Crew team ends season with hopes of growth

Among the many hardworking club athletes here at Lawrence, members of the Lawrence University Rowing Club share a passion for their unique yet very challenging sport. To be able to succeed in rowing, or crew, all rowers must act together to be perfectly on pace with the rest of the boat in technique, speed and power.

“This year, our goals were personal and physical growth, winning some races, and team bonding,” said team captain Colin Nevins. As a result, the crew team works extremely hard in practice, and develops a close bond in order to achieve peak fitness and perfect sync.

The crew team competes during two seasons: the fall and the spring. The fall consists of the longer races that reach up to five kilometers in length. For these races, each boat goes out and rows by itself. After that, the times are compared and the boat with the fastest time wins the race.

The spring consists of shorter, two-kilometer races. For these races, boats compete in lanes, much like a swim meet. Overall, races are divided into sections based on gender, weight and experience.

Regattas the team competed in this fall include the Tail of the Fox in De Pere, Wisc., Head of the Rock in Rockford, Ill. and Head of the Eagle in Indianapolis, Ind.

One highlight of the year is the novice women’s gold medal victory in one of the largest regattas in the Midwest. Among their spring regattas, the Lawrence team will compete against the Fox Valley Rowing Club this Saturday on the Fox River. The event will start at Peabody Park in Appleton.

Next year, the team plans to focus on fundraising and recruitment. Nevins reflects: “Our team is going to miss our graduating seniors, but there is promising leadership and awesome members that will ensure the health and longevity of our team.”