Crew outraced in Championships
By Gina Massetani
A season that began in October finally came to an end last Sunday at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. Finishing third and sixth respectively, the men's and women's crew teams were unable to achieve their goals.
On the men's side, the team held many aspirations, aiming to beat UC Davis, win the San Diego Classic and secure a WIRA championship. However, one crucial objective was accomplished. With eyes set on dropping their time below 6:10, the Broncos managed to record 6:05 in the Petite Finals last Sunday. Senior Wills Fallon explained that it marked the fastest race a varsity boat has rowed in about five years.
Fallon felt that, although the Broncos came up short at WIRAs, the team did relatively well given the circumstances.
"It was a long season," said Fallon. "You are always mentally prepared, but you are never really mentally prepared for everything else that comes along the way. We had only five returning members to the Varsity boat. We didn't really find the speed we wanted until the last two and a half weeks."
Unlike other Division I sports, the Santa Clara crew team is not part of the West Coast Conference. Because of this, the Broncos generally row against colleges including Sacramento State, UC Davis, Stanford and Berkeley. This season, the team attended the San Diego Classic, which is one of the largest competitions on Santa Clara's schedule. Although the Broncos failed to win a race in the event, they were still able to string together strong performances, especially against UC Davis.
"We were up on Davis almost a full boat; we executed our game plan to near perfection," said Fallon. "There was a bridge full of alumni, friends and teammates that were cheering for us. Everyone said after our big move we put even more space between our boats. We sent them a message that we aren't going to be beat by them easily."
Team camaraderie and trust were essential in Santa Clara's growth throughout the season. Outside of the boats, the members of the team formed a close-knit group, spending most of their free time with each other.
"That is the most important part; trusting the guy in front of you and the guy behind you to be doing the exact same thing you're doing at the exact same time," Fallon said with a smile.
Although their record might not resemble a triumphant season, the Broncos gained experience when the decision was made to modify their game plan.
Fallon explained that last season the team focused on one type of rowing, whereas this year the team expanded their horizons to rowing techniques.
"I think the most important that I learned during my time rowing was belief in myself and my team," said Fallon.
"We have never been the biggest or strongest or best so the belief that when all nine people trust each other and have that shared goal we can do great things."
For the women, the season ended on a low note.
The Broncos experienced a busy month of April, participating in five races in various California locations.
At the WIRA Championships this past Sunday, Santa Clara was mere seconds away from finishing in fourth place just behind Loyola Marymount and Creighton.
Despite a dead-last finish, Senior Jillian Walker was named to the 2011 West Coast Conference All-Conference Team.
Contact Gina Massetani at gmassetani@scu.edu or (408) 551-1918.