NCAA Post #6 Saturday May 30

Phew! What a season...3rd place as a team and a bronze medal in the varsity eight. It's a fifth straight team trophy for Trinity and the third straight medal in the varsity eight (2007 silver, 2008 gold, 2009 bronze). I'll have more time to break down the results and process the strengths, weaknesses, and prospects for this current team and what we'll need to improve upon.

A wonderful dinner at Maggiano's with our whole parent group...goodbyes and thanks that don't quite match what you're feeling inside.

New captains for next year - Ellie Wierzbowski and Stephanie Apstein. 

NCAA Post #5 Saturday May 30

The morning of the finals...emails rolling in from well-wishers (both alumni and friends alike), rowers making their final mental preparations, coxswains rehearsing their plans, coaches anxiously trying to find something to do, and really isn't the excitement and anticipation what it is all about? Yes, it's definitely a big part of what we prepare to do but what I truly enjoy about the NCAAs are actually the weeks of preparation leading up to it. Eating at Ogilby, having time to run thorough practices, the students are generally relaxed and having fun with the work, and the promise of the event is near. Little things like the NCAA gear (in the picture above you can see the NCAA gift this year - iPod Shuffles!), travel together for more than a night, practicing in uniform, and being surrounded by incredible athletes creates a powerful atmosphere. We're very lucky that our team has committed to finding a way to the NCAA Championships for the past seven seasons. To all of the incoming recruits, prospective recruits, alumni, friends, and families we hope we'll make you proud by laying it all on the line in a few short hours.

Fast boats...

NCAA Post #4 Friday May 29

The heat results are in the books and can be found here. Our second varsity rowed a good piece to finish third in their heat and qualify for the grand qualifier. Last year's 2V was nipped out at the line and rowed in the petite qualifier so this was a nice push from this year's crew. The varsity racing in the third heat were facing a really serious test from Ithaca and Williams' second varsity and rowed a good first 1000 to qualify directly for the Grand Final.

How things play out from here are anybody's guess...Many thanks to all of the parents who traveled to support the squad. To our incoming recruits and rowers training at home - I can't wait for all of you to earn the chance to experience this type of racing.

Weather update

Weather.com is predicting a very slight cross wind from the east at 3 mph with showers. Please do come prepared!

NCAA Post #3 Thursday May 28

Full day at the Camden course today with a practice this morning, boat weigh-ins, compounding the hull, and then the coaches and administrator meeting at the hotel (followed by our Division III coaches meetings). 

Definite highlight of the day was the championship banquet held at the Crowne Plaza with a keynote address by Leslie Gudel, a Philadelphia-area sportscaster. Pretty amazing that her rowing experience 20 years ago still rings true to so many of the athletes from today. Pretty amazing too that the Crowne Plaza was able to process, I mean feed that number of athletes in only 75 minutes. Efficiency rules!

NCAA gifts this year - iPod Shuffles! Big round of applause to whomever made that decision. The jury is out on whether they are superior to the Nike sunglasses from last year though.

Racing begins tomorrow at 8:15 AM for our II eight racing in the 2nd heat and at 8:30 AM for our I eight racing in the 3rd heat. Winner goes to the grand final directly, second and third place to the grand qualifiers, and the remaining crews to the petite qualifier.

Let's get it on!

NCAA Post #2 Wednesday May 27

I realize how lame it was to post a picture of traffic for my first post from the NCAAs. So i'll give you this new picture that pretty much speaks for itself.

NCAA Post #1 Wednesday May 27

NCAA training in Hartford is finished and the athletes depart campus at 8:30 AM this morning...a quick rig, investigation of what the NCAA layout has to offer, and then a row to shake out the wrinkles from the bus ride through New York.

Uneventful trailer drive yesterday with only about a 30 minute delay getting across the Cross Bronx.

Have to track down a little more boat weight and complete some other little errands before the athletes arrive.

Also, great NBA game last night between the Cavaliers and Magic - can't really see the Cavaliers coming back when every time the game gets close the plan becomes "Pass to Lebron and watch...or set a weak screen...or maybe I'll rebound".

The Penguins are on to the Stanley Cup Finals for the 2nd year in a row! What an incredible accomplishment but certainly they want to rectify the situation from last year.