There is nothing quite like a sport’s biggest event of the season. The anticipation, preparation and energy that goes into it is the highest quality one could produce. For the Fairfield University Rowing team, and just about every other rowing program in the country, this event is the Head of the Charles in Boston, Massachusetts.
Established in 1965, the Head Of The Charles Regatta is the crossroads of the world’s best in rowing. More than 12,000 athletes from around the world compete in the event, with 73 specific events occurring during the three-day schedule. Participating in the regatta is an honor for first-timers; not only do they gain the experience of racing in one of the premier rowing events, but they also get the chance to see how they compare to some of the world’s best.
Representing Fairfield University was an entry into the collegiate eight for the men and a club four and eight for the women. In an official press release, Dr. David Patterson, Director of Rowing, addressed the anticipated performances of the women’s team with confidence.
“Last year’s women’s four produced the best Fairfield performance to date which has given this year’s four a phenomenal start position which should aggressively challenge them for a top 10 result,” he said.
The Stags’ four boat did just that, picking up a 10th-place finish with Arianna Welton ‘25, Shawn O’Brien ‘27, Audrey DiMarino ‘28, Catherine Morrissey ‘25 and coxswain Lexi Tomlinson ‘26.
Patterson went on to address the men’s eight, “The men’s eight is still a boat that is learning how to compete at this level. The challenge for the guys is to keep pushing hard in training and on the race course to keep showing we have what it takes to improve.” This mentality is the building block of younger programs like Fairfield’s and is reflected on the individual level of every rower on the 1V squad. For a team that was turned varsity 17 years ago in 2007, the men’s rowing program has been off to a strong start.
When asked about the possible challenges of facing longer-tenured programs, Zalan Kovacs ‘27 acknowledged the same sentiment as his coach, “We’re definitely moving in the right direction, we go 100 percent in every practice. We’re very focused on the goal of improving as fast as we can.”
Competition comes in many different forms, but for the Fairfield rowing team, there is no higher competition than the one with themselves. Kovacs laid out the team’s levels of competitiveness: “It’s all about competing with our results from last year. Competing against our times and the teams that we place near. We’re kind of measuring our results against our own from previous years.”
For the Head of the Charles, the competition couldn’t help but demand attention from the Stags in the eight-man boat. Along the 4.7-kilometer race course, just about at the halfway mark, George Washington University’s boat made contact with Fairfield’s.
“Coming around Week’s Bridge, GW just puts their bow right into our stern and obliterates any momentum we had, and then it was hard to get back into a rhythm from that point on,” Kovacs described.
After hitting a full stop and throwing themselves back onto the course, Kovacs; Sam Elliott ‘27; Anthony Tapinis ‘27; Braeden Gibbons ‘28; Grant Retelny ‘28; Ryan Wrynn ‘25; Ean Ray ‘27; Connor Carroll ‘27; and coxswain Maddie Gross ‘27 posted a time of 16:33.17, finishing 37th overall. George Washington University was penalized with a minute added onto their time, one of the longest penalties ever given at the event.
The balance of tranquility and exertion is something that makes rowing a uniquely beautiful sport. Much like the boat itself, there is a “seesaw”, as Kovacs describes, of balancing the water’s serenity with the intent of pushing yourself until your body gives out.
“If I can’t taste blood at the back of my throat after the race, I think it was a failure,” noted Kovac. Another layer to that balance is the team’s flow.
“It’s kind of easy to tell when the boat’s rowing well, rowing in balance, rowing set. If we’re rowing set, that means we can apply power better and everyone’s going to be able to push to their absolute limit.”
It was frustrating to have an external factor hinder performance, but a big aspect of rowing is shutting those factors out and putting your best stuff out there, leaving it all on the water. Kovacs wrapped up the dedication and grit of giving it their all into a single sentence: “Every stroke is going to be max effort, and no matter how hard it hurts, we’re just going to keep pushing.” Acting with such fortitude is easier said than done, but Fairfield’s rowing has been working tirelessly to get it done.
With the events of this year’s Head of the Charles now in the past, the Stags rowing team looks toward this Saturday’s Head of the Schuylkill in Philadelphia with hopes of more improvement and growth as the program wraps up its fall season.
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