After its regatta against Trinity was delayed two weeks ago due to unfavorable weather conditions, Wes crew headed to Pittsfield, Mass. on Saturday, April 26 to face off against rivals Trinity and Williams.
Both of Wesleyan’s first varsity (1V) boats came up short against their opponents, but barely so. The men were 1.1 seconds behind Trinity in their first race and lost to Williams in their second race, finishing in 6:13.0 behind Williams’ 6:08.3.
In their opening race, the women’s 1V finished in 7:13.4 behind Trinity’s 7:07.4. Their second loss, to Williams, ended with a time of 7:04.8 behind Williams’ 6:57.8.
Likewise, both men’s and women’s 3Vs as well as the women’s novice eight faced tough competition from their Bantam and Eph counterparts. Wesleyan finished second across the board in these races.
But while most boats finished behind their opponents by small margins, both men’s and women’s 2V eights had significant wins that morning. Though the men lost to Williams in their second race, the Cardinals first trumped Trinity, finishing five seconds ahead of the Bantams with a time of 6:18.6 over their 6:23.3.
The women lost to Trinity in their first race but remained unfazed, if not more motivated, to win their second race. Indeed, the Cardinals broke the Ephs’ 14-year 2V win streak over Wesleyan with a sizable twelve-second lead, finishing in 7:12.5 over Williams’ 7:24.6. Avery Mushinski ’15, a women’s 2V rower, was excited about the win.
“After the first race [against Trinity], we were able to regroup and talk about the stuff we could improve on,” Mushinski said. “We knew going in what [Williams’] time was on their first race, and what our time was, and we had [a] ten second difference in times [over Williams]. So that made us confident. [It made us] sure that we could at least stick with them, and I think that was really important.”
Early in the race, the Cardinals took the lead and never looked back.
“It all kind of came down to the first and second 500 [meters of the 2000 meter race],” Mushinski said. “We made a move—a 10 or 15 stroke move—at [Williams] one minute and 40 seconds into the race, which is what we had been practicing. All of a sudden we were ahead, and I think that made us really excited about the rest of the race. We just kept on going.”
For the men’s 2V win, Connor Schon ’16 also described the race positively.
“It felt really good,” Schon said. “Our coxswain [Andie Kleeman ’16] was really on point for that race. She was super inspirational. It was our first race with her, and I think it really cemented her role in the boat.”
Likewise, Mushinski spoke highly of her teammate and coxswain, Ari Rudess ’15, crediting her as being an integral part of the boat’s win last weekend.
“[Rudess has] been a driving force for not just this boat but for this team,” Mushinski said. “The energy and the passion that she brings for not only the sport but also the people in the boat [as well as for] the team, it’s just been unbelievable. She’s a leader. From the second she walked on to this team she’s been a leader.”
Evan Ortiz ’16 echoed both Schon and Mushinski in seeing their wins as reflections of greater team cohesion and Wesleyan’s overall ability to compete.
“I would say week by week we’ve been getting better and better,” Ortiz said. “We’re starting to blend with one another. And that’s what makes crew, crew. It’s [about] being able to row with [each other], not just [about] these big erg scores. And as we’re starting to row more together, our times are coming down. It’s pretty great.”
In fact, the men’s 2V time in their race against Trinity was just 0.2 seconds behind that of Trinity’s 1V time in its race against the Cardinal’s 1V eight (Wesleyan’s 2V 6:18.6 to Trinity’s 1V 6.18.8), showcasing the competitiveness of the many rowers that constitute Wes crew.
“All year, our starts have been very, very strong,” Ortiz said. “We’re able to keep up with the [1V] with our starts. We have a lot of guys that are fired up. They really have something to prove. Everyone in [2V] feels like they deserve to be in that first boat, and everyone in the first boat has someone in the second boat that can compete with them. [The team has] a lot of depth this year.”
And while the women’s 2V enjoyed a win over Williams last Saturday, the Cardinal men are looking forward to experiencing a similar satisfaction this weekend, when Wesleyan goes to compete at the New England Rowing Championship held in Worcester, Mass.
“We have something to prove,” Ortiz said. “Every day in practice [Kleeman] is calling, ‘Do this for Williams.’ Because Williams is training just as hard as us. We really need to step it up this week.”
In discussing what the 2V was looking to improve in preparation for the upcoming regatta, Ortiz mentioned the third 500 meter stretch in the 2K course as vital to the boat’s success.
“It’s all going to come down to our third 500 this week [at New England’s],” Ortiz said. “That’s where we’ve been slowing down a little bit. If we keep the fire up for that third 500, Williams has no chance.”
Indeed, Schon reflected on the men’s 2V loss to Williams as due in large part to the difficulty of that third 500.
“We were up on Williams that entire race until that third 500,” Schon said. “You’re just kind of gassed at that point. That third 500 is where you can become almost complacent. You’re really tired and you’re feeling it.”
Despite these challenges, Ortiz reflected positively on their performance, with one eye looking back at what was, and another looking ahead to what will be.
“We usually have a break of a week between racing Williams and Trinity,” Ortiz said. “Taking that on in one day is very hard, and I don’t think that’s telling of how well we’ll do against Williams this weekend. Because I think we definitely have a great chance of beating them. And I think Williams will be scared.”