Perfect weather, calm conditions and a double rainbow derigging party paved the way towards taking a big step forward for HT Crew this weekend. All boats dramatically improved and will have some great momentum and positive energy going into the next two weeks of training, which will be critical for success in late April and early May. All boats improved, but it was the Novice women's 4x, lwt men's 4+, and lwt women's 4+ that get the gold star this week.
The novice women went from last in Flick #3 to 2nd yesterday. They led most of the second half of the race only to get nipped by a talented Conestoga crew in the last 20 strokes. They will be especially determined over the next two weeks to improve in the hopes of leaving Stoga on the short side of the finish line the next time they meet.
The light men's four battled Moorestown and Radnor all the way down the course and found the extra effort in the final 20 strokes to finish 2nd in their heat and post one of the top 5 times of their event. They have been a crew that has rowed pretty well from the start and are now beginning to find a new intensity. If they bring the same attitude to practice for the next two weeks, the skies the limit...
The lightweight women have had an uphill battle since hopping into the boat last month, but seem to have turned a corner yesterday with an incredible performance. They were rowing even with Moorestown and Agnes Irwin for the early part of the race and pushed hard to finish third in their heat, a dramatic improvement over their first two outings this year. They took the initiative to improve their own start this week and Anna, their coxswain, came up with a great race plan that contributed to their turn around performance. They now have some good momentum and good mojo to bring to the next week of practice.
One side note; our Novice men's 4+ was well on their way to another successful performance before stroke seat, Ryan Clark caught a crab that ejected him from the boat and into the bosom of the Schuylkill River. Fortunately, he was not injured and was able to quickly swim back to the boat and finish the race.
Our Varsity women's 1x and Novice 2x braved their way through their first regatta in challenging conditions and represented their team well.
All in all it was a good weekend for the entire team and should provide some good fuel for the next two weeks of training; perhaps the most important of our outdoor season. It will be critical that we all work together to make sure that the next two weeks are productive and consistent. Parents please adhere to the practice policies and schedule appointments around practice times. I have been trying my best to schedule things as far in advance as possible but injuries, boat usage, and equipment problems have all reeked havoc on our best laid plans. We will continue to do all we can to make the schedules in advance and keep you updated on changes. Please check back to this site frequently this week, as we will have more information on spring break, traveling to Mercer for the ISA Sculling Championships and practice times.
