Spirits are high, the air is warming up, and the boats are flyin’. Spring racing is upon us.
On Saturday, April 9th, the Jesuit Crew team faced off against Dallas United in 2000-meter sprints at White Rock Lake. The Varsity 8+ kicked off the morning, narrowly losing to Dallas United by 0.2 seconds.
“I loved that race,” commented Head Coach Troy Howell, “neither crew allowed the other to walk away, and both rowed very hard for the whole piece.” Later that morning, the 2nd Varsity 8+ also lost to Dallas United, but the crew is not discouraged for future races. “I would consider that as an improvement from the start of the season, but we didn’t reach the speed we’re capable of,” explained Dawson Zavala (’24), who sits in 2 seat of the 2nd 8+.
Things quickly turned around for the Rangers in the 4+ events when Jesuit Dallas’ very own, Dr. Degen, arrived at the scene. Despite wind speeds reaching nearly 20mph, the U17 4+ secured a comfortable victory over Dallas United in their event, spectated by Dr. Degen himself.
The Varsity A and B 4+ lineups beat their opposing DUC crews shortly afterward. Rodrigo Aldrey (’22), who sat bow seat of the B Varsity 4+, commented, “those were probably some of the worst conditions I’ve ever rowed in, but our race still went very well, and I’m glad to have experienced that.”
Madame Richard, a French teacher at Jesuit, and Coach Don Woods later arrived to cheer on the Rangers. “I rode my bike all the way down here,” explained Woods, rather proudly and with a smile. “I’m real glad I could come out here and see these guys do their thing.” Mrs. Richard also enjoyed seeing a few of her students in action. “It’s an exciting and underappreciated sport,” she said, “I’m happy to have learned more about it and experienced its culture.”
This event served as a significant opportunity to strengthen the Jesuit Dallas community. The Crew team got a sense of their standing at this point of the season and had a chance to connect with teachers and other crew members throughout the day. Such an experience reminds us why we’re here: to be men for others and keep sight of our love for both the sport and each other.
The Rangers will be competing at Youth Nationals Regionals in Sarasota, Florida on June 9th and look forward to ending their spring season positively. Until then, it’s back to work. Yeah boys.
TL/DR: Dr. Degen showed up, and we started to win. Coincidence? Probably not.
