We should stick to rowing:)

It’s hard to believe that we have been off the water for the last two weeks, but winter training is now officially in full swing! My favorite thing about winter training (yes, it may be hard to believe, but I do have multiple things I like about winter training) is that the novice and varsity teams become one big Blue Crew unit and we get to know each other better through workouts and team activities.

                This past week was full of fitness testing and everyone did a great job of getting their workouts in and setting some high standards for the winter months . We had some testing week PR’s which was really exciting to see!! It was also our first week in the weight room with the novices and although it was a little chaotic, varsity went over lifting expectations with the novices this weekend, so hopefully things will run a little more smoothly in the future. It was great to teach the novices because it reinforced the lifting standards among the varsity members.

We then played a game of pick-up basketball organized by our own Becca Kimball ’14, aka Kimballin'. To say that we should stick to rowing is an understatement. Basketball requires a lot of things that we don’t use in rowing, most notably hand eye coordination. Also, in a rowing shell you sit in your own seat, with your own oar, in your own personal space and typically aren’t pushed and shoved and shouted at… well, we are shouted at, but through a microphone. Surprisingly, I managed to score a basket, even if I did have a little help from some friends. Long story short, basketball was a lot of fun and will definitely happen again.

                After basketball, we cleaned up the erg loft because an External Review Committee is visiting Wellesley this week to evaluate the Athletics Department and we want them to see the erg loft looking its best. During our clean-up we blasted some Taylor Swift through the speaker system. Her song, “I Knew You Were Trouble” is a team favorite this year and it is truly addicting (if you don’t believe me, listen to it at least 3 times on repeat, and then you will understand). Ali Pierson ’13 jammed out with a broom stick as a microphone, and that girl has got some moves. Miss Chestertown Spring Break 2013 material? Only time will tell. Graeme Durovich '14 and her viola may give Ali P a run for her money.

                Also this weekend, a few teammates ran the Chilly Half Marathon in Newton. Rachel Coogan ’13 finished 3rd in her age group with a time of SUPER FAST (I’ll just tell you that her average pace per mile is faster than my one mile test pace) and Ildi Gaal ’14 finished close behind her in 4th. Jen Lamy ’13, Becca Kimball ’14, Maggie West ’14, Loren Locke ’15, Nina McKee ’16, and myself also joined in on the fun… but just to be clear, it was only semi-fun in the moment, as the real fun comes in the glory of finishing and the post-race Starbucks run/nap time.

                I’m also happy to report that my captain’s hours have been pretty busy in the post-season! Just like professors have office hours, Taylor Black ‘13, Jen Lamy ’13 and I hold captain’s hours in our rooms/around campus throughout the week so people can come and check-in if they want. Some people, like Maggie West ’14, just come for the chocolate, but it is nice to see people in the evenings and hang out for a little bit. It also forces me to keep my room clean and swiffer my floor with Valerie Soon’s ‘13 swiffer.  

                I will leave you with a quote from Michelangelo (I have to, as an Art History major). It may be a stretch (that's what art historians do sometimes) but I think it can be applied to the gift of time that winter training is, to find that new level of athlete in ourselves in preparation for the spring. 

                "Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it."

                 Jessica Frey '13

FALL 2012 Recap:)

Hello Blue Crew fans!

Welcome back to our blog! I’m Maggie, one of a few student-athlete bloggers who will be writing throughout the winter and spring season.

This has been an exciting Fall season, and I’ll take this post to recap some of the highlights.

At the Snake Regatta at Lake Quinsigamond, the 1V, 2V, and 3V each posted the fastest DIII times in their boat categories.  One week later the 1V and half of the 2V raced at Head of the Charles. The 2V spent the entire week before HOCR split into fours, and we used matching outfits, boat dinners, and a very exciting boat email thread to get ready to reunite for the last week of the season in preparation for the Seven Sisters Regatta, hosted on our very own Charles River by Simmons College. On the day of Seven Sisters, Blue Crew didn’t disappoint. We secured Wellesley’s fourth straight title at the Seven Sisters Regatta. Wellesley won the 1V, 2V, 1N, and 2N races, sweeping the event. Jess Frey ‘13, Rachel “Coogs” Coogan ‘13, and Sahar Ibrahim ’16 were named to the All-Seven Sisters Team! Simmons was a great host, and even provided a massive dessert buffet after racing.

This fall the varsity team has also gotten to know a great (and HUGE) group of novices this year. Given that I snuck into the erg loft to watch their tryouts, I can attest to the fact that they have come a very long way in a very short period of time, and the varsity side can’t wait to get to know them better.

Even though we are all bummed that the fall season is over, we’ve enjoyed our week of sleeping in. Since the last boat crossed the line at Seven Sisters, there have been some notable moments:

-       rowing from Riverside to the boathouse in mixed (novice and varsity) lineups, many people rowing opposite sides

-       doing P90x in the Shafer basement because the sports center was closed due to Hurricane Sandy. This ended with a dance party, to the chagrin of those trying to play pool and watch TV in Shafer basement

-       pool party hosted by the Swimming and Diving team, including doggie paddle relays (barking required) and bobbing for apples

The next few months before Spring season begins will be full of Tower Table Takeovers, full erg lofts, and planning skits for Spring Break 2k13. Blue Crew is ready for the best year EVER.

-Maggie West ‘14

Long time coming

Greetings from Campus!

I hope that everyone has had a great summer!

This has been a long time coming, after another very successful season, including WINNING the Novice 8+ event at the ECAC National Invitational, and another third place finish at the NCAA championship for Blue Crew...so proud of this team...

Rumor has it, that your team is ready to go!  After our first team meeting, the energy in the room was high and we are completely fired up for the start of our fall season on Monday 9/10.  

Led by Taylor Black '13, Jessica Frey '13 and Jennifer (Bamy) Lamy '13, we are returning 10 seniors, 4 juniors, 10 sophomores and welcome 7 first years to the team this year...this is by far the deepest team Wellesley Crew has had in my 7+ years.  Not only do we have this deep Varsity squad, we also have had a TON of interest in our novice program (I guess being reigning national champions in the Novice 8+ category is pretty compelling:)  Over 75 new rowers are coming our way for the novice tryout process on Monday.  

You will hear more from the team soon...but just know, Blue Crew is ready for fall season:)

LONG TIME COMING!!

It seems to have been a while since we have updated fans on this site, but thank you to the fans who have been supporting us on race day and from afar. We’ve been hard at work practicing every morning and racing almost every weekend since spring break. It’s finally light out in the mornings so we can see our oars and each other!

Since the last post, we have raced every weekend...some mixed results early on, gave way to an amazing win at the NEWMAC championship on 4/21.  We won every race we were entered in:  V8, 2V8, N8 and won the team points championship.  It was the first time in the history of the event that a team won the points trophy with only 3 crews racing! 

 Our past race this Saturday was the Malden Spirit Regatta. Wellesley showed some fast rowing (winning every race we were entered in), and our fans gave us a lot of delicious food.  I have a soft spot for sausages, but the entire spread with humus, cheese, chicken, pumpkin bread, fruit and cookies was a great reward after the race.

The team may have been racing hard and heading into final week madness (test, presentations, essays oh my!) but we’re still full of spirit. The first years have been known to break out into song on the bus (they just can’t contain their enthusiasm).When Cetlin was asked how she has so much energy on the bus, she replied, “have you ever been so tired that you just have more energy?”.   Nope, but I’m glad that someone does.

Besides the spirit and fun that we’re all having, however, we’ve mostly been working hard. This is the time in the season when every stroke matters in every boat. We’re not coasting, and even if this weekend proved that we are fast, we want to be faster. As a senior novice I may not be qualified to talk about the team’s history or good rowing technique, but I can certainly say that the team has bonded together and is fighting hard for each other.

On a final note, before returning to the drudgery of essay writing, congratulations to Gena for finishing her thesis. Her Rhulman on Korean Women’s Aging may have been stressful for her to prepare, but it was interesting and well put together from the vantage point of the audience. Also, although this happened quite a while ago, we should note the terrific success of Senta and the Wellesley Mock Trial Team at Mock Trial Nationals! With so much good stuff happening at Wellesley, thanks to all of those who continue to support the team.

Grace E. '12

"official start to spring"

Even though spring season officially starts in February, it never really feels like spring season until after spring break, when we're out on the Charles every morning and have races every weekend. This past weekend was our second race of the season - the first being against Washington College at the end of spring break.

Almost all of our races are on Saturdays, but this weekend our race was on Sunday so we got to have a Saturday practice! Saturday practices are some of the best - you get to sleep in, it's already light outside, and we live the dream at team brunch afterwards!  And then, of course, it’s off to the library to attack the homework - no naps for these ladies (well, um, that’s the plan at least).

Sunday was race day, and the bus left at a very nice (and late!) 7:30. We headed out to Worcester, where it was a typical cool day out on the Quinsig. Of course the water looked flat and beautiful when we first arrived, and then turned into a headwind (typical). All four of our boats raced for our first spring away race of the season. After racing, we met with the friends and family who had come out to support us and feed us with some of the most delicious regatta food ever! Yum.

Our boats finished pretty strong in all 4 of our races yesterday (V8, 3/6; 2V8 4/6; V4 4/5; N8 2/6) , but we’re looking forward to having two weeks to ramp it up and come back with a vengeance!  We’re really thankful for all of the support from our awesome family and friends (especially some super cute 4-legged super-fans), and we can’t to see you all in two weeks after some hard work on the Charles!


Carly Abarbanel '12 & Susan Laves '12

Back on the Charles

 After another great week on the Chestertown River in Maryland (see Bamy’s previous recap), it feels good to be home.  Despite missing my roommates (shout out to Bams, Coogs, and Shernaz), and catching up on every episode of Say Yes to the Dress between practices, having hardboiled eggs in the morning, wearing clean workout clothes, and  getting back into the swing of things at Wellesley is really nice.

                When we arrived back on campus late on Saturday night, all of us who lived in Beebe hung out while we did our laundry. We also tackled a banana that I had left in my trash over break. I was scared that there would be some bugs crawling, so Tex took over as my life coxswain (first year skit reference!) and walked me down the hall to the big trash can while Maggie West was on call for a bug emergency. Luckily, there wasn’t. Then in exchange for washing her hat with my load of laundry and using my cool stain remover, Paige Swiffered my room. Talk about teamwork!

Back to rowing… Our first practice back on the Charles was this morning and we were welcomed with temperatures in the mid-30s. Even in the dark, we efficiently rigged out boats and resettled into our daily rhythm. Once out on the water, it was great to see other crews getting ready for some spring racing! There is communal energy on the Charles that, from my (limited) rowing experience, I don’t know if you can find anywhere else. Even at 5am, people are out on the river, old and young, in singles and eights, doing the same sport and loving every minute of it.

Before we got out on the water, however, we split up into boats to talk about some short-term goals for the week. Each boat seems like they have some great intentions and I know that everyone is using these objectives to get ready for our race day on Sunday at WPI.

Unfortunately, tomorrow we have indoor practice because the weather is supposed to drop to dangerously low temperatures. It’s kind of a bummer after having 2-a-day practices in sunny 70-degree weather, but it really makes you appreciate the time you have out on the water. I know that we will capitalize on every minute when we are back on the Charles and get some serious speed going.

                Dream fast and go blue!

                Jessica “Miss Chestertown-Springbreak” Frey ’13 

C-Town 2012 Recap:)

March 25

Spring break came and went even faster than expected.

We spent our last few practices working on our tans, the starts dance, and squirt gun skills (oh, and rowing).

Thursday night was the annual performance of skits. The first-years and novices raised the bar for all future years with a thirty-minute play, including multiple musical numbers, hilarious commercials and several references to my quads. The small but proud sophomore class performed this year, and the juniors continued the Class of 2013 musical number tradition, this time with more enthusiasm than preparation and several pushups from Ali. The captains rounded out the night with a short skit portraying our coaches, which involved many references to the long afternoons of seat-racing now behind us.

On Friday night we were treated to the yearly telling of Austin’s cat story. It never gets old. Sister gifts were shared and everyone took some time to enjoy one of the favorite spring break traditions: reading appreciations.

Saturday morning brought pouring rain, cooler temperatures than we’d seen all week and wind. The 1V and 2V had solid races against the Washington College eights, despite having to completely re-approach the starting line after being blown around by the weather. Then our four and novice and eight hit the course hard, despite rowing unopposed.

After racing, we had a chance to interact with the Washington College rowers, trading shirts and posing for some photos. We were also treated to a delicious feast provided by the parents (thanks again!) and a visit from Taylor’s dogs. After a quick trip to the hotel to gather our belongings and take lightning-fast showers, and after our last hurrah in the greatest dining hall on earth, we settled into the bus to spend our last afternoon with our driver Franco as we journeyed back north.

Now we’re all back on campus, missing the dried cranberries and soft-serve machine of the Washington College dining hall, along with the constant singing of “Heart Vacancy.” Additionally, no one made my bed for me this morning. In better news, we can now safely say this spring break was completely absent of the Franco WOD, during which in past years we have continued doing pull-ups, squats, etc. until the bus has arrived.

We got a lot done last week and bonded even more as a team. We’re ready to head back to the Charles tomorrow morning and find another level of speed this week in anticipation of our first spring race in Worcester.

Jennifer "Bamy" Lamy '13 

Spring Break Update!

After settling in Chestertown, Maryland, Spring Break 2012 is living up to its expectations. With two-a-day rows we have been maximizing our time here at Washington College’s boathouse and in the warm summer-like weather. After a long winter hiatus and an intensely productive indoor training period, it feels fantastic to be back on the water and in boats.

Here in Chestertown, after a morning to get situated we started in on seat racing.  After three afternoons of racing totaling around 40 pieces, we’re all feeling the burn. Many rowers, including my roommate Paige and me, have taken ice baths. It was painful, but Becca’s dancing to “Call Me Maybe” was a great distraction. The novice coxswain Claire has also helped by walking on rowers’ backs. Despite the groans that seat racing inevitably involve, it’s great to begin getting used to tentative lineups as we move forward. We’ve also done some valuable technical work since the sun shines much brighter during the Maryland afternoon than on the Charles at 5 a.m.

Spring break is also known for being a great opportunity to get to know other teammates. In addition to the usual shenanigans around the hotel, this year was the debut of the “Miss Chestertown Spring Break” pageant. The audience saw silver metallic spandex, a howling wolf shirt, and tomato-patterned shorts in the beauty section, followed by a display of talents ranging from hair braiding to Irish dancing. The next day, we had the afternoon off from rowing. Many of us spent the afternoon in Annapolis shopping, eating ice cream, and walking off the lactic acid in our legs. This evening we tie-dyed T-shirts, and the final evening will be the performance of class skits.

Our time in Chestertown has been a fantastic way to get to know our teammates and to start turning the fitness we honed during winter training into boat speed. We have a few more days in Chestertown—enough time for more great work before our race on Saturday with Washington College. After the long bus ride back to Wellesley, we’ll be showing some crazy speed upon our return to the good ol’ Charles on Monday morning.   

- Maggie West ‘14

5 Days to the water...and boy have they earned it!

Here we are, at the start of week three.  It has been a great 2 weeks of indoor training, and we are looking forward to finishing this part of our season!  The team is looking fit, strong, and the energy is super positive and hungry.  Can't ask for more than that.


The launches are making their way, one by one, to the river this week.  We will load up boats, oars and gear on Thursday, and Saturday is our big trek to the river.  EVERYONE is very eager for that first swing!  


We will spend a few days at home on the river (hoping for moderate temps in the morning) before we make our trip south to C-Town.


So far...things are looking "real, real good"

ETA? COUNTDOWN?? WHATEVER:) IT'S HAPPENING SOON

Spring Season kicks off at 12 am on 2/20...That is right, midnight madness, Blue Crew style!


That means less than 6 whole days before we start...boy this has been a long winter.


Get ready for some team posts, really soon...in the meantime another minute has passed that means we are one minute closer to spring season starting!

Honored.

We are honored to honor one of our Alumnae coaches - Mayrene Earle!

Mayrene is this year's USRowing 2011 Ernestine Bayer Award Winner.  Formerly known as the Women of the Year Award, the Ernestine Bayer Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to women’s rowing and/or to an outstanding woman in rowing and is selected by the female members of USRowing Board of Directors.

"Known as the “Mother of Women’s Rowing,” Ernestine Bayer was a pioneer in the sport. She pushed to be allowed to row on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia and eventually was taught by her husband Ernie Bayer how to row. She established the first women’s rowing club, the Philadelphia Girl’s Rowing Club.

Bayer rowed and competed into her nineties. She died at the age of 97 in 2006.
She was the first woman named to the National Rowing Foundation's Hall of Fame, the first woman to receive the USRowing Medal and the first woman to win USRowing's John J. Carlin Award for service to the sport. She was also nominated for the Sullivan Award, given annually to the top U.S. amateur athlete.

Mayrene began coaching in1974 at Wellesley College where she coached varsity and novice women's crew in addition to women's basketball. She was also a physical education instructor. Following her time at Wellesley, Earle coached at Northeastern University fro 1979 to 1981 before moving to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1983 to 1998 where was both an assistant professor and head women’s coach.

Between 1998 and 2003, Earle worked in the Provincetown Public School system as a health and physical education teacher. During her time as a collegiate coach, Earle’s teams have reached the grand finals at the NCAA championships, were crowned conference champions four times and won four points trophies at the New 8 Regatta and reached the grand finals at the Collegiate Nationals.

Earle, 60, founded MastersCoaching in 2002 and began holding three and four day sweep rowing clinics for master rowers at venues around the world and has led her rowers to gold medals at masters world and national championships and to the podium at the Head of The Charles Regatta."

- USRowing.

It is an honor for us to honor Mayrene - and we hope to see her on campus again very soon!!

What are you thankful for?

Wellesley can feel like a bubble, and Blue Crew is an even tighter bubble within that. Ask any rower or coxswain – the library and KSC are probably where we spend most of our non-structured time…with each other. That’s a lot of time with the same people, not that we don’t love it! With our relentless training right off the bat from the end of fall season, it’s nice to leave campus, the erg loft, and even our friends and teammates behind for a while just so we can look at things with a fresh perspective when we come back. 

Thanksgiving break started off with a 2K and 30’ mileage test. What better way to make us more grateful for a few days off? Although many of us were coming off a difficult week academically, several people pulled PRs. Impressive. After that exertion it would’ve been easy to take a few days off over break and just carbo-load on the couch. Despite the temptation, we saw quite a few Turkey Trots, 5Ks, and WODs (such as the “Gobble Gobble”) being updated on our team site:)

Susan Laves, Rachel Coogan and I headed down to Philadelphia for our first-ever (but definitely not our last) half and full marathons, respectively. We all finished! I think I speak for all of us when I say that I’m thankful to be on such a supportive and genuinely caring team. Coogs, amazingly, qualified for Boston with a time of 3:19.  “If only we had TRAINED! We’d be superfast!” she kept saying as we hobbled back to the car. Never enough, as coxswain Emma Kaufman likes to say. Becca Kimball, currently studying abroad in Spain, also recently ran her first half-marathon. Hmm…could Blue Crew’s training plan be the next magic formula fad in marathon training?

With finals coming up, the next few weeks will take extra focus and efficiency to get through. The sophomore class has proposed a “little competition” to keep us motivated …  winners will win a cake, baked using their secret family recipe (?!). Nothing like some friendly competition to get us in the holiday spirit!

Valerie Soon '13