Sprinting Through Spring
March 22, 2019 | Rowing, #ForBoston Files
The spring season is going to be fast and furious for BC Rowing.
Spring sports in New England always have to deal with unpredictable early-season weather. Preseason practices are often at Mother Nature's mercy, and the hope is always that the snow and cold can hold off just long enough to squeeze in a practice outdoors. In a sport like rowing, lingering cold or deep freezes can deter thaws and derail training, so athletes have to take advantage of any warm weather, however brief.
For Boston College, that meant getting back on the water as soon as possible once the river thawed, despite early March's cold temps. Braving the lion like weather of early March was necessary in anticipation of this weekend's season-opening meet in New Jersey.
"We've been on the water for a little over a week," head coach Steve Fiske said. "It's coming along, the team has made good progress from the beginning of the fall. (This weekend) is a good early challenge for us. There are 15 programs from a number of different regions."
The college rowing season is incredibly unique. It spans both the fall and spring semesters, but the two seasons are completely different. The fall months provide a look at distance rowing over 3 miles, whereas the later months are sprint-oriented (1.25 miles). The shift in distance requires a shift in not only training, but also mentality.
"We have a very collaborative approach to working with the team," Fiske said. "All of the coaches work with all of the athletes. It's a wide open system that allows people to improve and challenge for top boats. This group has good depth, has been extremely coachable and they consistently bring good positive energy to practice."
The Eagles have continued to develop and gain speed due to a strong team culture built by its strong leadership and depth. co-captain and graduate student Meg Lydon enjoyed a successful fall in the team's Varsity Eight boat and helped lead the boat ot a 7th place finish in the Foot of the Charles in November. Last spring she earned a place on the ACC All-Conference Second Team.
She is joined on the Starboard side by junior co-captain Natalie Cortopassi, who stroked the Varsity 8 in the Fall. She helped lead the top boat last year to a sixth place finish at the Cooper Sprints and a second place finish overall at the Knecht Cup.
The Eagles will send five crews to the Cooper Sprints, and will compete against host Bucknell along with Clemson, Drexel, Duke, Kansas, UMass, Navy, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Rutgers, SMU, Villanova and West Virginia.
It's the first regatta of a fast and furious spring schedule. The Eagles are back on the water next weekend at home in Boston against MIT and the BU Lightweights. They then face a doubleheader, competing against Northeastern and BU on April 6 followed immediately by Holy Cross and UConn on April 7. Racing continues through April with the Knecht Cup in New Jersey on April 13 and 14, followed by the Resolute Cup against URI, before wrapping up the regular season at Women's Sprints in Worcester in early May. The season peaks in mid-May with the ACC Championships at Clemson.
"The program's depth has been a strength in recent years," Fiske said. "and this year's team is looking to build on that depth and achieve more speed in every event. They have embraced some significant changes to training and we are all looking forward to seeing our hard work pay off on the race course."
Players Mentioned
