '14
7 - Sarah Murphy '14
stroke - Hopie King '14
coxswain - Gabby Bilotta '14

Both the men's and women's second varsity crews will be facing some of the fastest second varsity eights in the country. Unlike the varsity eights, which are spread across two events (one invitational for the fastest crews and one open event for everyone else), the second varsity eights are all grouped together. This women's crew, composed of mostly freshmen, races national powers such as Stanford, USC, Washington, and Wisconsin. Their heat reads like a college football AP poll: USC, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Sacramento State, Georgetown, and Loyola Marymount. Top two go to the grand finals, next two to the petite.

MEN'S SECOND VARSITY EIGHT
Racing for the Sharp Cabrillo Cup in the Men's Collegiate 2V event.

Heat: Saturday at 11:00 AM.

Lineup:
bow - Jon Frye '14
2 - Sam MacGregor '14
3 - Caleb Glassman '14
4 - Hank Schless '14
5 - Harry Chung '11
6 - Jake Harwood '14
7 - Charlie Carey '13
stroke - Gar Ditz '14
coxswain - Jake Sandor '14

Like the women's second varsity, these young men will lineup against some of the fastest second varsity crews in the country. They will race Stanford, Orange Coast College, University of California Davis, Notre Dame, University of California B, and University of California San Diego B.

WOMEN'S VARSITY FOUR W/ COXSWAIN
Racing for the Karen Plumleigh Cortney Cup in the Women's Collegiate 4+ event.

Heat: Saturday at 9:10 AM

Lineup:
bow - Carrie Dillaway '13
2 - Lauren Hadiaris '13
3 - Caroline Webb '12
stroke - Taylor Kniffin '14
coxswain - Molly Huffaker '14

The women's four also has a tall task ahead of them as they race top varsity programs. Their heat features USC A, Oregon State, Iowa, Tulsa A, and Alabama.

All information about the Crew Classic, including the schedule and live coverage, can be found at the official website of the San Diego Crew Classic.

San Diego Crew Classic Roster Release

2011-03-25T12:33:00.002-04:00

In less than a week four eights and a four's worth of men and women will fly to San Diego to represent Bates in America's Premier Spring Regatta: the Crew Classic.

After working hard through the winter and proving their speed on the water in Texas, the following oarsmen and women have earned their plane tickets to San Diego:

WOMEN

Bliss Baker '14
Gabby Bilotta '14 - coxswain
Nora Collins '11 - coxswain/captain
Allison DiSalvo '12
Carrie Dillaway '13
Kelsey Dion '12
Lauren Hadiaris '13
Alexandra Hill '14
Molly Huffaker '14 - coxswain
Amy Jacks '12
Hopie King '14
Taylor Kniffin '14
Heather Monty '14
Sarah Murphy '14
Ellen Patterson '11 - captain
Hannah Richardson '11
Aisling Ryan '14
Haley Sive '12
Elizabeth Sonshine '12
Catherine Tuttle '13
Rebecca Waldo '11
Caroline Webb '12
Emma White '11

MEN

Charlie Carey '13
Harry Chung '11
Gar Ditz '14
Jon Frye '14
Caleb Glassman '14
Andre Gobbo '13
Peter Haley '13
Jake Harwood '14
Matt Johns '13
Sam MacGregor '14
Peter K. Miller '12
Joseph Nowak '11 - captain
Jake Sandor '14 - coxswain
Hank Schless '14
Ollie Scholle '12
Gabe Silverman '11 - coxswain
Jason Weeks '11
Jordy Winslow '13

First Day of Rowing Picture Special

2011-03-23T11:29:00.007-04:00

The first Bates crews to touch the Androscoggin River rowed for a few hours last night. Two eights of women took to the water to get their boat feel back.

There was no snow here on Sunday when the docks were put together.
4-6 inches of snow fell on Monday...

A refreshing scene.

The scene at the boathouse, where the Androscoggin River continues to boast excellent ice fishing and possibly the most scenic snow mobile road in Maine.

Docks In: Outdoor Training Begins!

2011-03-21T10:15:00.006-04:00

So long erg room...sort of

Yesterday the team spent a couple of hours moving the docks from our boathouse in Greene to our temp site in Durham. This means the team will begin to train outdoors. Excitement is high among the students. They're in dire need of some vitamin D before the trip to San Diego (more on the trip in an upcoming post).

Because the temp site is essentially an unguarded parking lot in the middle of nowhere (and because two of the coaching launches were victims of an attempted theft last year), we've only taken two of the older eights to Durham. This means the men and the women who are racing at San Diego will alternate afternoon workouts on the water and on land.

Everyone has balanced a difficult training schedule over the past few weeks as we surge towards the start of the race season. The erg room accommodates about 24 people (about half the number of male and female rowers) so the students have juggled hours spent on the erg, in the weight room, and running in the streets.

The men have also begun doing core circuits on the pool deck. Peter Casares, Head Swimming & Diving Coach and follower of "The Bates Rower," has graciously allowed us to use some of his equipment on the pool deck to expand our repertoire of core exercises. The response from the guys has been positive even though they've complained of muscle soreness in parts of their upper body they didn't know could become sore. Thank you Coach Casares!

All of this land training led to a 2000m test this past Saturday. Results were very encouraging across the board. Almost everyone set new lifetime bests and pushed themselves beyond what they thought they were capable of. The results prove that this has been the most focused year of training that the entire team has performed since I've been here.

I'll leave you with some pictures accumulated over the past three weeks of indoor training. Check back later in the week for the official San Diego Crew Classic roster release!

Coach explains how an indoor track works before the first annual 4-mile foot race. Surprisingly for a group of rowers, no one fell over or was injured during the race.

Pictures of standout crews dot the walls of Merrill Gym, Room89.

The Champions Oar, signed by Olympians Andrew Byrnes '05 and Mike Ferry '97, sits high in the front of the erg room.

Ignore the light! Only 200 meters to go!

Team "Tom's Powerpoint" Wins Longhorned 'Cat Regatta During Final Row in Texas

2011-03-01T12:09:00.006-05:00

Longhorned 'Cat Race Course

Team Tom's Powerpoint defeated the Austin Armadillo's 34 points to 29 to win the Longhorned 'Cat last Friday.

As has been the case during the previous two trips to Austin, the coaches created a fun way for the team to row really hard during the last outing on Lady Bird Lake. The traditional final day regatta, which has taken on the name "The Longhorned 'Cat," usually involves the team being split into two mixed teams that divide themselves among an 8+, 4+, and four 2-'s that race in a no-holds-barred stake race. The coxed boats race from the I-35 bridge, around the island in the east end of the lake, and back to the I-35 bridge. The pairs line up behind the power lines that cross the east end of the lake and start their sprint to I-35 after the eights and fours have completed their turn. Teams earn points for beating their respective crews in the coxed boats. The 2-'s are scored according to finish order (i.e. 2- that finishes first gets 8 points, 2- that finishes last gets 1 point).

Scoring:
10 points for the winning 8+, 5 for losing
8 points for the winning 4+, 4 for losing
8 points for the winning 2-, 7 for 2nd place, 6 for 3rd, etc.

Team Tom's Powerpoint earned the win by finishing first in the 8+, 4+, and 2-. Their eight established the lead early and Nora Collins '11 made a clean turn around the island. Coxswain Jack Mulvaney '12 pulled the move of the day as he was able to make up substantial ground on the rival 4+ by taking the inside turn around the island. Team Tom's Powerpoint would not have won the race if Jack didn't pull off the impressive turn. Peter Haley '13 and Jordy Winslow '13 finished comfortably ahead of their counterparts in the 2-.

With the Longhorned 'Cat complete, the team had to return to shore and load the trailer. The team racked up 30 hours of training over the week and enjoyed some of the nicest weather we've experienced in our three years.

The team has now returned to Maine, where we gained an additional foot of snow and some ice. With the Androscoggin River frozen, the students can look forward to three-and-a-half weeks of intense land workouts before the big trip to sunny San Diego at the end of March.

Until then, these may be the only pictures of blue, sunny skies you see on the blog. Enjoy!

Nora Collins '11 (coxswain, far boat) establishes a big lead early in the race. Caleb Glassman '14 and Harry Chung '11 fall behind early in the 4+ but come back to win thanks to Jack Mulvaney '12's turn.

The victorious 8+ of Team Tom's Powerpoint.

'Til next year Austin!

Iron Works BBQ Dinner and Men vs. Texas

2011-02-24T15:11:00.005-05:00

For the second straight year, local alums put on a dinner for the team at Iron Works BBQ. Jeff Tulis '72 and his wife Jean Ehrenberg, worked with the alumni office to make the dinner possible. They both row out of the Austin Rowing Club and have been passionate members of the rowing world for about seven years. Everyone on the team has gotten to know Jeff and Jean during trips to the boathouse and we thank them for helping us feel at home even though we're 2000 miles from Bates. By putting on dinner for the team, they cut $1,000 from the trip budget.

Men vs. Texas Notes

This morning Bates' men's crews took on the University of Texas Rowing Club. Each team fielded two eights and participated in four 1000 meter races. Racing was tight throughout the entire morning. The first varsity eights raced even for about 950 meters until one of the crews would pull ahead for the win. Texas, benefiting from slightly better fitness, finished the races in front, but Bates closed the gap with each length of the buoyed course. Bates was ahead by a few seats in the final race and may have held on for the win, but they hit a large buoy off the port side of the boat that significantly slowed them down.

The second varsity eights races were also close, but the margins of victory were slightly larger. The Bates 2V, featuring five freshmen, rowed with a lot of spirit and won all four pieces.

The women spent the morning doing a long distance technical row. The freshmen women race the University of Texas freshmen women this afternoon. Look for a race report on the blog tomorrow.

Birdgette Ards, the Holiday Inn sales representative who has been been a big help in planning the trips to Austin the past three years, took these pictures of our base of operations when she parked this morning. Thanks Bridgette!

Grey morning in Austin.

Camp.

Bates Women Hold Their Own Against the Longhorns

2011-02-23T12:12:00.011-05:00

vs.

Awesome morning here in Austin! It's not often that a Division-I Conference Champion will welcome the opportunity to spar with someone from one of the NCAA's lower divisions. The University of Texas has one of the largest, one of the proudest, and one of the most successful athletic departments among US colleges and universities. When Coach Peter received a positive response from Head Coach Carrie Graves of Texas following his request for the Bates women to get a taste of D-I speed, he was ecstatic.

The two teams met this morning at the west end of Lady Bird Lake, where UT's boathouse is located. Each team fielded three varsity eights. As is the case with most D-I women's programs, a fair amount of the Texas oarswomen in those eights are scholarship athletes hailing from such places as Zagreb, Croatia and Auckland, New Zealand.

Texas was expected to be faster than Bates, which they were, but the fighting spirit of the Bobcats was evident throughout. The Longhorns will be the fastest team that the Bates women face this year so the goal was to maintain contact with their signature burnt orange shells for as long as possible - and the women were able to do so throughout the majority of the pieces, which ranged in time from 3 - 6 minutes.

Here are some of the highlights:

*Bates gained speed as the racing went on. After falling behind in the first few pieces, confidence grew and the women were able to hold Texas to within a half-length by the last race.

*Compliments from the Texas coaching staff regarding the technical prowess of the Bates crews.

*Both of Bates' two varsity eights were neck and neck during the power strokes of the warmup - a clear indication of the depth the squad currently enjoys.

It was a great opportunity that the team enjoyed (even if it meant getting up an hour earlier than normal) and the experience will pay dividends as the season goes on. The team has the afternoon off today - they've all earned it. Tonight we make the short walk to Iron Works BBQ for dinner with area alums. More on that tomorrow.

Bates women's 1V (foreground) lines up alongside Texas' 1V, Bates 2V (third from bottom), and Texas 2V.

Bates women's 1V (foreground) holding on to Texas towards the end of a two minute piece.

Day 3 in Austin: 1st Pairs Tournament of the Spring and Women Prepare for the Longhorns

2011-02-22T21:27:00.010-05:00

Tuesday was not as warm as the previous two days here in Austin. The temperature ranged from a brisk 55 to a comfortable 70 degrees...

It was a fun day nonetheless. Everyone is beginning to show signs of fatigue, but morale remains high.

The Bates women spent the morning in two eights and two fours getting some solid mileage in - they're looking sharp. The morning row was their only one of the day.The women spent the remainder of the day catching up on schoolwork, getting rest, or checking out the sites in Austin.

Tomorrow morning they will spar with the University of Texas Longhorns on the west end of the lake. The matchup will provide the team with their first experience against Division-I scholarship athletes. Should be fun!

For the men, it was all about the pairs today. A pairs tournament was scheduled for the afternoon; so after hearing the pairings in the morning, they checked over their boats and took to the water to get a feel for one another.

The pairs tournament went off without a hitch. Eight pairs raced in a bracket-style tournament and everyone raced three times. The winners were Oliver Scholle '12 and Joseph Nowak '11. They beat out Gar Ditz '14 and Charles Carey '13 in the final. Gar and Charles had the fastest time of the day and were the only duo to finish a race in under three minutes - they covered the course in 2:58 during their first race.

And now. Some pictures of the guys (pics of the women coming tomorrow!):

Men get a rest as 6'8" Hank Schless '14 (4 seat of the near boat) tries and fails to figure out how to fit in the Simmer, a shell we've borrowed from Austin Rowing Club. Jack Mulvaney '12 and Gabe Silverman '11 (coxswains) use the break to get a head-start on their homework.

Men prepare for the pairs tournament. Peter Haley '13 strikes fear into his teammates by wearing his yellow trow and flexing.

Harry Chung '11/Peter K. Miller '12 (near boat) and Peter Haley '13/Caleb Glassman '14 sit ready for the start of their final race, which determined the 3rd and 4th place finishers. Peter Haley and Caleb won the race 3 min and 7 seconds later.

G'Raj Mahal Cafe: where the coaches ate dinner Tuesday night. There is a great mix of restaurants between the Holiday Inn-Town Lake and the Austin Rowing Club, where our launches are. The Kashmiri Curry w/ Lamb was especially tasty!

Back in Austin

2011-02-21T12:22:00.003-05:00

The Bates rowing team has arrived in (what feels like) tropical Austin, TX for our third annual winter break training trip! Three eights of women and two eights of men will be spending the next week training in pairs, fours, and eights on Lady Bird Lake.

Winter in Maine can be majestic up to a point. This break in the middle of February provides the perfect time for the students to escape to a sunnier and warmer place (if only for a week). After a week of erg testing, which followed months spent training in the erg room, the rowers have been longing for nothing more than to get back into boats and onto the water.

It's now midday Monday and the team has racked up somewhere in the neighborhood of 55 Km in three practices! Focus among the athletes is high because they know this trip could offer the only on-water opportunities to lock up seats in the San Diego Crew Classic crews. We'll be lucky to be on the water by March 30th with all of the snow and ice from winter. But we won't worry about that until we're back in Maine. Until then, check back for updates and pictures from Austin!

Spring 2011 Newsletter and "Boathouse in the Winter" picture special

2011-01-30T23:27:00.011-05:00

Future generations of Bates rowers need your help:

Each fall we pack every large piece of equipment we own into our humble boathouse. In this picture you can see all four of our launches and the ramp to the dock filling the center of the boathouse; six eights, two fours, and eight pairs crowding the racks; and two singles and two pairs hanging from the ceiling.

Front entrance. The Parental Guidance sits on the launch trailer in the middle of the boathouse. The two other launches rest on their fragile, fiberglass pontoons on the floor.

Oars! Naming opportunities available. The new oar racks were created by Coach Peter in the winter of 2009-2010 to create a little more organization in space. Coach also tore out some cabinets from the front of the boathouse to create a very primitive "locker room" so that the coxswains could have a dry space in which they could change.

Home, sweet home. You can see the docks stacked up in front of the boathouse. We've been fortunate to have the driveway plowed throughout the winter by our friends at Physical Plant. Unfortunately they plowed through the H. Parker Sharp, an eight that we had to keep outside during the winter because there was no more room in the boathouse.

Spring 2011 Newsletter

FOBR.Spr2011

Bates Giving Back to Maine

2011-01-17T11:32:00.005-05:00

Bates rowers Haley Sive '12 and Ellen Patterson '11 (captain)
spent their Saturday at the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn.

This past Saturday several members of the women's rowing team went to the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn as part of the community service initiative of the SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee). A different group from a Bates varsity team goes to the food bank almost every Saturday.

Heather Monty '14, Sarah Murphy '14, Alexandra Hill '14, Aisling Ryan '14, Haley Sive '12, and Ellen Patterson '11 (captain) packaged and boxed about 1040 pounds of chicken that will be distributed across the state of Maine. The Auburn food bank is the distribution center for the entire state of Maine. Haley Sive reports that the women had fun getting off campus to help out at the huge center.

The manager on duty reported that the Good Sheperd Food Bank in Auburn sends off more than 12 million pounds of food a year.

All photos courtesy of Haley Sive.

Green Monster recap

2010-11-08T12:44:00.004-05:00

Green Monster Recap

Photos courtesy of Hank Schless

The frosh men brought the fall rowing season to an official end on Saturday in Dartmouth, NH. The crew of Jake Sandor '14 (coxswain), Garland Ditz '14, Jon Frye '14, Hank Schless '14, Sam MacGregor '14, Kenny Shaw '14, Jake Harwood '14, Caleb Glassman '14, and Scott Long '14 finished 6th out of 21 crews at the Green Monster, a freshmen-only race. The goal for the crew was to finish top half and they finished top third while rowing a clean race.

This was the first time Bates has gone to this race and it was a blast. The regatta itself is pretty laid-back and the guys definitely enjoyed the racing.

Special thanks to Bruce Harwood P '14 for housing the guys on Friday night and providing dinner, breakfast, and Legos. Also to Eric and Lesley Schless P '14 for providing lunch at the regatta.

Gar Ditz Crowned Champion of Inaugural Freshmen Fitness Fiesta

A bonus of the Green Monster was the final week of training in which the guys took part. There were no limits on facilities or equipment but there were limits on sunlight. The crew only rowed three times in the past week. Those rows were too short tom complete any workouts so the guys had the pleasure of meeting me in the erg room for a few hours in the afternoon.

On Wednesday I created the Freshmen Fitness Fiesta during a 3 x 20' workout. The guys had to complete 60 pushups, 100 crunches, 40 squat presses, and 5 minutes of plank in as little time as possible.

Gar Ditz won with a time of 8:33. He was followed closely by Hank Schless (8:52) and Sam MacGregor (9:05).

Bobcat Cup and CBB Chase Recaps

2010-11-03T14:04:00.003-04:00

2010 Bobcat Cup

The annual race for the Bobcat Cup was held on Wednesday, October 27th. As has been done in the previous two years, men's and women's crews raced down the Androscoggin River from Turner Bridge to the Dock (5.8 Km). The raw times are adjusted using an equation and the crew with the fastest adjusted time takes home the Bobcat Cup.

Last year's winners were the Men's Second Varsity Eight, which went on to go 9-1 during the dual season and record best-ever results at New Englands and ECACs.

The 2010 Bobcat Cup victors are the Women's Freshmen Eight! The crew of coxswain Maggie Carey '14, stroke Hopie King '14, Sarah Murphy '14, Bliss Baker '14, Alexandra Hill '14, Heather Monty '14, Aisling Ryan '14, Taylor Kniffin '14, and Rachel Ellis '14 went down the course with a raw time 21:53, which was adjusted to 17:52. These ladies crew have been rowing well and hvea shown good speed while rowing alongside the women's varsity eight all fall.

Bobcat Cup Results
1. Women's Freshmen Eight (17:52) 21:53
2. Women's Varsity Eight (18:23) 20:43**
3. Men's Varsity Eight (18:40) 18:40**

**It should be noted that both the men's and women's varsity eights set new course records. The women beat the previous best by two seconds while the men destroyed their own record by 24 seconds.

2010 CBB Chase

The season came to a close for most of the team this past Saturday at the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Chase in Waterville, Maine. Recall that last year's races never started due to a collision in the starting area between Colby and Bates. This year we were treated to merciless winds and cold temperatures.

The race course was shortened to about 3000 meters due to high winds. The 1000 meters between the finish line at the dock and Blake Island were nearly unrowable. All races in the 4's were cancelled and Bowdoin scratched their men's novice eight.

A good time was had by all. Bates won the men's eights and the women's eights. The varsity women and the freshmen women took the top two spots in the women's events.

2010 Head of the Charles Wrap-up

2010-10-28T10:22:00.004-04:00

Where to begin? First, we'd like to thank the parents and alums who provided their support throughout the regatta. From providing housing for the crews to donating money for a new set of oars (and everything in between, including a fantastic dinner at Legal Seafoods), everyone helped to make this the smoothest running Head of the Charles we've had.

A lot of Bates folks took to the Charles this past weekend to test themselves on one of the best race courses in the world. It was an impressive weekend.

Bates College Bobcats

All photos contributed by Hank Schless.

The current crop of Robcats (rowing Bobcats) all either set new team records or were one spot of an all-time best. The men's four that raced on Saturday featured four freshmen (coxswain Joseph Santos '14, Jon Frye '14, Hank Schless '14, Garland Ditz '14) and one senior (Harry Chung '11). They finished 10th in a field that included either top entries from schools like WPI and Wesleyan (who finished 1st and 2nd) or the 9th - 12th rowers from programs with over 50 guys (Virginia, Michigan). It was the first time Bates has entered into the collegiate four and 10th place from the back of the pack (they were bow 39) is a good bar to set.

The men's and women's collegiate eights put on two of the best displays in Bates history. The men's eight finished 10th (one spot off of the best finish set by the 2007 crew). This is a young crew that has only raced together once before. coxswain Gabe Silverman '11 drove the crew of Peter K. Miller '12, Peter Haley '13, Peter C. Miller '12, Andre Gobbo '13, Jordy Winslow '13, Jason Weeks '11, Joseph Nowak '11, and Matt Johns '13 down the course without incident. The core of this crew will likely be together for the next year-and-a-half and they are already showing good potential.

The women's eight of coxswain Nora Collins '11, Emma White '11, Haley Sive '12, Rebecca Waldo '11, Kelsey Dion '12, Catherine Tuttle '13, Hannah Richardson '11, Lauren Hadiaris '13, and Ellen Patterson '11 finished third behind a record-setting Williams boat and Ithaca. The last time the Bates women finished in the top three was in 2008. That result sparked the crew on to their first of two consecutive runners' up finishes at the NCAA Championships. With a number of top women abroad or injured and a talented freshmen class, could this be the year that Bates sincerely challenges for the NCAA Championship?

Blue Goose Boat Club

The Blue Goose Boat Club made their annual trip down the Charles. The men's eight took 24th spot. The boat featured a good mix of alums from the past four years. Rumor was the rowing was pretty solid but lack of fitness began to show in the final stretch.

Men's Alumni Eight

Mason Cox '07 - cox
Brian Klein '09
Dylan Eberle '08
Eugene Kim '08
Glenn Kelly '10
Graham Proud '08
Nate Hubbell '06
Graham Pearson '10
Jon Blanchard '08

The women's eight continue to climb the ranks of the Alumni Eight category. This year they were seeded 14th but finished 11th. They were only 4 seconds off of the Williams Alumnae and that gap is shrinking every year.

Lindsay Thomson '10 - cox
stroke: Cait Murphy '09
7: Jeanethe Falvey '07
6: Emily Hoffer '06
5: Nicole Ritchie '09
4: Kristen Andersen '00
3: Emily Howieson '08
2: Laura Director '08
bow: Danica Doroski '10

Alumni Racing Independently of BGBC

Jon Greer '04 (Potomac BC) finished 16th in the Men's Champ Single among a field of highly skilled scullers.

Lib Diamond '04 (Riverside BC) took 11th in the Women's Champ Double against a slew of USRowing entries.

Christian Ford '08 (Riverside BC) drove his four to an 8th place finish in the Championship Four in a field that included mostly Ivy League entries. 8th is a great result considering the crew hadn't rowed together that often. All reports were that this crew would finish in back of the pack.

Charlie Biddle '09 (Undine Barge Club) placed 4th in the Club Single. He blew away from his competitors early in the race (the number 1 bow ball finished 23rd overall) and possibly couldn't gauge how fast the rest of the field was. We never would have seen bow numbers 57, 22, and 45 (the top three finishers) on the race course.

Brad Sherman '08 (Riverside BC) also finished in the top five. His Club Four entry took 3rd place.

Good job to everyone. Hopefully Bates will be represented in even more events in the future so that this post can be even longer next year! Seriously, get out there and continue rowing.

Head of the Charles Lineups

2010-10-20T12:17:00.002-04:00

Three crews will represent Bates College at this year's Head of the Charles.

Men's Collegiate 4+ (Saturday, 3:41 PM)
Joseph Santos '14 - c
Jon Frye '14 - s
Harry Chung '11 - 3
Hank Schless '14 - 2
Garland Ditz '14 - b

Men's Collegiate 8+ (Sunday, 1:57 PM)
Gabe Silverman '11 - c
Peter K. Miller '12 - s
Peter Haley '13
Peter C. Miller '12
Andre Gobbo '13
Jordy Winslow '13
Jason Weeks '11
Joseph Nowak '11
Matt Johns '13 - b

Women's Collegiate 8+ (Sunday, 2:15 PM)
Nora Collins '11 - c
Catherine Tuttle '13 - s
Haley Sive '12
Rebecca Waldo '11
Kelsey Dion '12
Emma White '11
Hannah Richardson '11
Lauren Hadiaris '13
Ellen Patterson '11 - b

Head of the Charles Alumni Eight Lineups!

2010-10-19T10:06:00.003-04:00

The Blue Goose Boat Club will take to the Charles River this weekend in both the men's and women's alumni eights categories. Every year the Bates alums seek to out perform their old rivals at the Head of the Charles. Last year the men finished 26th while the women finished 16th.

Read below to see who will be representing Bates this year:

Blue Goose Boat Club

Men's 8 (Saturday, 11:08 AM)

Mason Cox '07 - cox
Brian Klein '09
Dylan Eberle '08
Eugene Kim '08
Glenn Kelly '10
Graham Proud '08
Nate Hubbell '06
Graham Pearson '10
Jon Blanchard '08

Women's 8 (Sunday, 11:27 AM)

driver: Lindsay Thomson '10
stroke: Cait Murphy '09
7: Jeanethe Falvey '07
6: Emily Hoffer '06
5: Nicole Ritchie '09
4: Kristen Andersen '00
3: Emily Howieson '08
2: Laura Director '08
bow: Danica Doroski '10

Fall Season So Far

2010-10-12T11:06:00.002-04:00

Fall season is well underway and boats are going fast. We regularly field a varsity men's 8, two varsity women's eights, a men's varsity four, two women's frosh eights, a men's frosh eight, and an assortment of singles, doubles and pairs. The addition of a new heavyweight single, combined with the conversion of a few pairs to doubles, has allowed a number of our experienced scullers to return to their more symmetrical roots. People are slowly beginning to learn to scull also. This allows for flexibility at practice that was previously unheard of. 100% of the people who show up for practice are now almost guaranteed to row every day.

Check out the number of Androscoggin River Records which were either broken or set in just the past few weeks:

Water Course.records

Quinsigamond Snake Regatta

The crews had their first races against opposing crews this past weekend at the Quinsigamond Snake Regatta in Worcester. The women's varsity eight went down the course the fastest while the men improved upon last year's result to finish 2nd.

Good Things from Blue Goose Boat Club

2010-10-07T10:03:00.001-04:00

Much thanks to Jon Blanchard and the Blue Goose Boat Club as they seek to represent Bates on the Charles River again while also raising money for the current team. Way to Pay It Forward!

A letter from Jon Blanchard:

Fellow Bates rowing alums,

This year, Bates rowing alumni from the classes of 2006 - 2010 have entered crews in the men's and women's alumni events at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. We'll be racing under the banner of the Blue Goose Boat Club (BGBC) in honor of our favorite Lewiston bar.

Beyond the *ahem* intense focus and preparation you would expect when racing all of our NESCAC rival alumni, the BGBC is making fundraising for Bates Rowing its top priority: we're working hard to raise roughly $3,000 for a new set of oars for the varsity crews. This is where we need your help! Please help us meet our fundraising goals by giving back to the program that gave so much to all of us.

While we're accepting donations of any and all sizes, matching certain donation levels will get you some great Blue Goose Boat Club shwag:

* $50 donation for a Blue Goose Boat Club t-shirt, same artwork
and design that the crews will be racing in.
* $100 donation for the t-shirt and a Blue Goose Boat Club car
decal, similar to the old Bates Rowing stickers.

Please mail checks to Jon Blanchard at 1 Park Ln, Unit 1124, Boston, MA 02210. *Make your checks out to Bates Rowing please, with the comment "Blue Goose Boat Club" in the notes field.* If you're getting the t-shirt and/or car decal, please email me your desired shirt size and let me know how you'd like to get your gifts (either picked up on race day, in the mail, etc.).

Also, please let me know at the email address provided if you plan on being in Boston for the HOCR this year. The Blue Goose will be throwing the type of afterparty that the Colby alumni crews will be jealous of for years to come, and I'll send along the information to anyone who can make it once details are ironed out.

Thanks so much for any and all help you can give! Be sure to support your fellow Bobcats if you'll be in Boston that weekend (Saturday, October 23rd at 11am for alumni crews, Sunday, October 24th at 2pm for varsity crews). We'll be presenting Peter with the donations at Bates' Reunion Village tent on Sunday after the varsity racing.

Also, I do not have a full list serve of all rowing alumni, so please forward this on to any friends, teammates, or others who may be interested.

Thanks again!
Jon Blanchard '08

We're back!

2010-10-07T09:56:00.002-04:00

To All:

Sincere apologies for the lengthy hiatus. The start of the school year has been busier than usual - all for good reasons. The team is larger than the past few years so the coaching staff has been stretched more than usual. Combine that with the fact that our student-athletes have been demanding more extra work in the erg room, on the poolside rowing stations, and on the water and I really haven't had a solid 1/2 hour to post to the blog.

More updates to come over the next few days. A lot of Androscoggin River records have been broken in the past few weeks and there are a lot of other exciting things happening that I'll discuss at length in later posts.

Order Your Bates Rowing Sweatshirt Now Before It's Too Late!

2010-09-03T12:57:00.004-04:00

Show your pride for Bates rowing this fall by ordering the hooded or crew-neck maroon sweatshirt with "Bates Rowing" on the front.

Take your fandom a step further by embroidering your own name and class year or the name and class year of your favorite Bates rower on the arm!

But act fast because Sept. 24th is the deadline for this year's order.

Go to the Champion's Choice online store, create an account, and enter the team code (CC99019) to order.

Remember that Sept. 24th is the deadline. Don't be left in the cold on the frigid shores of the Charles River in October - buy yours today!

Alums Sweep Senior 4x Events at USRowing Club Nationals; Byrnes, Canada Finish 4th in Lucerne

2010-07-25T13:09:00.003-04:00

USROWING CLUB NATIONALS - Oak Ridge, TN

After race tune-ups at the Independence Day Regatta, Philadelphia-based alums Charles Biddle '09 (Undine Boat Club) and Nicole Ritchie '09 (Vesper Boat Club) were ready to face the nation's best in Oak Ridge, TN. Winners of events at USRowing Club Nationals earn the title of National Champions.

Nicole Ritchie '09 won the Women's 8+ and 4+ at last year's championships so she made the switch to sculling earlier this year in search of a new challenge. The switch has paid off for Nicole as she is now a national champion sculler. Vesper won the Women's Senior 4x by a substantial margin over New York Athletic Club in a 'finals-only' event.

Nicole also raced for Vesper in the intermediate 2x. The duo won the heat and finished 3rd in the semi-final to make the finals. They found themselves 5th in a final where the difference between 2nd and 5th was only 5 seconds. Good race.

Though she had limited race experience in the 1x before the regatta in Oak Ridge, Nicole fought her way into the finals of the Intermediate 1x, where she finished 5th.

Charles Biddle '09 chose sculling as his discipline of choice since graduating from Bates and found success earlier this month when he won the Men's Intermediate 1x event at Independence Day Regatta. He was able to ride that wave of momentum into Oak Ridge as Undine won the Men's Senior 4x final-only race to be crowned National Champions.

Charles looked poised to earn at least a medal in the Int. 1x, his priority entry, as he won both his heat and semi-final with ease. Unfortunately racing the 4x the day before the final might have taken some of the gas out of his tank and Charles crossed the line in 6th position of the final.

Next up for Nicole and Charles will be Canadian Henley in early August.

WORLD CUP 2011 III - Lucerne, Switzerland

As mentioned in the previous post, Bates College's first ever Olympic gold-medalist, Andrew Byrnes '05, made his return to the Canadian 8+ in the Grand Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta. That same crew headed to Lucerne with a few more days of rowing under their belts and they were going to face a similarly tough field. Five of the six crews that raced in the 2008 Olympic Finals made their way to the finals in Lucerne. The sixth crew in Lucerne did not make the finals in Beijing but are the reigning World Champions and holders of the coveted Grand Challenge Cup: Germany.

Very intriguing.

Andrew and his boatmates in the Canadian 8+ put on a valiant effort in the final, leading through the first 1000 meters. But the lack of time that the oarsmen had together shone through as first, Germany, and then Australia and Great Britain moved by Canada to finish first, second, and third respectively. Canada finished fourth.

But it is still early in the season for the international crews and the Canadian eight should be pleased with the fact that they led through 1000 meters as they surely have more speed to gain throughout the body of the race. They looked like a crew right in the heart of Coach Mike Spracklen's famous high-intensity training program and should be better prepared as the season goes on. Gold medals at The Rowing World Championships, held on Lake Karapiro in New Zealand at the end of October, are the ultimate prizes for these athletes.

Alumni Rowing Recap (Independence Day Regatta & Henley)

2010-07-06T10:36:00.002-04:00

The week of July 4th is one of the best racing times of the year. Both the Henley Royal Regatta (biggest club race in the world) and the Independence Day Regatta are held and this year we had five actives alumni participating in one or the other.

Independence Day Regatta; Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia based rowers (Charles Biddle '09 - Undine & Nicole Ritchie '09 -Vesper) raced in a variety of sculling events while Boston based rowers (Brad Sherman '08 - Riverside & Lib Diamond '04 - Riverside) stuck to the sweep events at the IDR. The Bates contingent raced in six grand finals on Sunday and won two of them: Men's Intermediate 1x (Biddle) and Women's Senior 2- (Diamond). Here are the other results:

Charles Biddle: 1st place in Int. 1x, 2nd place in Sr. 2x and Int. 4x
Lib Diamond: 1st place in Sr. 2-, 4th place in Sr. 8+
Nicole Ritchie: 2nd place in Int. 1x
Brad Sherman: 4th place in the Intermediate 8+

Well done everyone.

Henley Royal Regatta; Henley-on-Thames, England

As mentioned in an earlier post, Andrew Byrnes '05 (Bates College's first ever Olympic Gold Medalist), was going to make his return to the Canadian 8+ in this year's Grand Challenge Cup event at Henley Royal Regatta. This was the debut of Canada's potential eight that is going to race at the next stage of the World Cup. Andrew was the baby of Canada's eight at Beijing. This year he's the only returning member of that crew and will have a leadership role for the next two years.

Entries in The Grand Challenge Cup included Great Britain (2nd place 2008 Olympics), Germany (reigning world champions), New Zealand, USA, and the Cambridge (defending Boat Race champions). That's quite a field. Canada beat the US on Friday to set up a meeting with Germany, who were seeded and had a bye to put them in the semi-finals.

The reigning world champs from Germany pulled out the win against Canada. Germany also went on to beat New Zealand in the final.

The Canada-Germany race sounded like a close one and you can expect that Andrew and his crew will gain speed as they gel. The racing the next stage of the World Cup should be outstanding.

Andrew Byrnes '05 Headed to Henley Royal Regatta with Rowing Canada

2010-06-27T11:48:00.002-04:00

Andrew Byrnes '05 will be racing in the ultimate event at the world's most prestigious club regatta: The Grand Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta. The Canadian national team, rowing under the banner of Victoria City Rowing Club and Shawnigan Lake School, has entries in most of the events.

The entries for Henley are very impressive this year. The Grand Challenge Cup, which only had two entries last year (Molesey Boat Club/Leander and Brown Alumni/NYRA) has six international entries this year: besides the Canadian crew the event will feature the Great Britain eight as Leander & Molesey; USA as Princeton Training Center; New Zealand as Wairiki Rowing Club, New Zealand & Tideway Scullers School; Germany as Ruder Club Hansa von 1898 e.v. Dortmund, Germany; and Cambridge University & London Rowing Club, which features seven of the oarsmen from the winning Cambridge crew of this year's boat race.

This will be the first appearance of this year's rendition of the Canadian eight. Needless to say they will be competing against some of the best crews in the world. The head-to-head nature of Henley promises to make for some outstanding stories in the coming weeks. I will do my best to keep track of the Andrew and the Canadian crew along the way.

For more information about the Canadian entries, check out the following link: http://www.row2k.com/news/news.cfm?ID=54967

Summer is upon us

2010-06-21T22:14:00.002-04:00

After an eventful spring that ended with brilliant finishes by the women's first and second varsity crews (they earned second place as a varsity eight and second place team at NCAAs), the summer off-season is here. I apologize for the lack of an article for the finals of NCAA's. Hours after the finals we were off to Kelsey Dion's ('11) house in Truckee, CA. After watching the D1 finals on Sunday morning we headed out to Caroline Webb's in Marin County and then we flew home. I've been in transition ever since then. Huge thanks go out to the Dion and Webb families for hosting the team and providing great memories for all the women.

A number of Bates rowers are active with summer rowing programs and learning new skills for the year ahead. I'll do my best to keep everyone updated on any exciting Bates rowing related stories from the summer. If you or anyone you know has any fun stories from the story, don't be shy. Send me an email!

A lot of those stories might come out of Washington, DC. I'm coaching the open men's program at Thompson Boat Center in Washington, DC. James Grant '10 (coaching developmental juniors) and Assistant Coach Mollie Schwiegert (Co-Head Coach, TBC Open Women), are also coaching TBC programs. We'll be racing at USRowing Club Nationals in Oak Ridge, TN and Canadian Henley in St. Catherine's, Ontario.

Have a great summer!

Bates 2V8 Wins Petite Qualifier

2010-05-28T20:32:00.002-04:00

A victory by the Bates 2V8 in the Petite Qualifier means the Bobcats will have the chance for another great team finish after the finals tomorrow. Bates finished ahead of 2V8s from Ithaca, Trinity, St. Lawrence, Wellesley, and Pugent Sound to demonstrate the depth of this year's team.

The result means they will race in the Petite Finals tomorrow morning at 11:15 AM Pacific. The 1V8 will race in the Grand Final at 11:30 AM Pacific. You can view the finals via the NCAA Live Video Feed: http://all-access.cbssports.com/player.html?code=ncaa&media=181368 .

1V8 Wins Heat of Death, Headed Straight to Grand Finals at NCAA's

2010-05-28T13:33:00.004-04:00

Every four years fans of soccer will hear about the World Cup's "group of death" in which there are four great teams who must compete in a round-robin tournament as they battle for two spots in the finals.* Heading into this morning's heats at the NCAA Rowing Championships many people were looking forward to the third heat of the DIII eights.

The Heat of Death included 3rd ranked Trinity, 4th ranked Bates (two crews who have split a 2-2 record in four meetings this spring), Mary Washington (an unknown variable), and the Williams 2V8, a crew which is probably one of the fastest eights at the regatta but who are forced into the 10 seed as the top ranked second varsity crew. Four crews racing for one automatic spot in the grand finals and the next two going to this afternoon's Grand Qualifier.

The race lived up to it's billing - Williams took an early lead while Bates and Trinity battled side-by-side at the start. At 500 meters in Bates was up on Trinity by a few seats and even with Williams. Bates spent the next 1000 meters building a two seat advantage over Williams and moving away from Trinity. With about 400 meters to go Bates made the decisive move and stayed ahead of Williams by about half-a-boat. They have the afternoon off and will be racing in the Grand Finals tomorrow (11:30 AM Pacific).

The 2V8 did their best to earn a spot in the Grand Qualifiers but were unable to keep up with first varsity crews from Ithaca, Wellesley, and St. Lawrence. They will be racing at 3:00 this afternoon in the Petite Qualifier. The top three crews from that qualifier and the bottom three crews from the Grand Qualifier will fill out the Petite Finals field.

*For those who are interested, this year's Group of Death (Group G) features World Cup favorites Brazil; along with Portugal, who have Cristiano Ronaldo (world's best player in 2008), Ivory Coast, the best team in Africa with one of the best players in the world (striker Didier Drogba); and North Korea, one of the most secretive teams in the world.

2010 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships Begin Today

2010-05-28T09:09:00.002-04:00

The Bates women will be racing in this morning's heats at the NCAA Rowing Championships on Lake Natoma in Sacramento. The 2V8 is placed in Heat 2 (8:15 Pacific) along with Ithaca 1V, St. Lawrence 1V, Wellesley 1V, and St. Lawrence 2V. The 1V8 will race Trinity 1V, Mary Washington 1V, Williams 2V, Wellesley 2V, and Pugent Sound 2V at 8:30 Pacific.

The winner of each heat will go directly to the finals while the crews finishing second and third will race in Friday afternoon's Grand Finals Qualifier, in which the top three crews will round out Saturday's grand finals.

A live webcast of the races can be found at the following link: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/c-rowing/ncaa-c-rowing-body.html

NCAA Training

2010-05-18T11:34:00.003-04:00

The Bates women have been training quite hard over the course of the past week in preparation for the 2010 NCAA Rowing Championships. By tomorrow they will have practiced twice-a-day for seven of the last ten days. The addition of another bow-loaded Hudson four to our fleet (the third shell added this spring) has allowed for a break from the eights. The ladies have found the work in smaller boats (pairs and fours) beneficial - technique has greatly improved.

2010 NCAA Rowing Championships - Bates College Roster

Danica Doroski '10
Alison Frye '10
Lindsay Thomson '10
Nora Collins '11
Davina Dukuly '11
Ellen Patterson '11
Phoebe Reed '11
Hannah Richardson '11
Becca Waldo '11
Emma White '11
Kelsey Dion '12
Allison Di Salvo '12
Amy Jacks '12
Haley Sive '12
Elizabeth Sonshine '12
Caroline Webb '12
Elizabeth Bowling '13
Carrie Dillaway '13
Amanda Goss '13
Catherine Tuttle '13
Victoria Zapack '13

Peter Steenstra - Head Coach
Mollie Schweigert - Asst. Coach
Tom Guncik - Asst. Coach

The Jack Ryan and the Katherine Quincy Kemp will be the two Hudson eights the women will be racing in. They will be delivered to Boston on Thursday before making the cross-country trip to Sacremento.

The crews will be flying out of Manchester, NH on Tuesday, May 25th. I'll have more info over the course of the next two weeks so check back often.

Recent News

2010-05-12T11:09:00.003-04:00

ECAC NIRC

The past week has been extremely busy. The team was in Worcester, MA on Saturday and Sunday for the ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships. Results can be found here: http://www.row2k.com/results/resultspage.cfm?UID=1375982&cat=6 . A write-up of the regatta can be found here: http://www.bates.edu/x220510.xml.

That regatta was the last one for the guys. They had a mixed bag of results throughout the day. The M1V took third in their heat and gained some confidence in finishing ahead of Ithaca, who they lost to two weeks ago in Williamstown. The M2V8 were disappointed to be beaten by Coast Guard in the heat and lose their spot in the afternoon's grand final. Unfortunately the stroke seat of the M1V8, Peter K. Miller '12, was injured in the heat and had to be replaced for the final. The M1V8 struggled with the lineup change and finished last in the petite final. The M2V8 got some redemption by winning their petite final with a strong sprint.

Team Banquet
On Monday evening the team held its end-of-the-year banquet. The event was held in Muskie Archives and a fine spread of food was put out. Coach Steenstra handed out awards, each of the seniors gave the team some parting words, captains for next year were named, and Coach expressed to the team the need for a heightened level of work ethic over the next year if people want to improve on this spring's results.

2009-2010 Team Awards

Hammer Charles Carey '13
Elizabeth Bowling '13

Brayshaw Award Dan LaFontaine '10

Thomas Keister Award Peter C. Miller '12

Emily Dorrance Award Danica Doroski '10

2010-2011 Captains
Ellen Patterson '11
Nora Collins '11

Andrew Wood '11
Joseph Nowak '11

2010 NCAA Women's Rowing Championship

On Tuesday afternoon it was announced that the Bates women's rowing team received a team bid for the 2010 NCAA Women's Rowing Championship in Sacremento, California. This is the team's fourth consecutive bid.

Read here for more: http://www.bates.edu/rowing.xml

ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships Information

2010-05-07T11:06:00.002-04:00

Four crews will represent Bates at the ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships in Worcester, MA this weekend. This is the penultimate regatta for W1V8 and W2V8 and they will look to secure places at the NCAA Rowing Championships. The NIRCs are the last regatta for the M1V8 and M2V8. The schedule, which is subject to change due to weather (this regatta has a history of delays and cancellations - be ready for anything), can be found below.

ECAC NIRC 2010 Race Final)

Additional information concerning visitor and spectator information can be found at the following link. Please note that crews will be based out of Regatta Point at Quinsigamond State Park, which is close to the finish line and across the river from the Donahue Rowing Center.

http://www.qra.org/visitors/index.html

Historic Day in Worcester As All Bates Crews Make Grand Finals at New England Rowing Championships

2010-05-03T12:26:00.004-04:00

Saturday marked another high point for both the men's and women's rowing programs at Bates. You can read more about the men's and women's crews below.

Full Results:

http://www.row2k.com/results/files/05012010NERC.pdf

MV8 Finds Speed In Heat; M2V8 Earns Bronze Medal

It's been no secret that the MV8 has had a tough time following up on last year's historic results throughout the spring. The current senior class has had to mesh with a new crop of oarsmen and finding the speed has taken a lot of time and patience. The three weeks of racing that led up to New Englands put the men in a perilous position: low on confidence, seeded 9th, and needing to finish in the top three of their heat to make grand finals and erase any doubt over whether they would be invited to the ECAC National Invitational Regatta.

The guys put together a fine race in the heat, finishing second just behind Trinity and well-ahead of University of Rhode Island, Wesleyan, and Amherst (who were all seeded higher than Bates). Their performance in the heat was so strong that memories of last year's third place finish in a thrilling final began to come to mind. But the priority for the regatta was to make the finals and this mix of young and old oarsmen accomplished that task and unfortunately did have much left for the final. They finished 5th (ahead of Wesleylan) while Williams and Trinity duked it out for the gold; Williams winning in thrilling come-from-behind fashion.

The M2V8 was feeling confident for their final after an outstanding race last weekend with Williams. They were looking forward to the rematch with Williams and to having another shot at Trinity's top-ranked crew. As expected, Trinity jumped out to a quick lead and Williams went with them. Bates did not have the cleanest of rows and fell too far behind the other two crews to be in a position to compete in the last 500. They made a strong push for the finish but the gap created by Williams and Trinity was too much. Their third place finish set a new school record for performance at New Englands by the M2V8. The previous best was 5th place, which was matched in the last three years.

Two Out of Three Women's Crews Earns Medals

Bated had three women's crews entered for New Englands: the 1V8, 2V8, and N4+ (a first-ever entry). The last three years have seen numerous attempts by Trinity and Bates to find the speed necessary to outrace Williams. This year was no different. The 1V8 sported a new lineup after last weekends defeat. On Saturday they finished first in their heat, just ahead of University of New Hampshire crew that was out to make a statement. Because they were pushed by the UNH crew, the Bates women put up the fastest time in the heats and earned the number one lane for the Grand Final, ahead of Williams. In the final the women led the first 500m before the reigning national champions made a huge push which put them ahead for the rest of the race. Bates finished second just 6.4 seconds back - a 1.6 second decrease in last weekend's margin of defeat to Williams.

The W2V8 did not have the best of days. After the morning heat they were seeded fourth for the grand final behind Williams, Trinity, and UNH, who were all winners of their respective heats. Unfortunately the ladies finished the grand final in 6th, behind surprising crews from Holy Cross, Wellesley, and UNH. It's not often that Trinity and Bates are battling it out for 5th place at New Englands in this event. The women are all looking forward to hitting the Androscoggin this week and working things out before ECACs.

The WN4+ earn the outstanding performance of the week. The very young crew faced off with crews from schools where winning in the fours is the primary goal and finished second to Amherst - ahead of Coast Guard, who they were beaten by the previous week. This was Bates' first ever WN4+ entry at New Englands. They have set the bar high for future crews in this event.

Onota Challenge Recap and New England Rowing Championships Information

2010-04-28T11:19:00.005-04:00

Here is the schedule for the New England Rowing Championships, which are being held on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, MA on Saturday, May 1.

http://www.qra.org/nerc/NERC_Lanes.pdf

Additional information concerning visitor and spectator information can be found at the following link. Please note that crews will be based out of Regatta Point at Quinsigamond State Park, which is close to the finish line and across the river from the Donahue Rowing Center.

http://www.qra.org/visitors/index.html

Onota Lake Challenge Recap

This past Saturday the crews raced on Onota Lake in Pittsfield, MA. Williams played host to Bates, Ithaca, Marist, and the US Coast Guard Academy. This is a unique regatta because it brings together some of the best rowing programs from New York and New England. In recent years many of the varsity eights races have provided previews of the New England Rowing Championships, New York State Championships, and eventually the National Invitational Rowing Championships.

The Onota Lake Challenge is especially significant because this is the first time we race the Williams men and women. The Williams women have dominated Division III rowing for some time now and this was our first chance to see if we can cut into their dynasty. They once again proved that they are the team to beat by finishing ahead of both Bates and Ithaca, the number 2 and 3 teams in the country heading into last weekend. The ladies will have two more chances to gain speed on Williams in the next two weeks before the NCAA Championships.

Previous races on the men's side have provided such memorable entertainment for the men involved that recent graduates of Williams recently donated beautiful trophies to the regatta for the winners of the 1V8 (The Onota Cup Donated by Williams Class of '08) and 2V8 (The Berkshire Plate Donated by Williams Class of '09) races. The Williams 1V are the two-time defending Head of the Charles Champions and the 2009 New England Champions. They continued to gain speed this spring and finished this race well-ahead of the other crews. The Bates men sported a new lineup but were unable to hang with Williams.

The outstanding performance of the week goes to the M2V8. This crew has seen its fair share of changes over the spring but only one crew (Trinity) had finished ahead of them heading into their race against Williams. It was expected to be a tight race and the men did not disappoint. Bates was not first off the line, but they rarely have been this spring. As they've done in the past they worked hard through the body of the piece, pulling one seat ahead of Williams by the last 500. Coxswain Gabe Silverman '11 called for a sprint early in the final 500 and his crew (s-Andrew Wood '11, Harry Chung '11, Cory Sanderson '10, Peter Haley '13, Joseph Nowak '11, Matthew Johns '13, Dan LaFontaine '10, Charles Carey '13) gave quite a push to get ahead of Williams and win the race by a slight margin. Their victory meant that The Berkshire Plate donated by the Williams Class of 2009 will forever show "Bates College" as its first holders. It will be a memorable win for this mix of young and old oarsmen.

Results

Women's First Varsity Eight (stroke: Haley Sive. 7: Danica Doroski. 6: Rebecca Waldo. 5: Elizabeth Sonshine. 4: Amy Jacks. 3: Phoebe Reed. 2: Alison Frye. bow: Ellen Patterson. cox: Lindsay Thomson.)

Williams 6:48.3
Ithaca 6:54.7
Bates 6:56.9
Marist 7:13.3
USCGA 7:19.8

Women's Second Varsity Eight (Stroke: Allison DiSalvo. 7: Davina Dukuly. 6: Amanda Goss. 5: Kelsey Dion. 4: Emma White. 3: Hannah Richardson. 2: Catherine Tuttle. bow: Caroline Webb. cox: Nora Collins)

Williams 6:54.1
Bates 7:09.1
Ithaca 7:11.9
Marist 7:20.0
USCGA 7:38.8

Women's Novice 4 w/ Coxswain (Stroke: Elizabeth Bowling. 3: Carrie Dillaway. 2: Tatiana Littleton. bow: Canice Ahearn. cox: Victoria Zapack)

Williams 8:19.5
Marist 8:50.7
Bates 9:07.8
USCGA 9:17.5

Men's First Varsity Eight (Stroke: Peter K. Miller. 7: James Grant. 6: Glenn Kelly. 5: Graham Pearson. 4: Peter C. Miller. 3: Andre Gobbo. 2: Jordy Winslow. bow: Oliver Scholle. cox: Jack Mulvaney)

Williams 6:06.0
Marist 6:10.4
Ithaca 6:14.0
Bates 6:19.2
USCGA 6:24.6

Men's Second Varsity Eight (Stroke: Andrew Wood. 7: Harry Chung. 6: Cory Sanderson. 5: Peter Haley. 4: Joseph Nowak. 3: Matthew Johns. 2: Dan LaFontaine. bow: Charles Carey. cox: Gabe Silverman)

Bates 6:14.8
Williams 6:16.5
USCGA 6:29.4
Ithaca 6:29.7

Men's Varstiy Four w/ Coxswain (Stroke: Andrew Wood. 3: Jason Weeks. 2: JC Hersey. bow: Charles Carey cox: Tracy Glazier)

Marist 7:07.6
Williams 7:17.2
Bates 7:17.6
USCGA 7:36.5

Regatta Information - 4/24 @ Williams

2010-04-22T11:15:00.003-04:00

This weekend the team heads to Pittsfield, MA for the final "regular season" regatta of the spring. This week we've enjoyed nice weather and a break from classes. The crews have been training twice a day and are looking fast heading into this critical regatta.

Not much needs to be said about the regatta itself - both the men's and women's Williams teams are the reigning New England champions. Along with Williams we'll be seeing fast competition from Ithaca, Marist, and Coast Guard.

Onota Challenge

Here are directions to Lake Onota.

Bobcats Retain President's Cup

2010-04-19T13:32:00.003-04:00

For Saturday's results, check out the following links:

Men's Results

Women's Results

The victorious Bates WN4+. Their win meant Bates retained the President's Cup.

The 14th Thomas Hedley Reynolds President's Cup Regatta was hosted by Bates on Sunday. The annual showdown between Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby always provides exciting competition in a friendly environment. Sunday was different only in the sense that the excitement factor was taken up a notch.

Bates swept the varsity eights events, but the second varsity eight events don't count for points towards winning the President's Cup. The events that do count include the novice eights and fours along with the varsity eights and fours. This scoring system is great because it rewards a program who can be efficient across multiple boat classes. It means that any school can win the Cup if they put out fast crews - as opposed to simply putting out a lot of crews.

Bowdoin, the reigning New England Fours Champions, came to the regatta having never won the President's Cup. Their speed in the fours was evident early on, but their ability to field very competitive eights put them in the driver's seat as the regatta progressed. By the last race of the day - the women's novice fours - they were ahead of Bates 12 - 10.

As the women's novice fours began to launch the possibility of the regatta's first ever tie began to emerge. If Bates finished first and Colby finished second, the final points standings would put both Bates and Bowdoin on 13 points. Fortunately our ladies held up their end of the deal - their victory coupled with Colby's second-place finish led to a tie and Bates, as holders from the previous year, retained The Thomas Hedley Reynolds President's Cup for the third straight year. The victory brings Bates within four wins of Colby, who dominated the ten years of the regatta.

Outstanding performances of the week go out to the Women's Second Varsity Eight for beating Trinity by 4 seconds after losing to the Bantams by 12 seconds the week before; the Men's Novice Four w/ coxswain for going undefeated on the weekend; and the Women's Novice Four w/ Coxswain, whose win ensured that the President's Cup stayed with Bates for another year. It should be noted that Victoria Zapack '13, coxed both novice fours.

Thanks to Elizabeth Bowling '13 for the pictures.

Women's First Varsity Eight (Stroke: Haley Sive. 7: Danica Doroski-c. 6: Rebecca Waldo. 5: Elizabeth Sonshine. 4: Amy Jacks. 3: Phoebe Reed. 2: Alison Frye-c. bow: Ellen Patterson-c. cox: Lindsay Thomson)

1. Bates 7:05 3 points
2. Bowdoin 7:27 2 points
3. Colby 7:36 1 point

Nothing excites Lindsday Thomson '10 of the WV8 more than a bath in the 'Scog.

Women's Second Varsity Eight (Stroke: Allison DiSalvo. 7: Davina Dukuly. 6: Amanda Goss. 5: Kelsey Dion. 4: Emma White. 3: Hannah Richardson. 2: Catherine Tuttle. bow: Caroline Webb. cox: Nora Collins)

1. Bates 7:22
2. Colby 7:58

Women's Varsity Four w/ Coxswain (Bates did not field)

1. Bowdoin A 7:59 2 points
2. Colby 8:20 1 point
3. Bowdoin B 8:21

Women's Novice Four w/ Coxswain (Stroke: Amanda Goss. 3: Carrie Dillaway. 2: Catherine Tuttle. bow: Elizabeth Bowling. cox: Tory Zapack)

1. Bates 8:21
2. Colby 8:55
3. Bowdoin 10:06

Men's Varsity Eight (Stroke: Peter K. Miller. 7: James Grant. 6: Graham Pearson-c. 5: Cory Sanderson-c. 4: Glenn Kelly. 3: Peter Haley. 2: Dan LaFontaine. bow: Oliver Scholle. cox: Jack Mulvaney)

1. Bates 6:18 3 points
2. Bowdoin 6:26 2 points
3. Colby 6:27 1 point

Jack Mulvaney '12 about to meet the frosty waters of the Androscoggin River after the MV8 victory in the President's Cup.

Men's Second Varsity Eight (Stroke: Andrew Wood. 7: Harry Chung. 6: Jordy Winslow. 5: Andre Gobbo. 4: Peter C. Miller. 3: Matt Johns. 2: Joseph Nowak. bow: Charles Carey. cox: Gabe Silverman)

1. Bates 6:31
2. Colby 6:51

Gabe Silverman '11 gets tossed into the Androscoggin by the M2V8.

Men's Varsity Four w/ Coxswain (Stroke: Joseph Nowak. 3: Harry Chung. 2: JC Hersey. bow: Jason Weeks. cox: Lindsay Thomson)

1. Bowdoin A 7:11 3 points
2. Colby 7:13 2 points
3. Bowdoin B 7:28
4. Bates 7:33 1 point

Men's Novice Four w/ Coxswain (Stroke: Jordy Winslow. 3: Andre Gobbo. 2: Matt Johns. bow: Peter Haley. cox: Tory Zapack)

1. Bates 7:08 3 points
2. Bowdoin A 7:16 2 points
3. Bowdoin B 7:25
4. Colby 7:55 1 point
5. Bowdoin C 8:31

Men's Novice Eight (Bates did not field)

1. Colby 6:56 2 points
2. Bowdoin 7:07 1 point

Regatta Information - 4/17 and Presidents' Cup (4/18)

2010-04-14T13:01:00.009-04:00

The crews have another double-header this weekend.

Saturday, April 17
Donahue Rowing Center - Worcester, MA

On Saturday we'll be rowing out of the Donahue Rowing Center in Worcester, MA once again. Competition at that regatta will include WPI (M & W), Trinity (M & W), Vassar (M & W), Skidmore (W), and UNH (M).

The women will have to face fast crews from Trinity once again. The WV8 moved up in the rankings to 3rd in the nation, jumping the Bantams along the way. The W2V8 will look to improve upon their only blemish last weekend - a loss to Trinity.

This will be the first time the men's crews will race Trinity. The Trinity MV8 has posted impressive results already this spring. They won the Cal Cup at the San Diego Crew Classic and just last weekend beat the defending New England and Head of the Charles champions from Williams. The guys are anxious to race again to see how they stack up against UNH and WPI - two crews that bested the MV8.

The following is a link to the regatta schedule, which is likely to change throughout the week: http://www.qra.org/regattas/lanes.lasso?racedate=2010-04-17

The MV8 will race first for Bates at 9:20 AM. They'll launch around 8:40. The last race of the day will be the MV4+ at 12:50 PM.

BBC President's Cup
Bates College Boathouse - Greene, ME

On Sunday we'll be hosting our only home regatta (The Thomas Hedley Reynolds President's Cup) of the spring at the Bates Boathouse in Greene, ME.

The Thomas Hedley Reynolds President's Cup has been won 9 times by Colby and 4 times by Bates. Bowdoin has yet to win the Cup. Last year Bates won five of the nine races, including the Dr. Alan Hume Cup (MV8) and the WV8 Cup, to win the regatta for the third time in four years.

Google Map with location of the boathouse:
View Larger Map

Pres.cup.Schedule

Solid Start to the Season

2010-04-12T12:05:00.005-04:00

Racing was pretty good from the crews this past weekend. Everyone's hard work over the winter paid off as the WV8 (ranked 3rd nationally/5th in New England) beat all competition that was sent their way. On Saturday they were victorious in a pair of duel races against Tufts and Wesleyan (ranked 10th nationally coming into the weekend). Late additions to Sunday's schedule meant that the women would face early tests from highly ranked New England crews from Trinity (ranked 4th nationally/4th in New England) and Holy Cross (ranked 3rd in New England). The women showed some early season speed by finishing five seconds ahead of Trinity and eight ahead of Holy Cross.

The W2V8 finished ahead of all crews except for Trinity. This group of young, competitive individuals rowed an excellent couple of races on Saturday but were a bit off the pace come Sunday. They are sure to gain speed and consistency as the season continues. Sunday's races provided an early glimpse of a WN8, which finished fifth in its race.

First Varsity Eight (Stroke: Haley Sive. 7: Danica Doroski. 6: Rebecca Waldo. 5: Elizabeth Sonshine. 4: Amy Jacks. 3: Phoebe Reed. 2: Alison Frye. bow: Ellen Patterson. cox: Lindsay Thomson)

Saturday, April 10
Race #1
1. Bates 7:03.39
2. Tufts 7:29.71

Race #2
1. Bates 7:06.34
2. Wesleyan 7:21.23

Sunday, April 11
1. Bates 7:12.6
2. Trinity 7:17.8
3. Holy Cross 7:20.4
4. Rochester 7:28.4
5. Wellesley 7:34.6
6. WPI 7:38.5

Second Varsity Eight (Stroke: Allison DiSalvo. 7: Davina Dukuly. 6: Amanda Goss. 5: Kelsey Dion. 4: Emma White. 3: Hannah Richardson. 2: Catherine Tuttle. bow: Caroline Webb. cox: Nora Collins)

Saturday, April 10
Race #1
1. Bates 7:03.93
2. Wellesley 7:17.55

Race #2
1. Bates 7:27.11
2. Tufts 7:55.13

Sunday, April 11
1. Trinity 7:25.9
2. Bates 7:33.0
3. Wellesley 7:40.1
4. Holy Cross 7:40.4
5. Rochester 8:04.9

Frosh/Novice Eight (Stroke: Elizabeth Bowling. 7: Carrie Dillaway. 6: Catherine Tuttle. 5: Nora Murray. 4: Larisa Collins. 3: Canice Ahearn. 2: Tara Prasad. bow: Jade Littleton. cox: Tory Zapack)

Sunday, April 11
1. Trinity 7:44.3
2. Holy Cross 8:00.9
3. Rochester 8:09.2
4. Wellesley 8:12.3
5. Bates 8:36.3
6. Wellesley 8:52.9

The men were not as fortunate on the weekend. The MV8 finished ahead of Tufts on Saturday and Rochester on Sunday, but were disappointed to be beaten by University of New Hampshire (Saturday), WPI, and University of Rhode Island. The crew will head back to campus knowing there is some speed to be gained.

The M2V8 were a bit more successful. They beat Wesleyan in a duel race on Saturday but were forced to forfeit the return race against UNH due to an ill-timed equipment problem. On Sunday they won their race against WPI, University of Rhode Island, and Rochester.

First Varsity Eight (Stroke: Glenn Kelly. 7: James Grant. 6: Graham Pearson. 5: Peter Haley. 4: Cory Sanderson. 3: Matt Johns. 2: Dan LaFontaine. bow: Oliver Scholle. cox: Jack Mulvaney)

Saturday, April 10
Race #1
1. UNH 6:07.03
2. Bates 6:20.11

Race #2
1. Bates 6:20.35
2. Tufts 6:43.08

Sunday, April 11
1. WPI 6:21.3
2. URI 6:29.5
3. Bates 6:30.8
4. Rochester 6:40.0

Second Varsity Eight (Stroke: Peter K. Miller. 7: Harry Chung. 6: Jordy Winslow. 5: Andre Gobbo. 4: Peter C. Miller. 3: Charlie Carey. 2: Joseph Nowak. bow: Andrew Wood. cox: Gabe Silverman)

Saturday, April 10
Race #1
1. Bates 6:28.46
2. Wesleyan 6:49.49

Race #2
Forfeited to UNH

Sunday, April 11
1. Bates 6:34.0
2. WPI 6:44.7
3. URI 6:58.4

Our student-athletes have finals this week. Most students on campus will be locking themselves in the library or in their dorm rooms cramming for exams but the rowers are experienced with managing their time. They'll be able to navigate the maze of exams and review sessions while also getting in their daily exercise. A great joy for us coaches is being able to see how lessons learned from the sport of rowing can translate over to other aspects of the rowers' lives. This week is one of those instances where the impact of being part of a successful, competitive, and balanced team is most visible. Good luck to everyone on their exams.

Outstanding performances of the week are going to go to all the individuals who got their first taste of spring racing with Bates this past weekend. They include Matt Johns '13 (MV8), Peter Haley '13 (MV8), Catherine Tuttle '13 (W2V8), Amanda Goss '13 (W2V8), Charlie Carey '13 (M2V8), Andre Gobbo '13 (M2V8), Jordy Winslow '13 (M2V8),LaRisa Collins '13 (WN8), Canice Ahearn '13 (WN8), Elizabeth Bowling '13 (WN8), Carrie Dillaway '13 (WN8), Tatiana Littleton '13 (WN8), Tara Prasad '13 (WN8), Tory Zapack '13 (WN8).

Regatta Information - 4/10 and 4/11

2010-04-06T10:39:00.017-04:00

***Added a PDF with all Tufts information below***
***Added link with Sunday's schedule below***

Parents, Alumni, and Fans - check back here during the week for any updates pertaining to our competition and travel schedules. These duel races require less planning than the championship regattas, so the schedules may not be finalized until the day before.

April 10, 2010

This Saturday we will be racing in Malden, MA where Tufts University (M & W) will host us along with Wesleyan University (M & W), University of New Hampshire (M), and Wellesley College (W). Most events will have four crews entered. Racing will be "Henley-style" where crews will face off head-to-head with the winners of the two heats facing each other in a final and the losers facing each other.

Spectator Parking Information

Crews will launch from the Tufts University Boathouse at:
177 Corporation Way
Medford, MA 02155

A summary of directions to the boathouse can be found here:

http://ase.tufts.edu/athletics/jumbosDirectionsBoathouse.pdf

There will be someone, (Coach or Tufts Police officer) at the gate to tell you where to park.

Alternate Parking for Spectators at the South Entrance to River’s Edge Park
Once on River’s Edge Drive, take the first right onto Cabot Road. Go up Cabot Road about 600’
then turn left on the front side of the rotary. Go as far as you can in front of the Citizen’s Bank
Building to the North end of the lot and park in the far right corner adjacent to the river. Exit
your vehicle and take the paved pathway about ¼ mile North. The boathouse will be straight
ahead up the path.

Finish line directions and parking
From Cabot Road it is approximately 0.75 miles to the finish line area. Instead of turning right
onto Cabot Road continue North on Corporation Way until you reach the next traffic light. Turn
right at that light (Medford Street) and go about 1/8 mile. You will cross over the river (finish
line is just to the right of the bridge). At the light on the other side of the bridge, turn left onto
Canal Street. Park on Canal and walk back to finish line park.
Overlay of finish line area: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=42.417524,-
71.0737&spn=0.004127,0.009956&z=17

Racing Schedule

The two page PDF below has the full schedule and other important information regarding parking. Feel free to save and print a copy for yourselves.
Tufts University Crew Races on the Malden River With Lane Assignments April 10 2010

April 11, 2010

On Sunday we will be racing Worcester Polytechnic Institute (M & W), University of Rhode Island (M), Mount Holyoke (W), and Wellesley (W). Some exciting new additions to the regatta: 3rd ranked (NERC) College of the Holy Cross and 4th ranked (NERC) Trinity College are late entries on the women's side. The crews will race over the course once with two boats or more spread across corresponding lanes.

Spectator Parking Information
Crews will launch and be based out of:
Donahue Rowing Center (click to open Google Maps and get directions)
Shrewsbury, MA 01545

There should be a cop at the entrance to arrange parking.

Schedule
Schedule and regatta information can be found at the following link:

http://www.qra.org/regattas/lanes.lasso?racedate=2010-04-11

March 22 - 28 Week in Review

2010-03-29T12:45:00.003-04:00

Training resumed as normal this past week. With our entire operation finally moved back to the boathouse in Greene we were primed for a wonderful week of rowing on our beautiful stretch of the Androscoggin River. Unfortunately the summer-like conditions went away and were replaced with wind, cold temperatures, and rain. In some respects we lucked out with the weather coming when it did because we were meant to be indoors for much of the week anyways.

The biggest story of the week is the outstanding team performance during Friday's 2,000 meter erg tests. This was the team's second and last erg test of the season and the results were impressive:

33 personal bests were set between the men and the women.
25 of those personal bests were significant improvements of four seconds or more.

The results are a testament to the efforts the team put in on the water, in the weight room, and in the erg room since the start of the year. Now with the indoor season officially over, the crews will permanently move outdoors and begin refining their speed for the coming races. The first weekend of competition is April 10-11. I'll post a preview of those races starting next week.

The impressive results on the 2k make it difficult to pick out one Outstanding Performance of the Week. Seniors James Grant and Cory Sanderson both broke through some significant barriers to claim the 3rd and 4th positions on the men's side while juniors Phoebe Reed and Rebecca Waldo and sophomores Haley Sive and Elizabeth Sonshine led the women's team to new heights. Well done everyone!

Class of 2014 Taking Shape

The following students have been admitted to Bates College during the early decision rounds and will form the core of next year's first-year class of rowers.

2014 Women

Bliss Baker ---- Tabor Academy (MA)
Gabby Bilotta ---- Georgetown Visitation Prep (DC)
Hope King ---- Tabor Academy (MA)
Margaret Carey ---- Brooks School (MA)
Anne Carroll ---- Wellesley HS (MA)
Sarah Murphy ---- Wellesley HS (MA)
Alexandra Hill ---- Wayland HS (MA)
Taylor Kniffin ---- Deerfield Academy (CT)
Kaitlin McDonald ---- Scared Heart Academy (NY)
Heather Monty ---- Derryfield School (NH)
Rachel Pedersen ---- Saint Andrew's School (NJ)

2014 Men

Jonathan Frye ---- Duxbury HS (MA)
Scott Long ---- Irvington HS (NY)
Samuel MacGregor ---- Hun School of Princeton (NJ)
Chuck Munn ---- Oxford Hills High School (ME)
Joseph Santos ---- Belen Jesuit Prep (FL)
Hank Schless ---- Brunswick School (CT)
Ross Terada ---- Episcopal School of Dallas (TX)

The rest of next year's class will be filled in the coming months. Students who applied in the regular applicant pool should be receiving their letters this week. Mollie and I look forward to speaking with those who were admitted as we try to build on an already impressive class.

March 15 - 21 Week in Review

2010-03-22T11:08:00.004-04:00

2010 Women's Team: Freshmen/Novice in red (look at them all!); varsity rowers in black.

What a gorgeous week! The switch to daylight savings time extended our afternoon rowing sessions and brought abundant sunshine. Temperatures for most of the week hovered in the high 50's to mid 60's. Starting Tuesday, the crews said their farewells to the erg room and everyone rowed in the afternoons.

On Friday we began the move from the public boat launch in Durham back to the boathouse in Greene! Saturday morning provided possibly the best weather in the history of dock-installation days. The women rigged every shell at the boathouse while the men meticulously put the docks together on land. Towards the end of the morning everyone worked together to assemble the docks on the water. We were out there for about 4 1/2 hours and smiles prevailed for the whole time.

The move back to Greene brings security to our equipment as well as peace of mind to Coach Steenstra. After two of our launches in Durham were cut loose and one of the outboard engines were stolen, we were forced to resort to putting the Parental Guidance in and taking it out for every on-water session. We did recover both launches. Some gentlemen from the Lisbon Falls dam secured the 18' launch to the foot of the dam (it was undamaged but missing the 9.9 Mercury horsepower engine) while the Boston Whaler was found on shore not far from the Durham boat launch. The Whaler's engine was still attached the boat, but every cord and fuel line leading to it was cut. Mollie and I paddled it down river to the Lisbon boat launch, which was a fun adventure. The boathouse in Greene never seemed so luxurious!

2010 Men's Team: Freshmen/Novice in red, upperclassmen in black.

All crews, including the newly formed women's novice eight, continued to amass great mileage on the water. Mollie has been working tirelessly to get them up and running. They've been on the water for two weeks now and have participated in a few race practices with the other women's crews.

The process of moving our operation to Durham and back to Greene requires hours of work, but also provides ample time for new team members to bond and lasting friendships to form. The novice interact with and get to know the varsity rowers in ways they wouldn't normally do at practice. A new batch of people learn the ins-and-outs of dock construction and trailer-loading from members of the team who will be graduating at the end of the year.

I have to give outstanding performances of the week to freshmen rower Clay Baldo '13 and sophomore JC Hersey '12 for their ice-breaking skills on Friday afternoon. I took a group of six guys out to the boathouse to break the remaining bits of floating ice around our dock site and wanted to see what problem-solving skills they could come up with to break the ice. The wind kept pushing any ice we pushed away from shore right back to us so the guys decided the best option was to pummel the ice so that the smaller pieces would melt - it was 65 degrees after all. To reel in the larger chunks of ice that were just out of our reach from shore, Clay resorted to riding and steering a chunk of ice out to the large pieces and pulling them in to shore (fear not - the water was only calf-deep). JC took our plastic, fat-boy, single for a row and pushed a few large chunks out into the middle of the river - where they were broken apart by waves. By Saturday morning, all the ice was gone.

March 8 - March 14 Week in Review

2010-03-15T11:35:00.006-04:00

Another week of perfect weather meant more rowing for the Bobcats. We are still launching out of the public boat launch in Durham, but the middle of the River above the dam in Greene has thawed. With yesterday's rain and this week's warm temperatures, it is possible we could move back to the boathouse within two weeks.

Because we can only launch one crew at a time in Durham, one team of either the men or the women rowed in the afternoons while the other team worked out on land. The women lifted Monday and Friday mornings and rowed those same afternoons. On Monday and Friday the guys erged and lifted in the afternoon. They also lifted the mornings of Tuesday and Thursday and rowed those afternoons while the women lifted and erged.

The whole team rowed on Saturday and was scheduled to row on Sunday, but that session was postponed to this coming Wednesday because of bad conditions.

Both teams are in noticeably better condition than they were in February. They are working at a really high level while maintaining a good level of enthusiasm.

Here is a video of the men practicing on Saturday. They are working quick-square rowing into their pre-race routine in this video.

Finally, here's another article featuring Charlie Carey '13 and his efforts for L.L Bean to reveal their new line of clothing in Lewiston last week: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/03/15/with_student_help_ll_bean_tries_younger_look/

Thank You, Christian Ford '08

2010-03-12T11:05:00.003-05:00

Special thanks go out to Christian Ford '08 for providing the men with a new set of oars. The 1V have been using the new set since last Saturday, when the team first rowed. The team almost exclusively relies on gifts for obtaining new equipment. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Charlie Carey '13 Brings L.L. Bean to Lewiston

2010-03-11T11:20:00.005-05:00

On Wednesday, while the team was having the team and roster pictures taken, Charlie Carey '13 was overseeing a special preview event for L.L. Bean's new "Signature" line of clothes. Charlie coordinated the event, held at local coffee shop Willy Beans Bistro, with L.L. Bean via the specialized marketing firm, Tremor Effect, which he founded.

The event was a great success. More people and media outlets showed up than was expected. To read more about the event check out the article at BatesStudent.com. Charlie is a first-year walk-on rower. Congratulations Charlie!

Charlie Carey '13 sitting bow in a Fall '09 eight.

March 1 - March 7 Week in Review

2010-03-08T09:27:00.005-05:00

WATER!

This was the scene on Wednesday, and for much of the week:

The team was on campus going through a day-to-day rotation of lifting, erging, and running. On Wednesday they went through a tough workout (1 minute, max effort pieces). The entire team was divided into two groups, one of which would be doing the 1 minute piece while the other would rest before switching. They were ranked and re-ranked between pieces and the people who were consistently among the top three in their group earned some team gear. Phoebe Reed '11 and Catherine Tuttle '13 were the outstanding performers.

By the middle of the week the athletes were understandably fatigued from the land workouts but they were about to be rewarded for their hard work: the forecast for the weekend showed two days featuring sun and temperatures in the low 50s. We were officially making plans to move to the water, about 24 days earlier than last year and possibly the earliest we've ever been on the water (according to some reliable alums).

The guys loaded the dock onto the trailer Friday afternoon. On Saturday the team moved out to our temp site in Durham to rig the boats, install the docks, and hit the water. It's important to note that we weren't outside in uncomfortable conditions. It was warm, there was no ice that needed breaking, the snow has been melted for a while, and it was typically sunny (Maine is the second sunniest state on the east coast). The rows that the crews took on Saturday and Sunday were historic in their timing and will provide an extra boost to the team as the race season is only about a month away. Four novice and a number of first-years took their first strokes of their collegiate spring seasons. They all made valuable strides towards learning skills that will serve them well in the coming months.

Land Training in Maine

2010-03-02T13:44:00.002-05:00

The team has been working hard since everyone returned to campus about ten days ago. Last week was a light week in preparation for Saturday's 2k test. Much of the time was spent getting a feel for the ergs again. Four novice rowers took their first ever 2K's and all finished successfully. We've had one guy and three ladies join the team in the past few weeks, so finishing was an accomplishment.

Phoebe Reed '11 put in the performance of the day. Phoebe was abroad during the fall. She returned to the team with a bang by beating her personal best by over ten seconds, which was good enough to propel her towards the top of the women's ranks. Six other women also had personal bests. The men had eight personal bests (four from seniors) and were impressively led by captain Graham Pearson (c) '10 and Glenny Kelly '10.

This week the team begins heavier land training. The weather has been nice and the snow around campus is mostly gone, but the ice remains. We expect to be on the water earlier than last year. Both the men and women will have three morning practices and five afternoon practices.

So Long Austin.

2010-02-19T23:08:00.004-05:00

I leave with Coach Steenstra and the trailer at 5:30 AM tomorrow but many of our athletes will be departing from Austin earlier than that.

Jack Mulvaney '12 drove an excellent course (nailed the turn around the island on the east side of the lake) to win the final row of the week by a margin of ten seconds over the women's varsity eight. His crew rowed the Parents' Pride 2000 over the course in 12:27. A mixed boat similar to Jack's finished a very tight third. Jack's lineup from bow was as follows:

12:27, 10 seconds ahead of second place women's 1v

Caroline Webb '12 -bow
Lauren Hadiaris '13
Amy Jacks '12
Phoebe Reed '11
Peter Haley '13
Peter C. Miller '12
Andre Gobbo '13
Joseph Nowak '11 -stroke
Jack Mulvaney '12 -coxswain

We probably won't be back on the water until April, but stay tuned to the blog for updates on the team's indoor training during the remainder of February and March. Practice resumes on Tuesday afternoon.

Special thanks go to the Austin Rowing Club for allowing us to use their space, the Holiday Inn Austin Town Lake for their hospitality and for embracing all collegiate crews who come to row in this beautiful city during the winter - they really make it easy.

Extra special thanks go to Jeff Tulis '72 and his wife, Jean, for arranging Tuesday's dinner at Iron Works BBQ and to the other alums who joined us there. Their generosity is greatly appreciated and we can't wait to see them again in 2011.

Thursday in Austin

2010-02-19T13:33:00.004-05:00

I'm happy to say that Thursday was relatively uneventful compared to Wednesday. The team had an early wake-up (4:45 AM) so we could scrimmage with University of Texas club during their regular practice time. We fielded two women's eights, a men's eight, and a men's four.

The women are showing great speed. The first eight stayed ahead in a convincing manner and the second eight battled with Texas' varsity eight. The ladies have come a long way this week and the spring is going to be exciting.

The men's eight was able to get only one piece in. They went the wrong way off the dock and it took a long time to hunt them down. The two crews eventually got together for one piece, which Texas won by a few seats.

We ran a 5k regatta in the afternoon with seven men's pairs and two women's eights. Conditions were excellent for the crews. The women's 1v took the race between the eights while the duo of Ollie Scholle '12 and Dan LaFontaine '10 were the fastest of the pairs.

The hotel served up a "Build Your Own Breakfast Taco" spread for breakfast. Dinner was salad, dinner rolls, and spaghetti & meatballs.

Friday will be our last day on the water in Austin.

Austin Day 3 and An Interesting Morning On The Lake

2010-02-17T14:45:00.008-05:00

It's been an eventful 24 hours for us in Austin. This morning (2/17) coaches Steenstra and Scweigert came across something while in their launch that every coach knows is out there, but that they hope to never deal with. Unfortunately they did and now we're all over the Austin news. Follow these links to see what I'm talking about:

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2010/02/17/police_body_found_in_lady_bird.html?srcTrk=RTR_95649

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/news/local/021710-apd-body-found-in-lady-bird-lake

http://weareaustin.com/content/video/?cid=51291

Practices on 2/16 were very constructive. The men were in pairs during the AM session for a LONG row around the lake - most crews rowed 16,000 meters and gained a good bit of sun. The women were once again in the eights for some technique practices. Coach Steenstra worked with a crew of younger women and their improvements were notable from the start of practice to the end.

The afternoon session was outstanding. We had our first really warm temperature of the week. Coach Steenstra again worked with a younger crew, this time men. By the end of practice they were showing great speed. Mollie worked with a women's eight and monitored four pairs of women as they rowed at a steady pace from the dock to the west end of the Lake and back.

I put three men pairs (James Grant '10/Graham Pearson '10; Ollie Scholle '12/Glenn Kelly '10; Andre Gobbo '13/Peter C. Miller '12) through a tough workout involving three minute race pieces. All three crews raced tightly during the pieces with James and Graham really impressing - they were able to answer every effort that Glenn and Ollie threw at them, and Ollie and Glenn (especially Glenn - see below) put everything they had into all the pieces.

I'll hear about it if I don't mention that Glenn and Ollie were having issues with the toe-steering apparatus, which forced Ollie to have to row at about 80% pressure to keep the boat going straight.

For those of you who don't know, a big piece of rowing a pair is getting the boat to run along a straight course. With no coxswain to steer the pair, one rower has a cable at the toe of their shoe which moves the rudder at the stern of the shell. If you move the heel of the shoe right or left the boat steers in the corresponding direction.

So Glenn had to work extra hard throughout the pieces and really gave his all during the final piece - which finished with Graham and James up bow-to-stern over their Glenn and Ollie. Maybe we'll see a rematch later this week...

All the crews were rewarded with dinner at Iron Works BBQ, courtesy of Jeff Tulis '72 and his wife Jean. The entire team headed over to nearby Iron Works around 6:15. We were also joined by a good number of Austin-area alums. Iron Works put out a delicious spread of baked beans, chicken, beef brisket, ribs, potato salad, cole slaw, bread, salad, and fruit. Everyone left happy and stuffed - the perfect way to end a day of hard work.

Austin Day 2 - First Day of Practice

2010-02-16T13:09:00.003-05:00

At 7:00 yesterday morning the team made the jog from the hotel along Lady Bird Lake towards the Austin Rowing Club for the first practice of 2010. Coach Steenstra and Coach Schweigert took three eights (two women's and one men's crew) to shake off the rust. They went through some basic drilling and a few intense pieces. The women's roster has been boosted with the return of some talented juniors from abroad. There are a number of athletic first-years and sophomores who are really going to benefit from having this week on the water.

It was quite windy in the afternoon but the crews looked pretty comfortable in tough conditions, which was a nice treat on the first day of practice. We've got more trips to Lake Quinsigamond, which can have trouble with wind, than last year so rowing in these types of conditions provides great experience.

The guys will be spending a lot of time in pairs this week and we used the first day to get those who don't have much small boat experience to be comfortable rowing side-by-side. In both the morning and the afternoon the crews made great strides.

The catering department here at the Holiday Inn put out excellent spreads for both breakfast and dinner. Build-your-own breakfast tacos was the theme in the morning. We had tasty marinated chicken strips, rice, veggies, and salad for dinner. Talking at both meals was minimal (athletes must have been shoveling food in) so I'm assuming everyone was happy with the food.

On the schedule for Tuesday:

Two training sessions and dinner at Iron Works BBQ provided by Jeff Tulis '72.

Greetings from Austin, TX!

2010-02-15T12:14:00.002-05:00

It was 65 degrees on Saturday when everyone arrived in Austin for spring training. The trailer arrived earlier than expected with eight pairs and three eights (one of which is the new women's Hudson eight - a beauty). The boats were rigged in the morning.

Because of NESCAC rules, full practice can't start until Feb. 15th (tomorrow) so the team was instead put through various physical tests on land. The strength of both teams looks to be at a high level and we'll be working on their aerobic fitness over the course of the week. The schedule has everyone rowing twice a day, so they'll be getting some good mileage in. A lot of intense work will be done in pairs while the eights will most likely be used for technique.

Breakfast included scrambled eggs, pancakes, fruit, toast, and chocolate milk while dinner saw everyone enjoy delicious lasagna.

All-in-all we're off to a good start. The athletes are anxious to get back on the water but everyone was excited to have the team together again. Stay tuned over the course of the week for daily updates from Austin!

Thank You, Jeff Tulis '72

2010-02-01T15:32:00.004-05:00

***Space is available! If you would like to join us at Iron Works BBQ in Austin, TX on Tuesday, February 16th, please call or email Eddie Hatrick (207-755-5986) by February 10th.***

February is finally here. Groundhog Day, Valentines Day, and the start of the spring season. On Feb. 14th the team will meet in Austin, TX to officially mark the beginning of spring. It's a great day to be a Bobcat!

As part of our deal with the Holiday Inn, the catering service provides us with tasty meals. But thanks to Jeff Tulis '72, we'll be treated to a team dinner at Iron Works BBQ on Tuesday the 16th. Coach Peter and myself are pretty familiar with Iron Works (it's impossible to walk by it and not stop in for a quick bite before the afternoon training session), and it will be quite a treat for everyone.

Jeff attended Bates about a decade before the team was started as a club, but he and his wife, Jean ( UC - Santa Cruz), are crazy about rowing in Austin. He is currently a professor of political theory at the University of Texas. Jeff was active in Debate and the Campus Association. He is still great friends with Tom Moser, the former debate coach, and current furniture maestro (he has furnished the Atrium of Pettengill Hall). The Campus Association governed most student activities and Jeff was the Social Action Commissioner. While serving in that role the Campus Association founded the Bates big brother/big sister program, started a downtown referral office for citizens of Lewiston who were poor and struggling, ran a speaker series on political events and problems, and coordinated various political protests prompted by the Cambodian incursion during the Vietnam War (including a blood drive and a large caravan of trucks to fill in for the city's bulk trash collection which had been cut from the budget that year - due to economic difficulties caused by the war). Jeff and his fellow associates even arranged for the lead truck to be driven by the President of the College.

Jeff was introduced to rowing when he studied abroad at Oxford. Although he rowed for only a brief time he did not develop a passion for rowing until about six years ago when his wife, Jean, took up the sport with Austin Rowing Club. Jeff and Jean make annual trips to Craftsbury's sculling camp. He hopes to spend part of this coming summer in Maine.

We are certainly happy that Jeff and Jean found a passion for rowing. Their generosity will be greatly appreciated by a team of rowers who should expect to have quite an appetite by the time they sit down at Iron Works. Austin is an amazing place to row and we cannot wait to get back on the water.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-12T12:39:00.005-05:00

2010 is going to be a good one for Bates rowing.

Yesterday all the students returned to campus since their mid-December departure. It was a busy day as most of the members of the team who studied abroad in the fall semester stopped by the office to check in with Coach Peter and tell tales of their foreign adventures.

Everyone seems to be buzzing right now. They can't wait to get back into action and spirits are high as we approach the season. With most of the seniors done with their theses, they seem like totally new people.

We leave for Austin, TX for training in a little over a month. The roster for the trip is filling up quickly and us coaches are smiling with glee at the thought of making lineups and arranging practice time on the water again.

Our schedule for the spring is being finalized and I'll post it here once it's done.

In the meantime, check out these videos from way back in July 2010. They are of the men's eight in Henley. This first one briefly shows the finish of their heat against Trinity College (Dublin).

Unfortunately this second video is the defeat to the speedy crew from the Nethlerands, ASR Nereus. But it provides offers excellent views of the Henley course. It was also 95 degrees during this race (much warmer than I'm sure most of you who read this blog are right now).

Thanks to Brian Quarrier '09 for sending the links!

Peter Steenstra Named To 2009 Honor Roll of Coaches at 17th Annual Joy of Sculling Coaches Conference

2009-12-11T16:29:00.005-05:00

Coach won the Collegiate Men's award for 2009 after a season which saw best-ever finishes for both the men's and women's teams. He'll accept the award tomorrow during our lunch break.

The Joy of Sculling Coaches Conference is the leading rowing coaches conference in North America. It attracts some of the best rowing minds in the world including the heads of USRowing and Rowing Canada (the national rowing bodies of the two respective countries).

The award will mean a lot to him because the conference is put on by his former coach and mentor, Jim Joy. Former winners in the same category include Larry Gluckman (Trinity, 2006 & 2007), Greg Hartsuff (Michigan, 2003), and Mark Davis (Colby, 1999). Mark was the captain of the Hobart rowing team when Peter was a freshman there and Peter was Mark's assistant at Colby.

The other 2009 Honor Roll members are:

National Team: Tom Terhaar (USRowing)
University-Men : Tom Bohrer (Boston University)
University-Women: Yasmin Farooq (Stanford University)
College - Men: Peter Steenstra (Bates College)
College - Women: Justin Moore (Williams)
Junior: Sandy Armstrong (Marin Rowing Assoc.)
Special: Gavin White (Temple)

Dark Days of December

2009-12-04T09:00:00.002-05:00

Today's forecasted high: 48 degrees.
Yesterday's high: 62 degrees.

November and December, so far, have provided possibly the best stretch of rowing weather I've seen. Unfortunately our athletes are unable to row, even if they wanted to, due to NCAA and NESCAC regulations....Instead they are busy in the erg room and the weight room. Hopefully they can find some time to get out and run in this beautiful weather while it still exists.

Coach had Mollie and myself put on our carpentry hats and join him at the boathouse for some demolition and renovations. We tore down the cabinets at the front of the boathouse and created a new oar-rack. We plan to use the space gained from the removal of the cabinets for a daily-lineup and workout board. We also plan on adding boathouse records right over the door so the athletes know exactly what they are working towards when the walk their shells out of the house. This will be the first stage of trying to get more space out of the boathouse as we begin to outgrow it. Rosie (Peter's dog) did her part by clearing some of the larger fallen branches out of the woods.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T17:14:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday with their family and friends. Next time you parents get to see your children they will have finished the Fall semester. I know from experience that this brief break (and the care, comfort, and cuisine that comes along with it) provides the perfect amount of downtime before the busy weeks ahead.

Enjoy these last few days and have a safe trip home.

-Tom

Bates Rowing Sweatshirts Available For Limited Time!

2009-11-10T12:09:00.004-05:00

Available in both hoodie and crew neck styles. These sweatshirts are high-quality, heavy duty and perfect for the spring racing season. Get it personalized with your son or daughters last name and class year.

Show your Bobcat rowing pride. Download or print the order form below. These sweatshirts must be ordered by Nov. 27th for a holiday-time arrival.

Bates Sweat

Bobcat Cup Results

2009-11-04T12:08:00.003-05:00

Here are the results of this year's Bobcat Cup regatta. This is our end-of-the-fall intrasquad championship over the Turner Bridge to Dock course. All crews race down the course and their final times are adjusted based on a handicap system we developed using results from the NERCs and ECACs.

Last year the WV8 won in wild conditions. A major headwind forced us to shorten the course and almost caused a few crews to swamp!

This time around we had a decent headwind, but nothing to cause much concern. Here are the adjusted results:

W2V8: 22:08.7
Wv8: 20:48.2
MV8: 20:06.2
M2V8: 19:45.1

The M2V8 had five of the guys that set the course record the day before along with Peter C. Miller '12 in three seat, Peter K. Miller '12 in two seat, and Nick Salcido '11 in bow.

Men's Frosh/Novice 8 Sets New Course Record; Blue Goose BC Featured On HOCR Recap Show

2009-11-02T10:00:00.006-05:00

Thanks to Lindsay Thomson '10 for the outstanding pictures she took last Thursday. The 1300 she took can probably be used for this blog until the end of time.

Lot of news from the past five days or so. In short:

The men's frosh/novice 8+ set a new record for the Turner Bridge to Dock course.
On Comcast SportsNet's Head of the Charles recap, which I saw Sunday at 5:00 PM, the Blue Goose BC and Mason Cox '07 pretty much dominated the Alumni Eight coverage. I'm looking into whether the show will be on the air again and/or how to obtain a copy of the show itself.
A different crew from last year won the Bobcat Cup (article to be posted tomorrow).
The boathouse was winterized by everyone on Saturday.

Men's Frosh/Novice 8 had a decent race piece last Thursday

Lineup from bow: Charlie Carey '13, JC Hersey '12 (holds the M1X record), Andre Gobbo '13, Jordy Winslow '13*, Matt Johns '13 (holds F/N 2- record), Severn Patolo '12*, Peter Haley '13 (holds F/N 2- record), Clay Baldo '13, Gabe Silverman '11 (cox).

*Severn and Jordy switched seats before the start of the race.

During preparations for the CBB Chase we put together a freshmen/novice eight for the first time this fall. They had been rowing in the varsity boats for most of the season which provided them with a lot of miles of rowing, but not necessarily tons of instruction regarding technique. Once we got them in the boat together and focused on improving crew-wide technique every row seemed to be better than the previous one. It was a shame that the CBB was cancelled because these guys were anxious to race against a fellow novice eight.

Fortunately they were able to stay motivated during the final week knowing that they had a shot at winning the Bobcat Cup. Then in the middle of the week it turned out one of the guys had to miss Friday so the F/N 8 ultimately did not get the chance to win the Bobcat Cup. So on Thursday we gave them a shot to set the first F/N 8 record on the Turner Bridge to Dock race course.

The conditions were great: 5,500 meters of glass, twilight mixing with the golden-orange leaves, and warmer-than-average tempatures. Lindsay Thomson took a break from the V8 coxswain seat to take some pictures and they are stunning.

The MV8 took off about a minute early at a low rate so the boys had a rabbit to chase down the course. They caught the V8 with about 1200 meters to go, at which point the V8 took their rate up to 24-26 SPM to match speeds. Jack and Gabe, the two coxswains for the day, did an excellent job of bringing the two crews together down the homestretch and they absolutely battled during the final 750 meters or so. The end result was a time of 19:11 for the F/N 8, ten seconds faster than the fastest time recorded. Gabe drove a perfect course and the MV8 did an excellent job of giving the guys something to chase. In the end the guys in the crew made the decision to just hang with those varsity guys even though their tanks were near empty. It was very exciting and almost primal stuff. Coaches like that.

Well done boys.