Story by Brent Babcock
Photo by Kaila Sankaran
The sport of rowing, or crew, is a sport primarily associated with Ivy League schools. Harvard, Princeton and Yale all sport nationally elite crew teams.  You’ll be surprised to hear that the most recent NCAA ranking polls feature 5 of the top-20 teams in the nation from the PAC-12; and the University of Oregon club rowing team competes with these schools in various races throughout the year.
The school’s team began 47 years ago and is supported financially by the alumni association, annual funds from the school, various fundraising efforts, and by the rowers themselves.  Though the school provides about $15,000 per year, the cost of travel and equipment expenses can add up to a much larger sum (boats range from a price of roughly $5000 used, to as much as $40,000 new.)  But that steep price hasn’t hindered the teams spirit and commitment. Although not a varsity sport (the athletes do not receive scholarships), the U of O’s team enters several major competitions each Fall and Spring, and sports a roster of 60 rowers on a team with 52 potential seats.
Not bad for a club team in a sport that, according to former player and current coach Trevor Mathwick, demands at least 60-70 players to be competitive on a national level.
Rowing, like any sport, isn’t just about the enthusiasm and dedication. It takes hard work and perseverance to perform well, and that starts with practice. The team practices at Dexter Lake, which lies about 16 miles southeast of Eugene on the middle fork of the Willamette River, outside the small town of Lowell.  At around 6:00 a.m., they begin dropping their boats in the water for their 3-hour practice. While most students are fast asleep, dreaming of the upcoming Winter break, the members of the crew team are experiencing the nightmare of waking up while the sun has yet to rise. Enduring that 3 days out of the week is routine. Waking up that early week in and week out can be not only stressful on an athlete, but can also make them second-guess their loyalty. “Practice starts at 4:20 when your alarm goes off and you have to make the decision whether or not you want to quit the team. It’s the decision you have to make every morning,” said Mathwick.
In addition to weekly morning practices, players work out in the evenings on some days, using old McArthur Court as their facility.  Inside, the rowers have placed approximately 25 rowing machines, converting a hallway once flocked by basketball fans into their own practice area. Practices vary in intensity and distance, depending on what type of training the coaches want for their players. Sometimes it’s a vigorous workout aiming to build fast-twitch muscles; other times it’s an endurance-based practice, where the players may row up to 30,000 meters.  Few sports require the endurance and cardio that rowing demands of its athletes.
Even with that high demand for fitness, the team has evolved into one of the more impressive sports that Oregon’s club office has to offer. Coach Math wick is thrilled about the team they have and how far the program has come. “It’s an incredibly exciting environment right now. I don’t think the crew team’s had this much energy and excitement in any of the years that I’ve been here.”  It’s that kind of passion from a coach that has made an impact on many of the players, including freshman rower Micail Odludas. When asked how he first came to the sport, Odludas mentioned Mathwick as the reason for joining the team. “Trevor was the first person that I met. I was originally going to play for the U of O’s water polo club team, and when I went to the club sports office, Trevor kind of redirected me over to rowing; showed me the workouts, and I ended up liking it a lot more than polo.”
That’s the kind of commitment and toughness it takes to be a rower for the University of Oregon.
The team has made tremendous strides to build the program from the bottom-up after it collapsed 5 years ago when the head coach left. At the time, there were 35 people on the team, but that number dwindled down to a mere 15 the following Fall season, and by Winter, there was nobody left. Coach Mathwick has dedicated his time and effort into the team, and says he wants to remain as long as it continues to grow. “I think there’s a really good chance to build this program right now. If you look at the last 5 years, it’s pretty clear that this is what we’ve been building for a long time. I’m going to stick around and help in any way that I can to get it to the point where it’s competitive and sustainable.”
You can find more information about the team through the University of Oregon’s website on the Club Sports homepage.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Rowing machines help the crew team practice technique and build strength.