Eager to establish itself as a team to be reckoned with, the men’s crew team traveled to Winter Park, Florida to compete in the Rollins Spring Break Race on Lake Maitland. Taking on Jacksonville, Georgia, and Rollins, the Cardinal rowers turned in strong performances in both the eight and four-man events.
“We’ve been waiting a long time for the opportunity to get on the water for some duels and gauge where we are physically against some good competition,” said co-captain Matt Carey ’07.
In the Varsity Heavyweight Eight race, the Wesleyan boat, manned by Doug Cody ’09, Chris Cody ’07, Gael Hagan ’09, Colin Prensky ’07, Tom Volgenau ’08, Miller Nuttle ’09, Matt Carey ’07, Jeremy Brown ’08, and led by coxswain Kim Davies ’07, cruised to the finish line of the 1,950-meter course with an impressive time of 5:40.2, besting the competition by over 12 seconds. The varsity four also claimed victory in a heated race by only half a second over Jacksonville as all teams finished frantically within 10 seconds of each other.
In the second eight-man heat, the “A” and “B” Cardinal squads finished second and third respectively, with times of 5:57 and 6:02.3, 2.4 and 7.7 seconds off the lead.
The second four-man heat saw Wesleyan’s second four pitted against Jacksonville’s novice eight, a fundamental mismatch. Undermanned, the Cardinal crew rowed admirably, completing the course in 6:59.6, 45.6 seconds behind the eight.
“This was a good performance for us,” Carey said. “Our first boat looked strong, and the other boats will continue to push us to improve. Our lineup is by no means set in stone, and the work ethic from everyone has been admirable.”
Doug Cody ’09 echoed Carey’s praise of the team’s positive attitude.
“Fortunately we have such a strong and motivated program that everyone keeps pushing each other. When you have so many capable guys fighting for the same spots, the level of competition within the squad is heightened, which translates into better results.”
Cody also recognized the importance of continuing to build team chemistry and honing technique early in the season.
“Personally, I was really excited for our trip to Florida,” he said. “It gave us the opportunity to spend a lot of time working on our water technique and to round out any sharp edges in our rowing that may have developed over the winter. It gives us a tremendous opportunity to do well this season and turn some heads in the NESCAC.”
Team chemistry is the key to the success of any boat, but this Cardinal crew appears to be particularly tight both on and off the water. Parker Cook ’10 spoke of his first spring break trip with the team, offering an inside view of the physical and mental challenges the team endured in preparation for a grueling season.
“The upperclassmen really set a great example,” Cook said. “I really tried to show the guys my dedication by getting up early every day to complete my regimen of a thousand pushups and crunches before I downed my daily breakfast of a dozen raw eggs, steak, and a gallon of whole milk.”
While not all team members adhered to such an eccentric and unconventional routine, the hours spent laboring over the winter and early this spring will prove beneficial for this dedicated bunch as they aim to conquer all challengers and claim New England honors this May.
The Cardinals look to continue to improve their times and develop boat chemistry. On Saturday March 31, the squad faces a stern test against the USCGA and The College of the Holy Cross in the waters of Worcester, Mass.
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