Crew charges to a historical finish

By Tom Schreier

For the first time in men's rowing history, the varsity eight-man boat, operated by Tim Huss, Chad Johnson, Wills Fallon, Mike Republicano, Chris Macko, Adam Noble, Jake Carrigan, Chris Freeburg and coxswain Caitlin Bellotti placed ahead of all teams affiliated with the West Coast Conference at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships.

Santa Clara placed third in the WIRA Grand Final, ahead of fourth place Gonzaga University, seventh place University of San Diego and eighth place Loyola Marymount University.

"It was just a matter of polishing up a few things and sticking to our goal of the year -- winning the medal at WIRA," said Santa Clara Head Coach Wieslaw Kujda. "With a strong field like that it was hard to predict final results. The WIRA championship was within reach for any crews. I can't be more proud of this group of men," he added.

Coach Kujda has implemented a demanding program at Santa Clara since his arrival in 2004. Instead of recruiting or creating parameters regarding who can try out for the team, he allows scores of students to tryout at will every year.

"I have a philosophy: Anybody can come, but when it comes to work (the) only people who are going to be on the team, in terms of racing, are going to work and deserve it," said Kujda.

With the positive results the team has seen, Kujda seeks greater exposure for the team.

"I want to have crowds first, I want people to come to just see it first because they don't know (about the sport)."

Many rowers feel that their experience has been beneficial to them and sufficiently supplemented their academic experience at Santa Clara.

"It made me feel more a part of the university," said senior Captain Tim Huss, who was on the winning boat. "Especially for incoming freshmen or anybody looking to get into it, it's just kind of an opportunity to do something that you wouldn't otherwise do."

Kujda fears that if he "draws a picture" of what he immediately wants from a rower he could potentially discourage proficient athletes who are unsure about the demands of the sport from joining his team. Instead of cutting student athletes, he allows the best to rise to the top and tolerates people who choose to leave.

Through a trial of physically exhausting exercises and early morning practices Kujda discovers the students he wants to compete on his team.

"I have to be open, but I know that in the beginning there's going to be a hundred people and by the end there will be 16," said Kujda, understanding that free riders may try to join crew seeking the prestige of a Division I athlete while avoiding the hard work. "Dedication is the first measuring stick. Difficulty is not a (factor) once you get to this level. (It) depends on what level you want to be at."

Kujda, a Polish native, developed his philosophy of natural selection from his first Olympic experience at age 14. The Polish Olympic coach held tryouts and 150 adolescent Poles showed up. Nobody knew what to wear and most of the young adults were not dressed adequately for the winter.

"Everyone was freezing," said Kujda as he recited his anecdote, "but it didn't matter. We (still) went for a run."

Poland's Olympic coach never said a word and never looked back, he kept running faster until there was only Kujda and three others. These four athletes were selected to represent Poland at the 1976 Olympic Games.

That year he went to the Olympics as an alternate. Four years later he went to Moscow and placed fifth in a double boat. The Americans boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan and in turn Poland joined the Soviet-led shunning of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

"Communists decided not to send the team, so after this I decided I was done with it," said Kudja defiantly. "I'm not going to be having people tell me what to do."

He traveled to the United States a year later and began coaching at the University of Cincinnati. Aspiring to make the United States team, Cincinnati provided Kujda with an Olympic rowing center where he could train.

He did in fact qualify for the team, but was unable to compete because his citizenship did not go through on time.

After spending five years at Cincinnati he coached at Stanford and Los Gatos High School before coming to Santa Clara. Now, in only six years as the head coach of the Broncos, he has developed a winning program.

"That's what I've done so far," he said, suggesting that there is more to come in future seasons.

Contact Tom Schreier at tschreier@scu.edu or (408) 551-1918.