Rowing: Spring preparation continues after race cancelation

By: NATHAN VICAR, Staff Writer

The University of Dayton women’s rowing team was supposed to start its fall season Saturday, Oct. 26, in Indianapolis, Ind. However, due to high winds, the Head of the Eagle Regatta was canceled, delaying the season’s start.

The regatta in Eagle Creek Park would have featured schools such as the University of Louisville, Miami University (OH), Butler University and Lawrence University.

The winds over the weekend were at 10-15 mph, and there was no protection from them. High winds affect the race course and it would have not been a fair race for the teams involved, according to head coach Paul Wenker.

“Wind is a huge part of racing, high winds stop us from competing. It’s more treacherous,” Wenker said.
For the women’s rowing team, there is one major difference between the fall and spring season: the distance of the races. In the fall, the team races a length of a 5k with staggered starts. In the spring, the races are 2k in length, and the team lines up against all competition and start at the same time.

“Since the races are shorter in the spring, and usually pretty tight, there is no room for error,” senior Susie Klimowicz said.

Wenker described the fall season like a “cross country meet.”

The team will travel to Bloomington, Ind., for its final scrimmage of the year with Indiana University Saturday, Nov. 2, before preparing for the spring season.

“Bloomington is close by and the coaches are looking for someone to race,” Wenker said. “We can check how the boats are moving at the end of the fall and at the start of the spring.”

Spring is the main season for the team, as it features the largest collegiate race in the nation, the Dad Vail
Regatta. The Regatta takes place in Philadelphia, Pa., in May.

“There are so many schools there from all over the country, there is never a still moment,” Klimowicz said. “Morning to evening, there are races going on. There’s a grandstand that is always full of parents, teams, alumni and just crew lovers. It’s the most exciting regatta we go to.”

The goal for the team this year is to medal in both the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament and Dad Vails.

During the spring season, the team will participate in events such as the Cardinal Oak Ridge Invite and the SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge, Tenn. In addition, the team will participate in the Occoquan Sprints in Fairfax, Va., and face universities such as Duquesne and Indiana in a regular regatta meet.

The spring season begins March 15 at the Cardinal Oak Ridge Invite.