Club sports are a popular pastime in the Augustana community. With many to choose from, rowing is a popular choice for students on campus. Starting off their season last Saturday, the crew team competed in a regatta in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Men’s 4 placed 7th out of 16 boats in 19 minutes, while the Women’s 8 placed 10th out of 11 boats in 22 minutes.
Junior rower, Josie Anderson, said her goals for the regatta are, “to do my best and really push myself. I am most excited for the women’s 4 I am racing. We have a really good rhythm going, and I can’t wait to see how we do.”
Women’s 4 ended up placing 10th out of 18 boats with a time of 21 minutes.
While the crew team only has four to five regattas every year, they travel extensively to compete against other teams. Senior and President of the Crew team, Andrew Zimmerman, says they will travel to Des Moines, Rockford, and Chattanooga, TN. The team will also compete in a home regatta on October 14.
Rowing is very different sport than most on campus requiring the team to be in sync with each other.
“Rowing is a really dynamic sport that requires a combination of extreme endurance and physical effort as well as highly technical technique. There are so many things that must be done simultaneously and in tandem with 4-8 other people in order for a boat to move smoothly and efficiently,” Andrew Zimmerman stated.
Hard work and dedication go hand in hand with being on the crew team. Morning practices begin at 5:30 am, which can sometimes be difficult to wake up for, especially for busy college students. Junior rower, Michael Adams, gave his perspective on morning practices by saying,
“Waking up at 4:45 am every weekday is a test of character. Only the people that truly want to be there are there, and that gives the practices more of a focused and serious tone. It’s also taught me valuable time management skills so that I get enough sleep the night before to avoid feeling like a zombie for the rest of the day.”
Morning practices may be a struggle, but there’s a reward for coming to practices on the Mississippi. Junior rower, Isabelle Warren, said,
“When I hear rowing, an instant smile appears. My favorite thing about rowing is seeing the sunrise in the morning. There is something special about being on the smooth, clear Mississippi and watching the sun come up. It makes the mornings worthwhile,”
Zimmerman said, “There is still time to join the team. No experience is necessary to join, in fact, most of our team is made up of students who had never rowed before coming to Augustana.”
If any students are interested in rowing, they can email at [email protected]. They are especially looking for more guys to join the team as well as students who would like to be a coxswain (people smaller in stature who steer the boat and give commands)!