Men wrap up season with novice race

Like a fighter on the night of a big match, the men's novice crew team was put to the test after months of grueling training in the Men's Novice Championships at Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester last Saturday. The team, comprised of two boats of predominantly freshman rowers, finished in fifth and 11th out of 13 beginner crews.

The first Tufts boat posted a final time of 13:54 in the five kilometer race, just 26 seconds behind the victorious WPI boat. The second Tufts boat finished near the end of the fleet with a time of 15 minutes and seven seconds. All of the schools competing in the race had to field at least two boats, therefore only six colleges were actually able to compete in the event. Between both boats, the Jumbos turned in a mediocre performance, but showed promise for improvement in the more important spring season.

"It was a disappointment for some of the guys, but we were in striking distance of some of the best teams" said freshman rower Trevor Williams, who sat on the first boat in the race.

The majority of the men rowing novice crew had never rowed before or had scant experience on the water. The idea of the fall season is to get the rowers acquainted with the fundamentals of the rowing motion and the feeling of coordinated, precise motion on the boat.

"Your technique determines your success" in the fall, Williams said.

Eventually, the fledgling rowers hope to achieve the mechanized precision of the varsity team, where the oars seem to be guided by a single force in their synchronized strokes. A well-trained and talented crew hardly makes a splash when the oars dip smoothly and succinctly in and out of the water. But the training process dictates how well the men row in race situations, and novice rowers are subjected to equally demanding training schedules as any other team.

The training that led up to the race on Saturday demanded that every member of the team become more comfortable with the rowing motion by practicing on "erg" machines that simulate the sliding and pulling movement the men will have to master in the boat. Additionally, good conditioning comprises one of the most important elements that will help win races. Daily running, weight lifting, and practice on ergs or in the water is essential in preparing for a race.

Gradually, the novice men felt the boat becoming more balanced throughout the season as they rowed as a team. When the final test came last week, many of the men felt they finally united.

"We spent a lot of time on the water, which helped a lot," Williams said. "We pulled together, the boat was pretty balanced."

The novice men have trained hard thus far and plan to continue the arduous conditioning schedule throughout the winter in preparation for the spring season.

"With intense training over the winter, we look forward to doing well in the spring season," Williams said.

It is important that many of the novice men blossom into varsity caliber rowers in order to continue the success of Tufts crew. Many of the men on the varsity team started as novice rowers with no past experience, and this year's novice team should not be a disappointment. They have perpetually improved throughout the fall and mastered the most difficult aspect of rowing, the technique.

"We have good technique, we're just lacking some strength" said Williams.

The men intend to work hard in the weight room and on the ergs throughout the winter to fill what they feel are the gaps in their way to success as a team. But, even in spite of the team's lackluster results at the novice championships, the varsity team feels confident that their replacements will prove worthy.

"The varsity guys are impressed with the improvement and commitment of the novice team," said sophomore varsity rower Rick Dalyai.

The novice team now looks forward to a rigorous winter training schedule off of the water in order to prepare for what should be an exciting spring season.