The varsity women’s crew team rowed to an impressive second place finish Sunday at Dowling College. This race concluded the fall 2002 season, and the women seem anxious to begin training for the spring.
The Dowling Invitational was a perfect way to end the season, as it makes an appropriate transition to the spring races, according to head coach Andre Albert.
Throughout the fall, the team has rowed in headraces, or distance competitions. Sunday’s race was a short 1,500-meter sprint, which is characteristic of spring regattas. Freshmen and novices received a taste of what post fall/pre spring training will consist of.
“They now understand why there will be a noticeable difference in training strategies as we prepare for the sprint races,” Albert said. He is working with a new assistant coach this year that will primarily handle the freshmen. John Flynn’s experience as a coxan at Cornell University and as a former coach at Manhattan College and the New York Athletic Club will contribute to the women’s success.
Albert is not as much concerned with a new coach entering the program as he is about the loss of many team members to study abroad. “The five girls going abroad were competeing for spots on the varsity-eight boat. We are going have to to play around this spring and realign the primary boat.”
Maura O’Connor ’04 is a three-year member of the team. She has a positive outlook for the team’s spring season and for Fairfield’s future boats. “Competition has been getting better and better, and we have continued to hold our own and improve right along with them.”
Since Loyola and Marist are using this year to rebuild, makes Fairfield a top contender for the title. Captain Katie Gill ’04 affirms, “I think we have a real good chance to win the MAAC Championship.”
The crew vans drive the 20-minute commute to the water at 5:45 a.m. for practice in Shelton, but only the women will be passengers in the spring. The men’s club team has decided to switch practice to the afternoon for attendance purposes.
The early practices do not seem to affect the women’s ability to execute on the water, nor does their schoolwork suffer. The team has earned the award for the highest GPA among Fairfield’s athletic teams. Their weighed 3.63 GPA was acknowledged at the Ecumenical mass this fall.
The morning practices seem to work in the team’s favor. Christine Opiela ’04 says, “6 o’clock practices don’t cut into our study time as it does with other sports.”
The Stags look to build upon their successful fall season this spring when both teams will compete in the heart of their schedules.
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