Road to the Rowing NCAAs: The 2010 Season Comes to a Close
5/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
The 2010 Season Comes to a Close (June 1, 2010)
So the 2010 Michigan rowing season has come to a close and I have to say despite finishing 11th at the NCAA Championships (and in no way is this a bad finish, we just always want to be a top-10 team and just came up a little short!) this was a good season in so many ways and a few of them I'll elaborate on.
1. We made it to NCAA's: There are 87 NCAA rowing teams in the country and they only take 16 Division I teams selected to the championship and we are one of them! We race in a tough conference and that shows as four Big Ten teams made it to the championships with both Wisconsin and Michigan State finishing in the top 10.
2. We put a boat in the grand final: We haven't put a boat in the grand final of the NCAA Championship since the 2005 season and this year we did that with our second varsity eight. Big shout out to assistant coach Kate Strum, who did a remarkable job with the second varsity eight this season. She coached them up and they finished as one of the top six boats in the country.
3. This team overcame a lot of adversity this season. I've always believed the adversity and challenges make you strong and I think that was the case with this team and it showed this past weekend. Each crew put together some really gutsy races and that most shows the heart and character that everyone associated with this program has.
So although the season ended on Sunday afternoon, we still had to get back to Michigan and it seemed like the travel gods had it in for us once we reached Chicago!
After waking up early and eating breakfast and saying goodbye to California, which had been our home for the last 10 days. We were on our plane headed to the Windy City for an hour layover en route to Detroit Metro Airport.
We got to Chicago Midway airport okay (and on time at 3:40 CDT), but then it all started going downhill. We were told that our flight, which was originally scheduled for a 4:40 (CDT) departure, was delayed. They told us at 5 p.m. that they would update us; 5 p.m. came and over the intercom an agent said the worst thing that an airline agent can say "Detroit isn't taking flights at this time."
So we camped out at the airport, taking over a nice little spot in front of our gate. We had some back massage lines going, lots of movies were watched on computers, and of course, iPods were in full effect.
So after about an hour the same agent said the words we had all been waiting to hear "We would now like to begin boarding flight 2836 to Detroit!"
It was a miracle! You see we have all spent a lot of time with each other these last several, okay 10 days to be exact, and as much as we get along, I think we all needed a little "me, myself and I" time.
We made it back to the tennis center around 10 p.m. and said our goodbyes and each went our separate ways.
Looking back at this experience I have to say this has been a trip like no other in my nearly seven years working in this business. It gave me extended glimpse into the life of the Michigan rowing team and if I don't say so myself, this is really a fun group with so many diverse personalities all working together for one common goal; it's really fun to be a part of something like that! So fun that I'm looking forward to next season already!
Until next time,
ROW BLUE
There is Nothing Like Race Day (May 29, 2010)
One thing that I've learned about rowing is that there is nothing quite like the race day experience and today's racing was a unique experience for me.
The sports information creed states that cheering in a press box, sideline or any other place that could be deemed a working environment is not allowed and it is something that is definitely frowned upon. So I haven't really cheered for a team that I've covered in quite some time and to be honest, I had a few doubts that I could even muster out a "Go Blue" if necessary!
Rowing is a little bit different in the fact that at most of the regattas and races that I've been at this year there isn't really a "working media area," so there is a little more freedom when it comes to cheering and such.
Today's races were really important and our crews left it all out on the water and the one crew that really did a great job was the second varsity eight as they became the first Michigan crew to reach the grand final at the national championship since 2005.
So to get back to this whole cheering business, there is a small tent that is for working media at the finish line of the course and that's where all the sports information magic happens. My plan of attack during a race is to listen to the call from the official boat until the boats get into the finish line area when I then step out of the tent and watch the finish of the race while taking notes. I then go back to my computer and write.
So I'm out on the beach watching the second varsity eight race come down the course, taking notes and right before my eyes I saw our boat make a move and start cutting into Princeton, which was in second place, and out of nowhere I started cheering. At first it was a meek "Go Blue" but as the boat kept cutting into the Tigers I mustered up a big boisterous "LET'S GO BLUE" and was even doing a little fist pumping! At that moment I felt like a real rowing fan and it was a nice feeling considering that up until about six months ago I knew NOTHING about rowing.
I'm sure I'll have to be careful with my cheering when it comes to my other sports, but you can bet that any chance I get to cheer on our rowing team I'm going to be doing it! Within reason of course, I won't be becoming a superfan anytime soon, but I'll be out on the beach tomorrow cheering on our Maize and Blue rowing team!
Until next time,
ROW BLUE
Second Chances (May 28, 1010)
Today was the opening day of racing at the 2010 NCAA Championships and it was a whirlwind for sure. For those that don't know, I also work with the men's soccer and women's basketball teams here at Michigan, both sports that I have played before and know the rules of. Rowing is a sport that when I first took over, I have to say that I had no idea about any of the rules except that it was a racing sport.
I'm proud to say that I've picked up the rules and know MUCH more about the sport know that I've been working with the team for the whole year (special thanks to our coaches, who have put up with all of my stupid questions and have not made me feel like a complete idiot!). The neatest thing to me about rowing is that you have a repechage. For those that don't know what a repechage is, it's defined the following way:
A trial heat, especially in rowing, allowing competitors who have already lost a heat another chance to qualify for the semifinals."
It's like a do-over and it's something that no other sports have. I think the closest thing that I can think of is a double elimination tournament. Could you imagine if other sports had "do-overs?" It would never work, you could redo a half of basketball or football or re-do a goal scored in soccer; I just don't think any other sport can do it as efficiently as rowing because it really just works for the sport. It's really neat and today our first varsity eight did a great job of taking advantage of the repechage and moving into the semifinals by winning their reps race.
Thanks to our first varsity eight's win in the repechage all of our boats are in the semifinals and are putting themselves in good position to earn spots in the grand final. Unfortunately, you only get one "do-over" in this regatta and from here on out you have to place in the top three of your heat to advance, but don't fear we're in good shape!
Before I close I'd like to give a shout out to the pair spare and their boat "Raw Speed." They took second place in the spare pair race and have been super helpful to all the boats this week.
Until next time,
ROW BLUE
Our Boatman ROCKS! (May 27, 2010)
I've decided that rowing is the ultimate team sport. No offense to any of the other team sports out there, but in rowing it takes eight people or four people or two people to make the boat move in the water and it takes even more people to make sure that everything is in working order with the boats and that's where our boatman Matt LeBlanc comes into the picture.
For those of you that don't know our boatman Matt I'll introduce you to him. Matt is the poor soul that gets to drive our boats EVERYWHERE. You see, it's not really conducive to fly boats anywhere and shipping is out of the question unless we're going somewhere out of the country so driving it is and Matt gets to drive the boats and all of our necessary equipment to all of the races.
If you do the math Matt has driven tons of miles this year alone. Here's the breakdown including the fall season (and these are just one way calculations, so double it to get home and back!)
Ann Arbor to Boston (Head of the Charles) - 648 miles
Ann Arbor to East Lansing (Michigan State) - 50 miles
Ann Arbor to Tampa (Miami, Fla. Spring Training) - 991 miles
Ann Arbor to East Lansing (Michigan State) - 50 miles
Ann Arbor to Charlottesville (Virginia, Clemson) - 403 miles
Ann Arbor to Bloomington (Indiana, Ohio State) - 259 miles
Ann Arbor to Columbus (Ohio State, USC, Michigan State) - 163 miles
Ann Arbor to East Lansing (Big Ten Championships) - 50 miles
Ann Arbor to Oak Ridge (Central/South Region Sprints) - 435 miles
Ann Arbor to Sacramento (NCAA Championships) - 1986 miles
Now that's A LOT of miles to drive with the boats, 10,070 to be exact! Matt is as important to the team as the rowers and the coaches because not only does he drive the boats, but he helps maintain the boats. He does have help though (see pics). The team washes down the boats, rigs and de-rigs them and helps Matt load them onto the trailer, but Matt really is the unsung hero of this rowing team.
 |  |
 |  |
If anything is wrong with a boat he can fix it, typically in no time flat, and if the coaches want to make changes to the boats or oars or anything, he's the MAN! Matt's also really knowledgeable about the sport of rowing; he rowed in college and high school so he's knows what's going on.
So in closing, my message is if you haven't thanked your boatman lately you should because they are the unsung heroes of rowing.
Until next time,
ROW BLUE Spare Pair = National Champions or Bust (May 25, 2010)
Today I went to morning practice. It was my first early morning practice of this trip and in the grand scheme of things it really wasn't too early. I got to sleep in until 7:15 a.m. and was out on the launch with novice coach Annie Hildebrand (U-M Class of '08!) by 8:15, which isn't too early considering that on race days when the racing begins at 8 a.m. the team is out of the hotel by 6:15 or 6:30 a.m., which means getting up way too early than should be allowed!
Coach Annie has been coaching the Michigan novices since her graduation and for the past few years has coached the spare pair at the national championship and this year is no different. For explanation purposes I'll explain this whole spare pair business.
At this regatta you are allowed to bring two spare rowers that are allowed to row in the event of injury, etc., to any one of the rowers in your lineup. Each team brings a set of spares and they set up a race between all the spares. It's almost like a fourth race in the national championship, but it doesn't count towards the team points and you don't have to participate if you don't want to. If you win the pairs race you are the cream of the crop among the best spares in the country!
We brought Mickey Brown and Olivia Klipa as our spares and they have been training in the pair all week to get ready to bring home another spare pair national championship. You see the Wolverines have a bit of history winning the spare pair race. In fact, we're the two-time defending spare pair champions and our boat "Raw Speed" is undefeated and from the looks of it we're in good shape to make it three straight championships.
 |  |
From being out with coach Annie and the pair this morning, I'm fairly certain that rowing a pair is no easy feat. You've got no coxswain to give you directions and a pair is a pretty small boat that is easily affected by the weather conditions, but Mickey and Olivia seemed to be doing a really good job at it. And well they've got me as a good luck charm for their race; you see, when I was out on the launch this morning, a bird left me a "present" on my leg and they do say that it's good luck, so we'll see what happens!
Until next time,
ROW BLUE Be One with the Boat (May 24, 2010)
Today was our first full day of training for the upcoming national championships. This morning we woke up early and drove to the Port of Sacramento to row out of UC Davis' boathouse. Our assistant coach Kate Strum worked her connections and got us the hook-up! (She used to coach at UC Davis before moving to Bucknell and then Michigan). This week's practices are reminiscent of football's fall camp. Its two-a-day practices everyday leading up to the granddaddy of them all, the 2010 NCAA Championships, which begin on Friday (May 28).
I had the pleasure of going out on the launch (coaches' boat) for today's first varsity eight afternoon practice and being somewhat of a rowing novice, got a feel of what it's like to coach a rowing team and some of the important aspects of rowing. Here are two of the things I learned:
1. You need to be "with" the boat
I realize that it takes an extraordinary amount of teamwork to move an eight through the water, but what wasn't so obvious to me was the fact that you need to make sure that you're doing what THE BOAT wants you to do. Head coach Mark Rothstein kept saying "move with the boat" and "let the boat dictate the speed". I never realized how important that expensive piece of carbon fiber, not to be confused with metal, was to SPEED.
2. Rowers need focus
This is a funny thing. I mean it's pretty obvious that you have to be focused to compete at any high level of athletic competition. Basketball teams and football teams pump loud music into their practices to simulate opponent's crowds, and rowing does that too, just in a little different way. Here's the story:
Midway through the afternoon, Rothstein told the first varsity eight that we're going to work on focus and that they're going to row and those of us on the launch are going to try and distract them and break their focus. So the boat rows out a bit and then coach hands us the microphone. Athletic trainer Lisa Hass tells a limerick, we played the siren on the microphone, we had someone tell a joke and then we had an idea, a really GOOD idea. Kate Grimaldi, our spare coxswain on this trip, was out on the launch. First off, Kate is really up for anything. She's been such a help to the rowers and a real joy to be around. Mark said "Kate why don't you do a cannon ball" and without missing a beat she says "I'll do it".
We do a few more jokes and noises and even thought about rapping, but we decided the cannon ball would do the trick.
So we're cruising on the side of the boat and then Mark yells "GRIMALDI" and before we knew it she was in the water (see pics) and although I saw a few snickers, the first varsity eight kept right on trucking.
I'm sure this is only the first of many stories to come out of this week's trip. Make sure to check out the blog for all of our California stories... you can say you heard them here first!
Until next time,
ROW BLUE On The Road Again (May 23, 2010)
First things first let me introduce myself, my name is Jessica Poole and I'm the rowing SID here at Michigan and I have the pleasure of working with the women's rowing team. This week we're traveling to the 2010 NCAA Championships in California.
Our journey to the California began at Detroit Metro Airport on Saturday (May 22). Since we're such a large party we split into two flight groups with 12 of us flying out at 3:30 with a stopover in Minneapolis and the rest of us heading out on a direct flight (lucky!) leaving at 5:45 p.m. I was in the first group and we made it the airport all in one piece, through check-in and security without incident and had a smooth flight to Minneapolis. Okay, it wasn't really that smooth. In fact, the pilot had us bouncing around the sky like a child in a bounce house, but we did make it with no problem and no barf bags! Once we landed in Minnesota we had a nice little surprise waiting for us at the gate.
Five of us (assistant coaches Kate Strum and Brett Sickler, coxswain Erica Macke, athletic trainer Lisa Hass and myself) didn't have seats and without fail the flight from Minneapolis to San Francisco was in an oversell situation leaving several of us in LIMBO. Lisa (pays to be closer to the front of the alphabet, I guess) got a seat, but the rest of us had to sweat it out and to make matters worse, the next flight wasn't until the next morning. We drew straws (not really) but since the SID doesn't coach or row we decided that if anyone had to stay behind it would be me. While we were waiting to see if anyone would be a no-show, we met a nice gentleman named Chuck, who was prepared to give up his seat for at least Macke to get on the flight. He explained that it would be his second time that day giving up his seat! What a nice guy.
So as I was preparing to stake out a few seats for the next several hours, it turned out that they found me a seat (and Chuck too!). So we all made it on board and now we're in the skies headed toward sunny San Francisco... let's just hope the others make it without incident!
Also, Happy Birthday to Erica Macke, who celebrated her big 21st with all of her teammates in the San Francisco airport. Also a big thanks to Mrs. Macke, who provided birthday tiaras for all and some nifty sunglasses for the birthday girl!
Make sure to check in for all of our California rowing adventures.
Until next time,
ROW BLUE
