Jen Lance - Rowing Blog
Jen Lance is a freshman on the Lehigh rowing team. The South Jersey native was a member of the National Honor Society and the Latin Honor Society in high school. On the water she was a NJ State champion, Philadelphia City Champion, and the winner of the most prestigious high school regatta, the Stotesbury Cup. This past June, she raced on the international level at the Henley Women's Regatta on the Thames River in England. Check back soon for her latest update.
Finishing Strong - June 2
We finished our season off strong at the Dad Vail Regatta held on the Schuylkill May 9th and 10th. The Mountain Hawks had solid finishes across the board at the largest collegiate regatta in the United States. Over 100 schools competed. Our women’s varsity eight advanced to their respective heat where they missed advancing to the semis by a very small margin. Our women’s lightweight eight advanced to their semi and placed sixth in their category. The men’s varsity eight was the only boat that proceeded to their respective final and placed sixth out of all varsity eights that had competed.
The water was not the only place Lehigh rowers were recognized. In a hostile in Fairmount Park, over sixty Lehigh rowers gathered Friday night for senior speeches and team awards. Pheobe Getzow, a freshman coxswain, received the Coach’s award. Senior and captain Jackie Cross, bow of the Varsity 8, received the student-athlete award, voted on by our team. And the other senior captain and 3 seat of the V8, Christine Porcaro, received MVP. In addition, I was the named to the All-Patriot League team. Although I was the only Lehigh rower and only freshman to receive this honor, co-honorees included juniors and seniors from other Patriot League schools.
Although our seniors will greatly be missed, I am eager to start another season of Lehigh rowing. Also, check in on our men’s team. They will be racing a varsity 4 and varsity pair this weekend at the IRAs in Camden. Have a great summer and I look forward to writing again soon!
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Coming up on the stretch run – April 16
A lot has happened in the life of Lehigh rowers over the past two weeks. The Mountain Hawks returned from a successful trip inSan Diego and continued their success at the Knecht Cup on the Cooper River. This coming weekend, Lehigh rowing will have their ONLY home event of the season, taking on Lafayette and Penn State at the River Cup in Allentown, Pa.
The eighteen rowers and two head coaches embarked on our journey to San Diego on Friday, April 4 at 5 AM. From the start we knew the trip would be successful, as Coach Meltzer led the team to their first victory—Christian Dior sunglasses from a kiosk in the middle of Newark Airport. Shady? I think not. The success on the women’s side continued as five of our varsity women (including coxswain) were seated in the exit row. This left the men’s boat a little cramped and perhaps bitter.
Once we arrived in California, we quickly stopped at the hotel before leaving to practice on Mission Bay. The racecourse was beautiful—blue waters, palm trees, and Shamoo. The practice was definitely necessary because no one could help but look around. We expelled any pre-race nerves and began to focus on the race. Top four would advance.
As sailboats acted as stakeboats, the Lehigh women were anxious at the starting line. With a rocky start, but determined to advance to Sunday, we pulled ourselves to a fourth place finish over Villanova, St. Joe’s, and Arizona State. The men dominated their heat with a first place finish, securing them a spot in the Cal Cup Grand Final. 18 happy athletes left the river Saturday morning. Although it was only 10AM it felt like we should “eat dinner and go to bed.” The Combs family was generous enough to provide lunch for all of us. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Combs! Also, thank you to all of the families and alumni that made it all the way to San Diego!!!
Of course there was the carousel. Saturday night both boats and the coaching staff stepped onto the Carousel at SeaportVillage. Yes, twenty “grown-ups” waited in line, adamant about getting on this carousel. We let no children in front of us and allowed none to ride with us. Thankfully this experience was also caught on video.
Both the men and women now faced the best of the best in the finals. The women finished in sixth behind much speed from the West, but left the water feeling confident in the race we rowed. The men, competing against the fastest in their category, sprinted their way to firth place but not far behind third and fourth place finishers. Overall, a very fun and successful weekend!
This past weekend the entire squad headed to the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. for the Knecht Cup. It was crazy racing back on my home course. The weather was cloudy, rainy, sunny, and everything in between. Despite the dispersed thunderstorms, the women’s side had several successful heats, qualifying boats for the semis and finals. The freshman 4, varsity 4, lightweight 8 and varsity 8 each had the opportunity to race Sunday. The freshman 4 placed second in the third final. The varsity 4 placed fourth in the third final. The lightweight 8 placed second in the petite final over Buffalo, Duquesne, Temple, and Penn State. The 2V placed sixth in their heat. And the V8 finished first in the third level final (with a time placing us ahead of second place in the petite final).
This weekend is our first and last HOME race. Buses will be running to and from the boathouse for any Lehigh students interested in cheering us on.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Training for Cali - April 2
Eight of nine Lehigh shells made it to either a grand or petite final in their respective events. Congrats to the women’s lightweights who placed second in their final and the freshman four who pulled their way to a third place finish. As for the V8, we put down a solid piece in our heat Saturday morning, which psyched us up and gave us the opportunity to improve in our petite final. Facing a few of our rival Patriot League teams (Colgate and Army), we noticed the speed in our league this year. With a fourth place finish behind Colgate, Fordham, and Temple, we stepped off the water confident that we are only getting faster - perhaps the two seconds faster we need to finish ahead of Temple where we face them again this upcoming weekend.
To gain those two seconds, we have taken a new approach: wrestling. Tuesday morning the entire women’s team was instructed on the intensity of wrestling (each other). Not only did that build aggression, it was quite the workout. As a boat we decided we would sacrifice a little more time in the middle of exam week to get more water time before we venture across the country.
Each day brings technical changes, more leg drive, and one less day we have to prepare for west coast competition. Coming off a great race last weekend, the men and women’s Varsity 8s will be heading to SAN DIEGO on Friday, April 4, 2008 to compete in the San Diego Crew Classic where we will face up against some West coast teams.
We leave dark and early Friday morning to arrive with enough time to scope out the course and have a pre-race row. We are all looking forward to an exciting weekend, but more importantly a successful one. Wish us luck…
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Spring season kicks into full gear – March 19
The Annual Crew Banquet held on March 1st was definitely a fun and successful event. Speeches, auctions, awards, and slideshows filled the night and the many families and alumni joining us on Mountaintop definitely made it memorable.
In other news, the time has come for our team to take training to the Lehigh River. After three weeks on the water, we have our first race down. Across the board, the Mountain Hawks had a strong finish in our season opener, competing against Delaware, St. Joe’s, and Drexel. It was a great race to get our season started because we will see these teams many times over the course of the season.
Each morning we have been able to launch three eights and two fours. While most of our practices have been held in the dark, the coaches and athletes have been working hard to gain speed in the last weeks before a streak of racing. The Murphy Cup is our next debut on the Schuylkill on March 29th. The following weekend, the men and women’s varsity eights will be heading to the San Diego Crew Classic. While only one boat will be sent, the competition for those seats has definitely made our team, as a whole, much faster. Check back soon for progress and results as the Mountain Hawks’ spring season gets underway.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Winter Training is coming to an End – February 18
With five days of erging and four days of lifting left, we are 14 days from getting on the water and 19 days from our first race. (Not that anyone is counting.) We have spent many hours in Grace Hall counting down the last 58 minutes of 60 minute pieces; spent many mornings sprinting the “last 500,” only on land; spent every Tuesday and Thursday in the weight room. Finally, 14 days to put all of this training toward speed on the water. But first, the Mountain Hawks will partake in the South Mountain Erg Sprint held March 1st in Grace Hall. Following this competition, the annual crew banquet will take place Saturday night. Check back for updates on these upcoming events and keep your fingers crossed for warm weather!
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Winter Training Trip – January 5
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks are three days into our Florida Winter Training Trip. Whether the rowers flew down or experienced the twenty-four hour bus ride, everyone arrived safely on Thursday, January 3, 2008. Beginning the new year entailed submission of the Cardio Competition Points (Varsity Men, Novice Men, Varsity Women, and Novice Women compete in the amount of cardio minutes completed by each team over the holiday.)
Friday night the athletes took a trip to the local grocery store where the athletes purchased food for the week to come. The weather here in Fort Lauderdale has been windy but warm with forecasts predicting temperatures in the 80s. The men and women have been practicing on the water twice a day with an additional core/stretching workout. It has been an exciting and effective trip thus far and I look forward to updating everybody on the blood, sweat, and tears we shed while fighting for boat speed. Hopefully our results in the spring will reflect the hard work we put in down here in Florida.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Fall season ends, winter training begins - November 25
The Mountain Hawk’s fall season has come to a close. The ladies ended their season with the Head of the Charles and the Frostbite Regattas. Facing tough competition in Boston, such as the United States Rowing team, the Varsity eight raced in the Championship Eight event. It was a great team effort and while the results are not a reflection of our training, we came together and recognized the talent and size of our competition. Comparing our times to the College Eight event, with teams of our size, we would have been extremely successful. The Lightweight Eight finished tenth, also competing with the top of the top. Both boats left with their heads high for the Frostbite. (Head of the Schuylkill was cancelled for the second year.)
The Frostbite Regatta held true to its name. The team raced in forty degree weather and high winds, but had a successful day. My Freshman Eight finished second to St. Joe’s and the Varsity 8 second to Drexel. Pretty good, for barely training for a 2000m sprint race.
Our winter training season is now underway. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings we are lifting and Tuesdays and Thursdays consist of erging. There are also optional practices (yoga and erging) and bonus workouts that have been scheduled for us. We are working on the details for our winter training trip in Fort Lauderdale which is held in the beginning of January.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
October 18 – Busy, busy, busy
This past weekend most of the women had their first race. The Navy Day Regatta was held on the Schulykill River inPhiladelphia.
Date—October 13, 2007, 7AM
Five boats of women arrived at Campus Square and began boarding two buses to head for the river.
Destination—Schuylkill
Two hours and 100 bagels later, the girls arrive at the racing site. The trailer was located by the Canoe Club, the perfect spot to cheer on the other Lehigh boats.
The Race— This 4000 meter course held a head race in which each boat started about 10-15 seconds after the preceding boat. This set-up called for endless amounts of self-motivation within one’s respective boat. It was a race against the clock.
In my events, the Freshmen 8 came out of the gates strong and crossed the line just as strong 16 minutes and 34 seconds later. In my Varsity 8 boat, the race was nothing short of solid. Intensity was not an issue at any point throughout the 15 minutes and 25 seconds. Passing Rutgers half way into the race created even more drive and determination than encountered in the first half. Fourth place finish overall was definitely respectable considering five of our rowers raced earlier in the day.
The Lehigh Club Double of Denise Julian and Diana Philipova placed first among seven boats! Congratulations!
“Attention, Go!”— Results
Freshmen 8 (A): 4th of 13
Freshmen 8 (B): 8th of 13
Club Double: 1st of 7
Varsity 4: 7th of 18 (5th, 6th, and 7th within one second)
Lightweight 4: 2nd of 5
JV 8: 9th of 14
Lightweight 8: 2nd of 2
Varsity 8: 4th of 11
Aside from racing, the day was spent sitting on the riverbank with hot chocolate while the parents barbequed, watching races with our teammates, and seeing family and friends who came to support Lehigh Crew. (Of course this was only the case when you weren’t getting “in the zone.”)
This upcoming weekend the women will be heading to the Charles River in Boston to compete at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta.
Date—October 19, 2007, 7AM
The Varsity and Lightweight Women’s Eights will head to the river to join over 8,200 competitors, 1700 boats, and 250,000 spectators! Good luck Mountain Hawks!
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
September 23 – School year hits full gear
The lives of the rowers are getting busier now that school and crew are in full-swing, but it seems like this is helping bring the team closer. Each upperclassman was assigned a freshman buddy, or “little.” This type of bonding is definitely forming a tighter team on and off the water.
Practices are getting tougher and the boats are getting faster, which is a good sign moving into our first races this weekend. Each morning the eights launch with drills, building into pieces against each other. This in-team competition is a great tool in measuring and increasing our speed, as separate boats and as a team in general. Saturday morning practices have gained the reputation as “fun” practices. There is less focus on intense work and more on technical improvement. This past Saturday, it was pouring rain, the coach’s launches were filled with recruits, and the rowers were constantly laughing. A fun, yet, effective practice was probably in need.
To prepare for racing this weekend, there will be a team dinner Friday night. This will be a good time to talk about the race, bond even more with each other, and get a good pre-race meal.
The Women’s Varsity 8 will be racing on the Potomac this Sunday, September 30, against Georgetown, The University of Maryland, and Thompson Boat Center. The rest of the boats will be racing on Saturday, September 29, in the Brown and White Lehigh Duels. Good Luck Mountain Hawks!
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
September 13 – College officially begins
This past spring my high school Varsity 8 was ranked the No. 1 high school boat in New Jersey, the tri-state area, and eventually North America. After competing in England this past June at the Henley Women’s Regatta, I am so excited to now be considered a Division I student-athlete at Lehigh University.
This season kicked off with the information meeting on Thursday, August 23rd, our (the freshmen) first day of orientation. It was comforting to see some of the familiar faces from my visit last year and it was also a relief to meet the other recruits from my incoming class. They were instant friends in an overwhelming process.
Practice officially started Monday afternoon, four short days after move-in. After spending many summer hours in the gym and weight room, I think the entire team was eager to get on the water. We had an erg test during this first week, which assisted Coach Meltzer in making the line-ups for each boat. Coming into my second week here at Lehigh, the team began practicing in the morning. All I remember from Coach is, “Be at Campus Square at 5AM.” I was definitely OK with this schedule because I was familiar with it from high school. I’m not sure everyone felt the same way. However, it has started to become routine and I’m realizing the ungodly early practice, frees up a lot of time later in the day.
Other things going on with the team include: fundraising and recruiting. “Dorney days” have started; upperclassmen have given up their Saturdays to work at Dorney Park. Some of the rowers worked at our first football game. (Lehigh vs. Villanova) The profits made from operating the rides and selling programs are being put towards a new boat. Lastly, we have been actively recruiting walk-ons for this season and are beginning to host high school rowing prospects.
So far (in the three weeks I’ve been here), crew has been such a positive experience. Things such as study halls, team bonding, the option of tutoring, and just the understanding of the whole coaching staff have made the transition to college an easy and exciting one.
The first race for the women’s crew team is the Head of the Potomac on Saturday, September 29th.
“The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.” – Richard Bach
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Finishing Strong - June 2
We finished our season off strong at the Dad Vail Regatta held on the Schuylkill May 9th and 10th. The Mountain Hawks had solid finishes across the board at the largest collegiate regatta in the United States. Over 100 schools competed. Our women’s varsity eight advanced to their respective heat where they missed advancing to the semis by a very small margin. Our women’s lightweight eight advanced to their semi and placed sixth in their category. The men’s varsity eight was the only boat that proceeded to their respective final and placed sixth out of all varsity eights that had competed.
The water was not the only place Lehigh rowers were recognized. In a hostile in Fairmount Park, over sixty Lehigh rowers gathered Friday night for senior speeches and team awards. Pheobe Getzow, a freshman coxswain, received the Coach’s award. Senior and captain Jackie Cross, bow of the Varsity 8, received the student-athlete award, voted on by our team. And the other senior captain and 3 seat of the V8, Christine Porcaro, received MVP. In addition, I was the named to the All-Patriot League team. Although I was the only Lehigh rower and only freshman to receive this honor, co-honorees included juniors and seniors from other Patriot League schools.
Although our seniors will greatly be missed, I am eager to start another season of Lehigh rowing. Also, check in on our men’s team. They will be racing a varsity 4 and varsity pair this weekend at the IRAs in Camden. Have a great summer and I look forward to writing again soon!
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Coming up on the stretch run – April 16
A lot has happened in the life of Lehigh rowers over the past two weeks. The Mountain Hawks returned from a successful trip inSan Diego and continued their success at the Knecht Cup on the Cooper River. This coming weekend, Lehigh rowing will have their ONLY home event of the season, taking on Lafayette and Penn State at the River Cup in Allentown, Pa.
The eighteen rowers and two head coaches embarked on our journey to San Diego on Friday, April 4 at 5 AM. From the start we knew the trip would be successful, as Coach Meltzer led the team to their first victory—Christian Dior sunglasses from a kiosk in the middle of Newark Airport. Shady? I think not. The success on the women’s side continued as five of our varsity women (including coxswain) were seated in the exit row. This left the men’s boat a little cramped and perhaps bitter.
Once we arrived in California, we quickly stopped at the hotel before leaving to practice on Mission Bay. The racecourse was beautiful—blue waters, palm trees, and Shamoo. The practice was definitely necessary because no one could help but look around. We expelled any pre-race nerves and began to focus on the race. Top four would advance.
As sailboats acted as stakeboats, the Lehigh women were anxious at the starting line. With a rocky start, but determined to advance to Sunday, we pulled ourselves to a fourth place finish over Villanova, St. Joe’s, and Arizona State. The men dominated their heat with a first place finish, securing them a spot in the Cal Cup Grand Final. 18 happy athletes left the river Saturday morning. Although it was only 10AM it felt like we should “eat dinner and go to bed.” The Combs family was generous enough to provide lunch for all of us. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Combs! Also, thank you to all of the families and alumni that made it all the way to San Diego!!!
Of course there was the carousel. Saturday night both boats and the coaching staff stepped onto the Carousel at SeaportVillage. Yes, twenty “grown-ups” waited in line, adamant about getting on this carousel. We let no children in front of us and allowed none to ride with us. Thankfully this experience was also caught on video.
Both the men and women now faced the best of the best in the finals. The women finished in sixth behind much speed from the West, but left the water feeling confident in the race we rowed. The men, competing against the fastest in their category, sprinted their way to firth place but not far behind third and fourth place finishers. Overall, a very fun and successful weekend!
This past weekend the entire squad headed to the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. for the Knecht Cup. It was crazy racing back on my home course. The weather was cloudy, rainy, sunny, and everything in between. Despite the dispersed thunderstorms, the women’s side had several successful heats, qualifying boats for the semis and finals. The freshman 4, varsity 4, lightweight 8 and varsity 8 each had the opportunity to race Sunday. The freshman 4 placed second in the third final. The varsity 4 placed fourth in the third final. The lightweight 8 placed second in the petite final over Buffalo, Duquesne, Temple, and Penn State. The 2V placed sixth in their heat. And the V8 finished first in the third level final (with a time placing us ahead of second place in the petite final).
This weekend is our first and last HOME race. Buses will be running to and from the boathouse for any Lehigh students interested in cheering us on.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Training for Cali - April 2
Eight of nine Lehigh shells made it to either a grand or petite final in their respective events. Congrats to the women’s lightweights who placed second in their final and the freshman four who pulled their way to a third place finish. As for the V8, we put down a solid piece in our heat Saturday morning, which psyched us up and gave us the opportunity to improve in our petite final. Facing a few of our rival Patriot League teams (Colgate and Army), we noticed the speed in our league this year. With a fourth place finish behind Colgate, Fordham, and Temple, we stepped off the water confident that we are only getting faster - perhaps the two seconds faster we need to finish ahead of Temple where we face them again this upcoming weekend.
To gain those two seconds, we have taken a new approach: wrestling. Tuesday morning the entire women’s team was instructed on the intensity of wrestling (each other). Not only did that build aggression, it was quite the workout. As a boat we decided we would sacrifice a little more time in the middle of exam week to get more water time before we venture across the country.
Each day brings technical changes, more leg drive, and one less day we have to prepare for west coast competition. Coming off a great race last weekend, the men and women’s Varsity 8s will be heading to SAN DIEGO on Friday, April 4, 2008 to compete in the San Diego Crew Classic where we will face up against some West coast teams.
We leave dark and early Friday morning to arrive with enough time to scope out the course and have a pre-race row. We are all looking forward to an exciting weekend, but more importantly a successful one. Wish us luck…
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Spring season kicks into full gear – March 19
The Annual Crew Banquet held on March 1st was definitely a fun and successful event. Speeches, auctions, awards, and slideshows filled the night and the many families and alumni joining us on Mountaintop definitely made it memorable.
In other news, the time has come for our team to take training to the Lehigh River. After three weeks on the water, we have our first race down. Across the board, the Mountain Hawks had a strong finish in our season opener, competing against Delaware, St. Joe’s, and Drexel. It was a great race to get our season started because we will see these teams many times over the course of the season.
Each morning we have been able to launch three eights and two fours. While most of our practices have been held in the dark, the coaches and athletes have been working hard to gain speed in the last weeks before a streak of racing. The Murphy Cup is our next debut on the Schuylkill on March 29th. The following weekend, the men and women’s varsity eights will be heading to the San Diego Crew Classic. While only one boat will be sent, the competition for those seats has definitely made our team, as a whole, much faster. Check back soon for progress and results as the Mountain Hawks’ spring season gets underway.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Winter Training is coming to an End – February 18
With five days of erging and four days of lifting left, we are 14 days from getting on the water and 19 days from our first race. (Not that anyone is counting.) We have spent many hours in Grace Hall counting down the last 58 minutes of 60 minute pieces; spent many mornings sprinting the “last 500,” only on land; spent every Tuesday and Thursday in the weight room. Finally, 14 days to put all of this training toward speed on the water. But first, the Mountain Hawks will partake in the South Mountain Erg Sprint held March 1st in Grace Hall. Following this competition, the annual crew banquet will take place Saturday night. Check back for updates on these upcoming events and keep your fingers crossed for warm weather!
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Winter Training Trip – January 5
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks are three days into our Florida Winter Training Trip. Whether the rowers flew down or experienced the twenty-four hour bus ride, everyone arrived safely on Thursday, January 3, 2008. Beginning the new year entailed submission of the Cardio Competition Points (Varsity Men, Novice Men, Varsity Women, and Novice Women compete in the amount of cardio minutes completed by each team over the holiday.)
Friday night the athletes took a trip to the local grocery store where the athletes purchased food for the week to come. The weather here in Fort Lauderdale has been windy but warm with forecasts predicting temperatures in the 80s. The men and women have been practicing on the water twice a day with an additional core/stretching workout. It has been an exciting and effective trip thus far and I look forward to updating everybody on the blood, sweat, and tears we shed while fighting for boat speed. Hopefully our results in the spring will reflect the hard work we put in down here in Florida.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
Fall season ends, winter training begins - November 25
The Mountain Hawk’s fall season has come to a close. The ladies ended their season with the Head of the Charles and the Frostbite Regattas. Facing tough competition in Boston, such as the United States Rowing team, the Varsity eight raced in the Championship Eight event. It was a great team effort and while the results are not a reflection of our training, we came together and recognized the talent and size of our competition. Comparing our times to the College Eight event, with teams of our size, we would have been extremely successful. The Lightweight Eight finished tenth, also competing with the top of the top. Both boats left with their heads high for the Frostbite. (Head of the Schuylkill was cancelled for the second year.)
The Frostbite Regatta held true to its name. The team raced in forty degree weather and high winds, but had a successful day. My Freshman Eight finished second to St. Joe’s and the Varsity 8 second to Drexel. Pretty good, for barely training for a 2000m sprint race.
Our winter training season is now underway. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings we are lifting and Tuesdays and Thursdays consist of erging. There are also optional practices (yoga and erging) and bonus workouts that have been scheduled for us. We are working on the details for our winter training trip in Fort Lauderdale which is held in the beginning of January.
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
October 18 – Busy, busy, busy
This past weekend most of the women had their first race. The Navy Day Regatta was held on the Schulykill River inPhiladelphia.
Date—October 13, 2007, 7AM
Five boats of women arrived at Campus Square and began boarding two buses to head for the river.
Destination—Schuylkill
Two hours and 100 bagels later, the girls arrive at the racing site. The trailer was located by the Canoe Club, the perfect spot to cheer on the other Lehigh boats.
The Race— This 4000 meter course held a head race in which each boat started about 10-15 seconds after the preceding boat. This set-up called for endless amounts of self-motivation within one’s respective boat. It was a race against the clock.
In my events, the Freshmen 8 came out of the gates strong and crossed the line just as strong 16 minutes and 34 seconds later. In my Varsity 8 boat, the race was nothing short of solid. Intensity was not an issue at any point throughout the 15 minutes and 25 seconds. Passing Rutgers half way into the race created even more drive and determination than encountered in the first half. Fourth place finish overall was definitely respectable considering five of our rowers raced earlier in the day.
The Lehigh Club Double of Denise Julian and Diana Philipova placed first among seven boats! Congratulations!
“Attention, Go!”— Results
Freshmen 8 (A): 4th of 13
Freshmen 8 (B): 8th of 13
Club Double: 1st of 7
Varsity 4: 7th of 18 (5th, 6th, and 7th within one second)
Lightweight 4: 2nd of 5
JV 8: 9th of 14
Lightweight 8: 2nd of 2
Varsity 8: 4th of 11
Aside from racing, the day was spent sitting on the riverbank with hot chocolate while the parents barbequed, watching races with our teammates, and seeing family and friends who came to support Lehigh Crew. (Of course this was only the case when you weren’t getting “in the zone.”)
This upcoming weekend the women will be heading to the Charles River in Boston to compete at the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta.
Date—October 19, 2007, 7AM
The Varsity and Lightweight Women’s Eights will head to the river to join over 8,200 competitors, 1700 boats, and 250,000 spectators! Good luck Mountain Hawks!
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
September 23 – School year hits full gear
The lives of the rowers are getting busier now that school and crew are in full-swing, but it seems like this is helping bring the team closer. Each upperclassman was assigned a freshman buddy, or “little.” This type of bonding is definitely forming a tighter team on and off the water.
Practices are getting tougher and the boats are getting faster, which is a good sign moving into our first races this weekend. Each morning the eights launch with drills, building into pieces against each other. This in-team competition is a great tool in measuring and increasing our speed, as separate boats and as a team in general. Saturday morning practices have gained the reputation as “fun” practices. There is less focus on intense work and more on technical improvement. This past Saturday, it was pouring rain, the coach’s launches were filled with recruits, and the rowers were constantly laughing. A fun, yet, effective practice was probably in need.
To prepare for racing this weekend, there will be a team dinner Friday night. This will be a good time to talk about the race, bond even more with each other, and get a good pre-race meal.
The Women’s Varsity 8 will be racing on the Potomac this Sunday, September 30, against Georgetown, The University of Maryland, and Thompson Boat Center. The rest of the boats will be racing on Saturday, September 29, in the Brown and White Lehigh Duels. Good Luck Mountain Hawks!
TO RETURN TO THE LEHIGH STUDENT-ATHLETE BLOGS HOME, CLICK HERE.
September 13 – College officially begins
This past spring my high school Varsity 8 was ranked the No. 1 high school boat in New Jersey, the tri-state area, and eventually North America. After competing in England this past June at the Henley Women’s Regatta, I am so excited to now be considered a Division I student-athlete at Lehigh University.
This season kicked off with the information meeting on Thursday, August 23rd, our (the freshmen) first day of orientation. It was comforting to see some of the familiar faces from my visit last year and it was also a relief to meet the other recruits from my incoming class. They were instant friends in an overwhelming process.
Practice officially started Monday afternoon, four short days after move-in. After spending many summer hours in the gym and weight room, I think the entire team was eager to get on the water. We had an erg test during this first week, which assisted Coach Meltzer in making the line-ups for each boat. Coming into my second week here at Lehigh, the team began practicing in the morning. All I remember from Coach is, “Be at Campus Square at 5AM.” I was definitely OK with this schedule because I was familiar with it from high school. I’m not sure everyone felt the same way. However, it has started to become routine and I’m realizing the ungodly early practice, frees up a lot of time later in the day.
Other things going on with the team include: fundraising and recruiting. “Dorney days” have started; upperclassmen have given up their Saturdays to work at Dorney Park. Some of the rowers worked at our first football game. (Lehigh vs. Villanova) The profits made from operating the rides and selling programs are being put towards a new boat. Lastly, we have been actively recruiting walk-ons for this season and are beginning to host high school rowing prospects.
So far (in the three weeks I’ve been here), crew has been such a positive experience. Things such as study halls, team bonding, the option of tutoring, and just the understanding of the whole coaching staff have made the transition to college an easy and exciting one.
The first race for the women’s crew team is the Head of the Potomac on Saturday, September 29th.
“The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.” – Richard Bach
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