Despite a strong headwind, the men's varsity crew team secured a strong finish at this weekend's Head of the Fish Regatta, with its top four finishing 17th out of 31. The Head of the Fish marks the last competition the men will participate in until the spring season.
The men traveled overnight to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this Friday to enter three teams into the four−boat competition, a race in which each team uses four members per boat. In addition to the traditional single−sex races, the regatta also offered a mixed, or coed, eight−boat race. Eight Jumbos, four men and four women, teamed up for the first time to secure a bronze medal despite never having practiced together.
With multiple events being held simultaneously, some of the men had to race more than once. However, the 3,700−meter Head of the Fish course was shorter than the Jumbos' typical races, making the event more manageable.
"They were short races, so they weren't very taxing," senior tri−captain Eugene Kim said.
While the course was not the most challenging, the Jumbos still had to battle less−than−ideal weather throughout the weekend, including a significant headwind during the second round of the fours race.
"The first round felt really solid, then we came around the corner and the boat was really, really heavy," freshman Ian McConnell, who rowed in the tall four, said. "Conditions weren't ideal."
Tufts' top four boat placed 17th in the field of 31 with a time of 14:28.71. Close behind was the second boat, finishing 22nd just under 30 seconds later. The squad's third boat was not far off either, coming in 24th with a time of 15:24.82.
But the team's best result came in the mixed eights, where the coed group finished third with a time of 12:23.46. The impressiveness of the finish was amplified, given the lack of shared experience the rowers had.
The added events proved to be valuable for the entire roster. Having four competing boats allowed more members of the team to compete in the regatta than usual. Every member of the varsity squad was able to race at some point during the day.
"It's always good to let everyone get the chance to race," Kim said. "It's a good experience and builds good character for the spring."
The team will hardly remain idle until the spring season comes around. Though the Head of the Fish was the last race of the fall season, the men will continue training indoors during the winter to prepare for the spring.
"[The Head of the Fish has] given us a good benchmark for winter training and how we can build ourselves up for success in the spring," Kim said.
With water inaccessible during the winter months, the team will shift its focus to weight training and practicing on ergometers. The "ergs," as the rowing machines are called, simulate the rowing motion, giving the rower a thorough muscular and cardio workout.
"We've got some work to do for the spring. The spring is what we're really focused on," Kim said.
Director of Rowing Gary Caldwell will be looking to get as much training as he can out of his rowers over the break. According to McConnell, this year's rowers are anticipating a stricter winter training schedule than they have had in the past.
"Last year it wasn't really imposed," McConnell said. "[This year,] they want to make sure people are coming to the workouts."
Winter training will last until March, when the Jumbos will return to the water. The spring is the more competitive of the two seasons, with the fall races serving as a scrimmage season to identify areas where the team can make improvements for the future. Races like the Head of the Fish and the recent Head of the Charles were opportunities for the Jumbos to test themselves and see where they stand. And with strong overall results behind them, the team has a lot to look forward to in the upcoming season.
