UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY
KINGS POINT ROWING
WOMEN’S VARSITY FASTEST DIII CREW – MEN’S VARSITY SETS NEW KP RECORD
Dad Vail Regatta- May 7-8, 2010
Largest Collegiate Rowing Regatta
Competing Teams: 112
Athletes: 3800
Kings Point set two new ‘high marks’ at this years’ Dad Vail Regatta. The Varsity Men’s team qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time in the prestigious ‘Eight’ event while setting a new record and the women qualified for the semi-finals and finished as the fastest DIII institution.
While the Dad Vail Regatta is considered to be the national championships for small colleges and universities it is open to schools of all NCAA Divisions and indeed many from each division attend. Celebrating its 76th anniversary, the Dad Vail Regatta attracted one-hundred and twelve schools and thirty-eight hundred athletes to this year’s competition. The crews arrived from states as far away as Washington, California, Florida and Maine to battle for medals and the distinction of saying ‘they are the best in the country’. “With as many as forty-nine crews entered in some events, the competition is very intense and that is why we come. We love the challenge”, commented Head Coach Derek Hartwick.
On the first morning of racing the racecourse conditions were ideal for fast times. The women were the first to progress to the next round. The crew of Anna Simons ’12 and Kacey Rohloff ‘12 rowed through the heats and easily into the semi-finals. “We did not have to push it. It was a good race and we are looking forward to the Semis” commented Simons following the early morning race. The crew posted the 12th fastest time amongst 28 crews.
The early morning Semi-finals of the women’s pairs brought with it almost ideal conditions again for the second day. The Kings Point pair was able to stay within striking distant of qualifying for the first half but experienced some steering issues that made it difficult to regain the ground and qualify. The Mariners finished 5th in the Semi and just missed qualifying for the final. Despite the disappointment, they defeated many DI and DII teams and were the fastest DIII crew of the regatta. “It was a good season for this crew; they finished third in the Metros, second in New York and had a very respectable finish here. Their time of 8:22 in the heats was terrific.” relayed Hartwick following the race.
The Men’s Freshman Four of Coxswain David Wong, Stroke Brendan Rohr ’13, 3- Garrett Poncin ’13, 2-Chris Murphy ’13, and Bow- Brad Wood felt that they rowed their best race of the season despite not making it past the first round. “They rowed very well and their time of 7:46 was their best time of the season but unfortunately not fast enough to get into the final round”, remarked Coach Hartwick of his crew. While not qualifying for the finals, the crew did defeat fellow Landmark Conference team Catholic University.
The Kings Point Varsity Men’s Eight Crew of Coxswain-Greg Acker ’13, Stroke - Steven Jones ’10, Charles Waters ’10, Thomas Gambill ’12, Dustin Downing ’13, Connan Ingham ’12, Sam Diedrick ’10, Frank Osborne ’12, and Kyle O’Connor ’10 were ready for the challenge of racing thirty of the best crews in the country. In the qualifying heats, the Mariners set a new Academy record for the 2000 meter distance and improved their previous season best-time by nine seconds as they completed the course in 6:10 and qualified for the quarter-finals.
Encouraged by the potential and enthusiasm of the varsity men, Hartwick and assistant coach Daniel Udeanu embraced the idea of racing in the competitive category of the Varsity Men’s Eight. “It’s a first time for us entering a Varsity Eight, only thirty teams were accepted and we were one of them. We felt really good about this group and they really excelled.” said Hartwick about the varsity men. The early spring races were difficult with the crew trying to gain some speed since nearly half the crew had just returned from four months at sea. As the season progressed, the crew was able to gain momentum and capture a key race. “We were excited to win the Knecht Cup this year. It was a big win and we are proud of that.” said Udeanu. With that victory, the crew charged forward and continued to find its’ speed as it placed well in the NY State championships and amongst the top three in the New York Metropolitan region.
With the caliber of the crews at the Dad Vail regatta, the team knew that it would be quite a challenge to make the final. Undeterred, the crew approached the competition with confidence and a ‘do our best’ attitude. In the heats, the Mariners rowed well and finished within seconds of DI schools Ohio State and George Mason. Qualified for the next round, the crew then set their sights on getting through to the Semi-finals.
As the conditions changed throughout the day on the race course so did the times. Despite a full effort on the part of the Kings Pointers, the crew was unable to match the speed of qualifiers, Georgia Tech and St. Josephs but was only two and a half boat lengths back. In the final tally, the rowing Mariners were the 4th fastest DIII school of the regatta. To the delight of the large crowd of spectators, the Kings Point men decided prior to the race that however they finished, they would do something at the finish to celebrate their successful season. As the crew completed the race, they held the oar to the gunwale with one leg as they raised her hands in the air and cheered wildly. The delighted crowd laughed and cheered as they acknowledged the display of the Kings Pointers’ elation at a season ‘well rowed’.
U.S.M.M.A . RESULTS
Women’s Pair
12 of 28 crews in regatta
Time: 8:22
1st place amongst DIII schools
Freshman/Novice Men's Four
6th Place in Heat
Time: 7:46
1st place amongst Landmark Conference Schools
Varsity Men's Eight:
5th Place in Repechage
4th place amongst DIII schools
Time: 6:10
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