While everyone else on campus was enjoying the Spring Fling festivities on May 1, the Tufts crew was on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, battling the top teams in New England for the right to go on to Nationals. Overall, it was a disappointing day for Tufts, as both the men's and women's squads failed to overcome the difficulties that had been plaguing them all season. For some rowers, the regatta marked the last race of the season and, for the seniors, the last race of their college careers.
On the women's side of the New England tournament, the varsity boats rowed hard in their heats, but their results were sub-par.
Tufts came in fifth out of six boats, with a time of 7:17.83, edged out by UConn, who finished only a couple of seconds ahead. The boat did not make it to the final heats.
"It wasn't because we didn't put in the effort," senior captain Jessica Normand said.
Normand is one of seven seniors on the team. She has rowed all four of her years at Tufts, and was part of an undefeated novice eight boat that won the New England tournament her freshman year. This boat also included senior Erin Byrnes.
"[She is] one of the pillars on the team," sophomore Sam Minc said.
Byrnes did not row her sophomore year, but returned her junior and senior years to become one of the strongest rowers in the varsity program. Normand, Byrnes and some of the other varsity eight rowers will be going to England this summer to row at Henley. The two had gone as freshman, so it is appropriate that their college crew careers have come full circle.
The second varsity eight boat has had to overcome many losses and injuries this season. Going into New Englands, the boat changed seatings and rowers so many times that it was hard for the squad to really come together and be competitive in the tournament. The boat came in last in the heat, ten seconds behind Wellesley. However, the loss was not entirely disappointing.
"The second varsity boat rowed hard and did well, considering the adversity the rowers had to overcome," coach Gary Caldwell said.
Seniors Aimee Parow, Kristy Teele, and Aubrey Troutman all rowed in the second varsity boat.
"The seniors showed incredible fortitude, juggling academics and work, and still finding time to help try to make a boat go fast," Caldwell said.
"They will be sorely missed," junior Emily Balough added.
The varsity lightweight boat was one of the brightest spots for Tufts this season. It rowed in the heavyweight heats in New Englands as a second varsity boat, and did very well against competition that was bigger and stronger. The boat came in third out of five in the petit finals, and will head back to Worcester this weekend for the National tournament.
The captain of the lightweight squad, senior Jill Mather, will be difficult to replace. Starting as a coxswain for the men's program her freshman year, Mather has worked hard all four years to make sure that she and her team performs at the highest capacity.
"She has become a real role model for her team members," Caldwell said.
Many rowers from the novice squads will be rowing in the varsity boats come next year, and taking the place of the seniors who left. The women's novice team performed well all year, but had a disappointing showing at New Englands. The first boat came in fifth out of six boats, while the second boat (which includes senior Nancy Potvin) came in third out of six in its heat.
Overall, the women's program could have done better this season, but with strong rowers coming up from the novice boats and an improved team attitude, things look good for next season.
"This season we felt really prepared physically, but mentally it wasn't all there," Minc said. "Next year will be different."
The men's program showed astounding physical and mental toughness this season. The New Englands were, disappointing on the whole for these squads as well, but the strong novice boats look to pick up where they left off this season.
The varsity eight crew came in last out of four boats in the preliminary heat, four seconds behind Connecticut College. The boat then rowed in the petit final and beat Mass Maritime and Amherst, and barely missed the Camels again, this time losing by only a second.
The boat rowed hard all season to make up for its small size, when compared to the rowers in other New England heavyweight programs.
The seniors in the varsity eight boat, Pete Babaian, Jeff Marois, Dan Zox and captain Jeff Pakuska, worked hard all four years to help build up a program that had hardly been competitive when they started rowing.
"The senior men's rowers showed remarkable resiliency in sticking with boats that weren't strong, but had potential," Caldwell said. "They always put the team first."
"This season, we worked hard and learned something from race to race," Babaian said, glad to end his Tufts rowing career on a high note.
Babaian believes that the team did not meet all of its expectations, but that the program should remain competitive in the years to come. Another senior in the program, Mike Bennett, rowed in the varsity four boat this season. His crew rowed well in New Englands, but, like the varsity eight boat, was not as strong as some of the other New England fours.
The future looks bright for the varsity men's program, however. This was Ted Benford's first year coaching the squad, and he has already improved the overall performance of his boats from a year ago (last year, the varsity men's program could not even row in the tournament). He has brought patience and a healthy attitude to a program that needed such qualities.
The novice men's team looked strong this year and ended the season in style. The novice eight boat came in fourth out of six boats in the grand finals, with a time of 6.37.31, just two seconds behind third place UMass-Amherst. It will row this Sunday in Worcester in the Nationals with the women's lightweight boat.
