Virginia Enjoys a Successful Spring Break and Scrimmage
[nivoslider id=”846″ align=”right”]You former rowers remember the spring-break drill: the two-a-day workouts, the blisters, the unpredictable weather, the sore muscles. The current crop of Wahoos carried on the tradition last week, making the most of their spring break training.Both the varsity and novice squads logged plenty of miles, but they also practiced the 2000m-specific skills as well—plenty of starts, sprints, high ratings, and the like.
The intrasquad racing was intense. Due to the exceptional depth among the top two varsity 8s, the boats traded pieces all week. The novices showed good potential as well, sticking with the top boats on their better pieces (and getting spanked on their slower ones).
The week ended with a scrimmage against the U.S. Naval Academy lightweights and the Bucknell Bisons, both of whom were also finishing their spring breaks. The V8, 2V8, L8, N8, and 4s all raced. The pieces ranged from 500 meters to 1250 meters. The racing was wonderfully intense, with coaches free to “encourage” their crews during the pieces and to make switches between them.
The weather started great and ended up miserable, with a cold thunderstorm forcing the crews off the water. The UVa parents saved the day, though. After changing clothes and warming up, the rowers were treated to hot, plentiful food under the tents. What a great way to end the week!
Before the scrimmage, the Founders Group (the men who resurrected Virginia Rowing in the late 1960s) was on hand to dedicate the varsity 8’s newest racing shell, the Thomas Jefferson. The current rowers heard some great stories from the alumni about the early days of the crew, and everyone enjoyed reestablishing the connection among the eras of Virginia Rowing.
Thank you to our alumni, parents, and friends for traveling to Charlottesville and for always supporting the athletes and coaches!