The University crew club started its fall season smoothly at the 41st Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass., Oct. 22-23. Both Oregon entries in the competition placed in the top 10 of the club division of the large meet. There are two more items on the club’s schedule before winter training begins in preparation for the main rowing season in the spring.
The Head of the Charles Regatta is one of the biggest and most prestigious two-day rowing meets in the country. More than 1,700 boats and 7,000 athletes entered the 49 events. The Ducks brought two “fours” to the Regatta – boats powered by four rowers who are directed by a coxswain who does not row but is responsible for steering the best course.
By virtue of their performance in last year’s event, the Oregon women earned a fourth seed out of 34 teams. The boat, with rowers Jen Fuller, Emily Buck, Caitlin Krutsinger, Rebeka Andrews and coxswain Kristen Bennett, acquitted itself well, placing 10th with a time of 19:57 on the more than 2-mile long course.
The men’s four, Will Ganser, Adam Fagan, Kennett Peterson and Niel Brown and with coxswain Laura Breedlove, started the day with a 36th seed out of 38 boats. They surprised the field, crossing the finish line in ninth place at 18:06.
Oregon’s efforts were especially impressive because most of the entrants were from other parts of the country which operate on a semester system, meaning they already had nearly a month’s worth of practices and meets under their belts.
“It’s really nice for a West Coast team to go to the East Coast and show we can compete with them,” Fagan said.
The 28 members of the crew club can be found practicing most mornings from 6 to 8 a.m. on weekdays. The early time may seem harsh, but it’s just par for the course for those who are serious about rowing.
“You weed out the people who don’t want to be there,” Fagan said.
The club is fortunate that it has found coaches who want to stay with the team. After being plagued by a high coaching turnover recently, Galen Mitterman and James Beasley look to steady the ship and provide direction for their crew.
“You have a sense of consistency, we trust them completely” Fagan said.
Consistency is important to Oregon rowers, a tightly knit group of people who strive to prove themselves against varsity teams with large budgets and travel arrangements more comfortable than the Ducks’ 12-passenger vans.
“We’re pretty much one family,” Fagan said. “All of us take pride in that we’re not given anything.”
The members who persevered this year will fill six boats for competition – an eight, three fours
and two double sculls. Scullers row with an oar in each hand, and the other types feature one oar to a rower. All of the boats will travel to Portland for the Portland Invitational Nov. 6-7 and take a trip to Seattle for the Head of the Lake Regatta the following week.