Last Saturday, the men’s crew team, ranked second in the latest New England Rowing Championship poll, remained undefeated by besting Bates College and New Hampshire University in separate duals.
The first boat lineup of recent weeks remained the same for the Cardinals: Doug Cody ’09, Chris Cody ’07, Gael Hagan ’09, Colin Prensky ’07, Tom Volgenau ’08, Matt Carey ’07, Ben Roberts ’09, Jeremy Brown ’08, and cox Kim Davies ’07. The varsity eight finished the first heat in 6:01.4, 3.7 seconds ahead of Bates. In the second race, that same contingent claimed another victory, crossing the finish line with a time of 6:11.9, while New Hampshire came in at 6:35.4.
Despite the two victories, co-captain Chris Cody ’07 was unimpressed with the performance in the first race against Bates.
“Saturday showed us that we still have room for improvement,” Cody said. “Our first race against Bates lacked the focus that we’ve had every other race of this season, as though we were holding back for the second race against UNH.”
Chris Cody suggested the team was unprepared to combat the blustery gales, conditions that his younger brother, Doug Cody ’09, characterized as “some of the worst winds we’ve seen.”
“I think the wind had a very strong impact on that first race,” the elder Cody said. “It was the first race of the season going into a strong headwind, or rowing against the wind, and we clearly were not expecting it to hit quite so hard. Thankfully, we found our groove in the next race against UNH, and the difference felt like night and day.”
It was crucial for members of this group to refocus and find their stroke in the second race, a challenge that was met with a typically confident and unrelenting performance that they have become accustomed to.
Chris Cody recognized this weekend as an important opportunity to continue to grow and mature as a unit.
“This was an important learning experience for us this season,” Cody said. “Coming out of this race, I feel like we’re a lot better equipped to handle less than favorable weather conditions for our remaining races, especially at a location like Lake Quinsigamond which is notorious for having terrible wind conditions.”
The other Wesleyan boats also turned in strong performances. The second varsity eight was victorious in both its races, prevailing over UNH by 18.6 seconds in the first heat with a time of 6:27.9, and eclipsing its own standard in the second race by 2.8 seconds, finishing in 6:25.1, 40 seconds ahead of the Bates squad.
Parker Cook ’10, a member of that second boat, claimed to have experienced a divine interaction during the final push to the finish line.
“I went into a zone,” Cook said. “My entire body went numb in orgasmic pain. I saw a white light and then God appeared to me. He implored me to keep going, and I knew I must comply.”
Not to be outdone, the third varsity eight claimed a victory of its own with a solid time of 6:28.4, which bested UNH (6:32.7).
Switching the focus to the four-man event, the varsity four took advantage of the opportunity to face the lone Tufts University squad in attendance, dictating the pace to the Jumbos in unyielding fashion, crossing the line in 7:11.2, 10.5 seconds ahead of Tufts.
A stern test and tremendous opportunity awaits the Cardinals this Saturday as the squad will take part in a competition steeped in tradition and rivalry: The Little Three regatta in Pittsfield, Mass., against the Ephs of Williams College and the Lord Jeffs of Amherst College. Williams, ranked third, one spot behind Wesleyan in the NERC poll, has not lost a Little Three race to Wesleyan since 1999.
Chris Cody also touched on the significance of the upcoming race and the insistent effort that must ensue if the Cardinals are to emerge with the coveted Little Three title.
“Williams is going to be one of the hardest races of the season,” Cody said. “The only way we’re going to come home with a victory is if we put forth our best effort without holding back. It’s going to be an exciting race, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the product we put out on Saturday morning.”
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