|
June 15, 2007
|
|
GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! BRONZE! How about those Dawgs? It has been a long ten years but we are back and the rowing world knows it! Our guys took to the water with confidence and élan on Saturday, June 2, at the IRA and simply destroyed the competition. The varsity, junior varsity and open four performed brilliantly in winning their races, and the strong freshmen bronze effort helped the team win the Ten Eyck Cup team trophy. The varsity controlled each of its races up to and including the final. In an interview with Eric Cohen for the Husky Crew website, Bob Ernst said: “I knew if they were close, they would win. With 300 meters to go, they just put the hammer down.” The junior varsity executed their race plan perfectly. In fact, in the middle section of the final race, the boat was clocked at 33½, not what you would call a scramble. It was an awesome performance. And the open four race … well, that one is owned by Colin Sykes and his charges. What else did you expect? Six National Championship rings in a row and counting! Be sure to log on to www.huskycrew.com and www.gohuskies.com for race descriptions and lineups, and for a large collection of photos from the trip. Beyond the obvious – the season began with great athletes, they received great coaching, and together they put together the finest collegiate rowing program in America – three observations seem appropriate. First, the varsity was seldom pushed to its maximum this year but, in the finals when it happened, the eight oarsmen responded like men born to race. Second, they had Katelin Snyder in the stern calling a perfect race; she is quickly becoming one of Washington’s signature coxswains. Third, the growth of the junior varsity was visible during the course of the season. They peaked in both maturity and speed at the perfect time, giving them – and us – a race and a victory to remember forever. You helped, too; it takes money to build and maintain a program at this level, and the number of you who have begun writing checks has increased dramatically. Long time contributors, too, have stepped up their donations. All of it has become a central ingredient of the program’s success. Three visible signs of investment can be seen on www.huskycrew.com. Look for photos of the three victorious Husky crews standing behind the bows of their boats. The four won their title in the Class of 2007, donated just recently by eight members of the class of 1992. The junior varsity won their title in the Tom McCurdy 52, donated by long time benefactors, the McCurdy family. (In your editor’s 50 year association with the Husky Crew, there has always been a McCurdy boat in the shell bays.) And the varsity won their title in the Chuck Holtz, donated by another great benefactor, Jon Runstad. Thanks to our magnificent varsity, the Holtz is undefeated. Chuck would be proud. And while you are looking at those pictures, take a moment to check out Sean Mulligan’s live broadcast of the varsity race. As cox of the ’97 varsity, the Husky’s last unbeaten team, he hasn’t lost a bit of his enthusiasm for the purple and gold – or for winning efforts. The last minute of his call is an instant Husky classic. You don’t have to look too deeply to see a dynasty in the works. Coach Michael Callahan has worked tirelessly at recruiting, and his crews are feeding the varsity with the product of his work ethic. Make no mistake: the bonze medal freshmen will be heard from as sophomores and the incoming freshman class will, in their turn, be pushing as well. All of these positive developments were underscored by alumni, parents and friends who showed up for a Welcome Home Celebration held in the Windermere Cup Dining Room at Conibear on Tuesday, June 5. With UW President Mark Emmert, Athletic Director Todd Turner, and Bob Ernst at the podium, the crews basked in words of praise and in the shouts and applause from the overflow crowd. A number of scheduling conflicts – most notably with the U.S. and Canadian National Teams – has caused the team to pass on this year’s Henley Royal Regatta. No doubt they would have won if they had gone but something tells us that they already possess their best reward. |
|
