As a two-season sport, the Colgate University women’s rowing team is nearing the end of their season soon. The fall saw a solid season out of the team, as they finished 23rd out of 40 teams at the Head of the Charles Regatta. This was followed by the Autumn Classic at Cornell in which the 1v8 team finished third.
The fall was a learning experience for the team, as sophomore Anna Kate Gwiazdowski explained.
“The team underwent a coaching transition, so our focus was adjusting and getting faster while integrating our new team members,” Gwiazdowski said.
The athletes also had to undergo a change in event distance, which senior Genna Lamphier spoke on.
“The spring season is pretty different from the fall, as it switches from longer head style races to 2000 meter races,” Lamphier said. “I personally prefer spring racing, as you can really get competitive with other teams directly and race them down a course side by side.”
That confidence exudes throughout the whole roster, with new additions to the team — both walk-ons and first-years — gaining more experience under their belts.
Sophomore Rebecca Carew explained that these new members have continued to develop as integral parts of the team.
“So far, members of this year’s walk-on class have competed in races in the 1V, 2V, 3V and 2V4/quad, which really shows how much they have progressed,” Carew said.
With more experience, the women’s rowing team looks primed to show great improvement. The spring has been a success story for the Raiders. They had a strong showing in their first meet at the College of the Holy Cross on April 13. The 1v4 and 1v8 boats both came in second place, the 2V8 boat received second and the 3V8 got fourth. Despite going against a speedy Crusaders team, Colgate varsity got second place with a time of 7:36.4, just behind Holy Cross, who finished at 7:35.9. The performance set a tone for the Raiders, showing that they could stack up with elite competition when the chips were down.
The momentum did not stop there. More recently, on April 20, the team competed in the large New York State Championship, where the 1v4 took home the gold medal and the 1v 8 took home third place. With high finishes and operating on all cylinders, the team is positioned to do serious damage at the Patriot League Championships.
The team has been training hard this spring and riding the wave of momentum from their quality finishes. They have had a busy travel schedule, aside from their normal stomping grounds at Lake Moraine. The team has spent weekends in Worcester, Mass., and Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to race against Patriot League competition as well as other teams from throughout New York state.
During spring break, the team chose to go to Clemson, S.C., to train as one unit. All of this builds towards the Patriot League Championships on May 17, where the team looks to show off the results of their hard work and experience in New Jersey. Before that, the team has another sprint race in Worcester, Mass., on May 5. It’s another great opportunity for the team to compete at a high level once more before the championships.
That said, the hard work and dedication doesn’t stop when the season ends. Despite not all being together for the summer, the team is dedicated to maintaining shape and making sure they are ready to go for the next season. The team is focused on keeping a consistent fitness and lifting schedule. Furthermore, they make sure to maintain team camaraderie, even over the summer. On top of having a set program given to them, the Raiders hold themselves accountable.
Carew spoke to this aspect of accountability and how the team remains connected throughout the summer months.
“We are provided with a summer training packet from our coaches, which includes rowing, biking, running and strength training,” Carew said. “Usually, during summer training, the team stays in touch through FaceTiming each other during workouts or sending what we like to call ‘sweaty selfies.’”
There is no doubt that a successful season can only be supplemented by consistency and dedication, which the Raiders clearly show.
