This past Saturday, the Tufts women's crew team hosted the Middlebury Panthers before traveling to Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass., on Sunday to take on RIT, Skidmore, No. 11 Washington College, No. 3 William Smith and No. 14 WPI.
On Saturday, unlike their last tournament-style competition a weekend earlier, the Jumbos raced head-to-head against the Panthers.
Though the rowers were optimistic coming into the race after their spirited efforts the previous week, it proved to be for naught once they went out on the water.
The squad looked unusually out of sync, especially given that it viewed the past few weeks of training as not only a highly successful conditioning period but also as a boon for team chemistry.
"In the race against Middlebury, it felt very frantic and messy, and although we were able to row through each stroke even though it didn't feel great, we still were unhappy with the race," senior co-captain Erika Parisi said.
It was an off day for the Jumbos, as the Panthers swept them across the board. The first varsity eight endured the smallest margin of defeat, finishing in 6:55:78 to Middlebury's 6:44:71, while the second four boat suffered the greatest deficit at 12.2 seconds.
On Sunday, though, the team bounced back with a gritty performance. Racing among a tough field that featured three top-15 squads, the Jumbos displayed their resolve and determination, an encouraging sign as the championship season approaches.
"On Sunday, we were re-focused and ready to get out on the water," Parisi said. "After taking 10 warm-up strokes to accentuate the backswing, [we] felt collected and together."
The second and third eight boats both finished last in their respective races - the former against three boats, the latter against only one - but managed to race their fastest times so far this season.
The first varsity eight finished fourth out of six, one spot ahead of RIT and two ahead of Skidmore. It was arguably the boat's most impressive showing of the season, and it culminated in a down-to-the-wire finish as Tufts and WPI crossed the line less than two seconds apart.
For nearly the entire race, the two boats were neck-and-neck. Around the 800-meter mark, senior coxswain Gillian Hodes called for the boat to make what would be its most effective move of the season, moving past both RIT and WPI, but WPI regained the lead in the sprint portion of the race and held on by a thread to finish third ? one spot ahead of Tufts.
"Throughout the race, we went back and forth on who was ahead, and both crews fought hard to the finish," senior co-captain Kathleen Holec said. "Although we didn't come out with the win, we learned how to push our limits a little farther, which is important and helpful for the coming weeks."
Tufts appears to be peaking at precisely the right time, with the New England Rowing Championships coming up on May 5. According to Parisi, the top varsity boat is now seeded 12th out of 30 in the New England Rowing Championships coaches' poll.
This coming weekend, Tufts will return home for Senior Day to take on Wellesley, Smith and Simmons at the Spirit Cup Regatta.
