Saturday, March 24
Lake Nockamixon; Quakertown, Pa.
10:30 a.m.
Lehigh University
vs
Loyola
Lehigh Rowing set to open season Saturday against Loyola
3/23/2018 2:43:00 PM | Men's Rowing, Women's Rowing
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The spring, 2017 season saw the Lehigh women's rowing team post its best-ever finish at the Patriot League Championships while the men's team saw multiple boats finish higher than their seeds at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta. Signs of improvement were evident and very tangible. Following a busy and successful fall and winter season, which saw plenty of growth and learning, the Mountain Hawks will open the 2018 campaign on Saturday as it hosts fellow Patriot League foe Loyola on Lake Nockamixon in Quakertown, Pa. Racing is set to begin at 10:30 a.m.
In the spring season, eyes are always towards championship racing – Patriot League Championships and Dad Vails. Every day is a piece of a puzzle to reach the ultimate goal.
"The team has set some really high goals and has worked on trying to achieve the expectations that go along with those goals," said Lehigh head coach Brian Conley. "The big goal is to make sure we are the fastest we possibly can be at Patriots and Dad Vails, and try to grab a medal or two."
Last year, the Mountain Hawks were awfully close to grabbing a medal at the Patriot League Championships. The Women's Varsity Eight finished third in its heat, more than 11 seconds ahead of Holy Cross in fourth. The crew went on to place fifth in the grand final, ahead of Bucknell. As a team, the Mountain Hawks tied for sixth place; their 26 points on the day were eight more than any previous Patriot League Championship in school history.
Today's version of the Mountain Hawks is eager to build on the success and keep taking strides forward. To do so, it takes a lot of work when noone's watching.
"The team really embraced winter training this year," said Conley. "They came back in shape from winter break and we have seen our depth really develop over the past 3-4 months, which is exciting."
To be successful, one of the most important aspects of rowing is having a determination to succeed.
"Our team is an incredibly close-knit group, but they leave everything they have on the oar or erg handle," said Conley. "They're determined this year to be known as a team that when the last stroke is taken, they know they couldn't have taken another stroke."
The Mountain Hawks have seen strong leadership from a veteran group that was excited to see success last year, but is hungry for more.
"The seniors have really been a source of leadership on our team ever since they arrived as freshmen," said Conley. "They learned from their predecessors and fully embraced our Leadership Academy with Julie Ammary and Erin Matyus. If you don't have good leadership, I believe you will invite a culture of content on your team. I am looking forward to those that feel empowered to take over the leadership, too, as I believe the captains and seniors have really set good examples of how to be leaders."
The team has its first chance to continue to push the bar forward this Saturday when it hosts Loyola. The Mountain Hawks are coming off a successful stint in South Carolina over spring break to help prepare them for their spring opener.
"We got to see other teams when we were on spring break like Carnegie Mellon and Delaware, but when it's time to actually get down to it and race, there is another level of excitement and expectation that comes," said Conley. "Loyola being a Patriot League contender adds a bit to the competition as margins in races do have an effect on where we end up ranked at the end of the year. Being able to stay focused on the task will be most important."
After this weekend's racing, the Mountain Hawks return to action next Saturday, Mar. 31 at the Murphy Cup. Racing will take place on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.
Like Lehigh Rowing on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
In the spring season, eyes are always towards championship racing – Patriot League Championships and Dad Vails. Every day is a piece of a puzzle to reach the ultimate goal.
"The team has set some really high goals and has worked on trying to achieve the expectations that go along with those goals," said Lehigh head coach Brian Conley. "The big goal is to make sure we are the fastest we possibly can be at Patriots and Dad Vails, and try to grab a medal or two."
Last year, the Mountain Hawks were awfully close to grabbing a medal at the Patriot League Championships. The Women's Varsity Eight finished third in its heat, more than 11 seconds ahead of Holy Cross in fourth. The crew went on to place fifth in the grand final, ahead of Bucknell. As a team, the Mountain Hawks tied for sixth place; their 26 points on the day were eight more than any previous Patriot League Championship in school history.
Today's version of the Mountain Hawks is eager to build on the success and keep taking strides forward. To do so, it takes a lot of work when noone's watching.
"The team really embraced winter training this year," said Conley. "They came back in shape from winter break and we have seen our depth really develop over the past 3-4 months, which is exciting."
To be successful, one of the most important aspects of rowing is having a determination to succeed.
"Our team is an incredibly close-knit group, but they leave everything they have on the oar or erg handle," said Conley. "They're determined this year to be known as a team that when the last stroke is taken, they know they couldn't have taken another stroke."
The Mountain Hawks have seen strong leadership from a veteran group that was excited to see success last year, but is hungry for more.
"The seniors have really been a source of leadership on our team ever since they arrived as freshmen," said Conley. "They learned from their predecessors and fully embraced our Leadership Academy with Julie Ammary and Erin Matyus. If you don't have good leadership, I believe you will invite a culture of content on your team. I am looking forward to those that feel empowered to take over the leadership, too, as I believe the captains and seniors have really set good examples of how to be leaders."
The team has its first chance to continue to push the bar forward this Saturday when it hosts Loyola. The Mountain Hawks are coming off a successful stint in South Carolina over spring break to help prepare them for their spring opener.
"We got to see other teams when we were on spring break like Carnegie Mellon and Delaware, but when it's time to actually get down to it and race, there is another level of excitement and expectation that comes," said Conley. "Loyola being a Patriot League contender adds a bit to the competition as margins in races do have an effect on where we end up ranked at the end of the year. Being able to stay focused on the task will be most important."
After this weekend's racing, the Mountain Hawks return to action next Saturday, Mar. 31 at the Murphy Cup. Racing will take place on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.
Like Lehigh Rowing on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
Rowing Season Preview
Friday, March 28
Lehigh Sports Central: Rowing
Wednesday, April 24
