Determined to get on pace for the spring season, the crew team pushed themselves down the majestic White Rock Lake, sweat pouring down, faces red, eyes set on victory.
On March 2 and 3, the Jesuit crew team attended its first actual boat regatta of the year, the Heart of Texas Regatta. Hosted by the Austin Rowing Club, the Heart of Texas is located on Lady Bird Lake in a park in downtown Austin and is a 1000 meter race, which is half the distance Jesuit usually races. Everyone was grilling and conversing as they were able to watch the teams perform right from the park and the running path.
“It’s kind of almost like a preseason test for us,” explained Head Coach John Fife, eager to see what the team has in store for the rest of the season.
In the Varsity 8 race, a boat composed of coxswain Elliot Stone ’15, Joey Merkel ‘16, J.W. Schwab ‘14, Jordi Perez ‘14, Christian Taylor ‘15, Jay Hofmeister ‘16, Mitchell Opatowsky ‘15, Tyler Freeman ‘14, and Conar Ehring ’15 won by over a boat length to rival OKC Riversport.
In the next race, the Varsity split up into boats of four, and qualified three of the six lanes. Jesuit finished 3rd, 4th, and 5th. No other team had more than one boat qualify for that race.
In the Novice 4 race, one of Jesuit’s boats finished 1st and another finished 3rd. In the Lightweight 4, Jesuit finished 3rd as well.
After completing these races, the team decided to leave early in the regatta to arrive back in Dallas safely due to the horrendous ice storm that struck Texas that weekend. “We ended up missing the Lightweight 8, the Novice 8, and Pairs,” continued Fife. “Actually, those races ended up getting canceled because the weather got so bad by the time we left.” Even though some of team didn’t get to race, it was better that the team came back home safely.
The regatta overall was a success, and it showed Jesuit what they needed to improve upon as they prepare for upcoming regattas. “A lot of times
we go into that race underestimating our competition and this year we did a much better job at being prepared and racing up to our ability,” stated Fife, hopeful for the future. “It gives us a taste of what’s to come, and it gives us an opportunity to readjust and make some adjustments so that when we get into our bigger races, we are ready to go.”
After the Heart of Texas Regatta, the Jesuit crew team went back to train intensely and rigorously during the majority of spring break to prepare for its largest races coming up during the remainder of spring. “Spring break week is the most important week of training of the entire year, and for our sport, that’s saying something,” explained Fife, emphasizing how crucial this week of training was to him.
For the first weekend of spring break, Fife gave the team a break to relax, and on Monday, the team practiced twice a day every day at White Rock Lake for the remainder of spring break. The usual routine for the team was getting to the lake at around 7:30 in the morning, practicing for two hours, coming back to rest and eat, and then returning to the lake to practice for the afternoon. And, everyone showed up as well in an impressive showing of commitment, adding to the morale of the entire team for the future. Due to this passionate dedication, the team will be sure to see some monumental victories in their upcoming regattas.
After training hard on the lake and in the weight room, the team looks to do well in Philadelphia in a couple of weeks.
Be sure to follow the team and cheer them on to success for the spring season.
