Rigger - Western Washington University Men`s Crew

WWU MEN’S CREW
Rigger
2015 - 2016 SEASON
in this issue
2
Comments from the Captain
3
About our Coaches
5
7
8
9
13
14
Spring 2015 Recap
Fall 2015 Recap
A Farewell to Jack Marolich
2015 - 2016 Roster
Racing Schedule
Information for Donation
Comments from the Captain
Friends,
I have never been more excited to
be a part of Western’s Men’s Crew
Team. These last few years have
been pivotal for our program, as
our numbers boomed, and winning conference championships
consistently led to competing on
a national scale. Our program has
been hugely successful given our
size and funding, and there is no
doubt about it.
Much of that success can be
attributed to our former Head
Coach, Jack Marolich. He drove
each and every one of us to push
ourselves beyond what we thought
we were capable of. Although Coach
Marolich has moved on to new
things, he left the team in the very
capable hands of Matt Reider, who
we have all rallied behind.
As sad as it is to see him go, his leaving has brought a sense of personal
responsibility for the team’s success
to each of us.
This sense of responsibility is why
I am excited for what the team will
accomplish this year.
Many teammates pulled me aside
this Fall to express how much they
were looking forward to racing, and
to the strong team cohesion. Crew is
a sport that demands excellence, and
I am inspired by these conversations,
as they are directly indicative of the
team rising to the challenge of winter training and continuing to push
for a dominant national presence, as
a whole.
As excellence is demanded on the
water, so too is it expected off the
water. Over the break, we have held
each other accountable with our
winter workouts. Fitness is cumulative, and it’s exciting to have a tangible record of how so many of us
worked hard to stay fit and prepare
for winter training in the off-season.
I think, as a leader, it’s necessary to
set specific goals for the team. One
of the most important personal goals
has been to emphasize team bonding. Fast friends make fast boats, after
all. We have had a greater focus on
unity this year than any other year.
This year, team bonding has been
an impressive success. The Novice
squad has been welcomed into the
fold, and our efforts as a team to
create a dynamic where we are not
only teammates, but also family, has
influenced our commitment to each
other and added fuel to the fire we
all have to succeed.
One of the most impactful off-thewater moments for me was our goal
setting night. We gathered together
and individually shared why we row,
as well as what our goals are for the
upcoming year. Goals varied from
pulling a faster 2k, to being able to
lift heavier, to succeeding academically. Each one of us, having stated
a personal goal, is now accountable
not only to ourselves, but to our
teammates as well.
I am honored to say that the team
not only wants to get faster, stronger, and win more races. We intend
to continue to create a program
that draws attention not only for its
competitiveness, but for the positive
impact it has on its members and on
Western’s community as a whole.
Henry Brown
Team President and Captain
2
NEW YEAR
Novice Coach:
Roderick
van der Linden
Novice Coach:
Carl Smith
In the Fall of 2015, Head Coach Jack Marolich regretfully left the team to start a new chapter of
his life with his family in Portland, Ore.
With this, came a change in leadership for the vikings, as former Novice Coach Matt Reider
stepped up to lead the team as Head Coach.
Former rowers Carl Smith and Roderick van der Linden were welcomed back to the team, but
they traded in their oars and rowing shells for megaphones and launch boats and have been
working hard with our novices to yield a fast crew.
Here’s all you need to know about the men behind the action.
Head Coach:
Matt Reider
Strength and Novice Coach:
Will Ruth
Rod began his rowing career at Lake Union
Crew, in Seattle, where he learned as a novice.
He has been rowing for 7 years, four of them
being on Western’s mens team. Rod rowed
at Youth Nationals in the Lightweight 8.
At Western, he rowed in the Men’s
Varsity 4 and Lightweight 4 at WIRA’s, and the Lightweight 4 at NCRC.
He is currently majoring in Chemisty at Western, and expects to graduate Winter 2016.
Matt rowed for Western all four years as a varsity rower. Both his sophomore and junior year
he sat 3 seat in the v4 that took 3rd at WIRAs.
Matt’s senior year saw him in 5 seat in the Varsity 8 that took 1st place at the 2012 NCRC and
he sat 3rd seat once again in the Varsity 4 that
took first at WIRAs.
Matt received All West Coast his junior year
and All American at ACRA his senior year.
Matt rowed 2008 to 2012 and is eager to contribute to the team as a coach for a second year.
Will Ruth is the team strength coach and has
been helping out on the water over the last
season as well. A former rower for Olympia
Area Rowing, Will graduated in 2014 from
Western with a degree in kinesiology, focus
sport psychology. This is Will’s 3rd year with
the team and he became a published author
in rowing this year with his e-book, Rowing
Stronger: Strength Training to Maximize Rowing Performance, published by Rowperfect UK.
Learn more about Coach Will and Western’s training program on his webs i t e , w w w. s t r e n g t h c o a c h w i l l . c o m .
Carl started rowing at Western and competed with the Vikings through his first four
undergraduate years. During his time on Viking Crew, Carl was a member of the WIRA
3rd place novice 4+, 1st place NCRC novice 8
and novice 4+, four time medaling and three
time 1st place NCRC varsity 8, four time medaling and three time 1st place NCRC varsity
4+, and 3rd place Dad Vail varsity 4+. Carl was
named a 2012 ACRA All-American novice,
2014 and 2015 ACRA All Region oarsman,
and a 2015 ACRA All-American oarsman.
In addition to rowing with the Vikings, Carl
competed with the Vesper U23 program that
won Club Nationals in the summer of 2014 and
rowed for Team USA for a 6th place finish in the
4- at the World University Games in Gwangju,
South Korea during the summer of 2015.
Carl is currently completing his majors in
Kinesiology and in Applied Human Sciences and expects to graduate Winter 2016.
New COACHES
4
2015 spring recap
The Spring 2015 season brought in strong winds and stronger strokes. With regattas such as the Annual
Samish Sprints in Bellingham, Wash. and Cascade Sprints in Lakewood, Wash. being cancelled and postponed
due to heavy winds, the Vikings had to put in extra time to ensure the missed water time would not affect their
performance. Under the leadership of coaches Jack Marolich, Joe Gregersen, Matt Reider, and Zak Balonick the
Vikings represented Western and became the team to beat in the NW Conference.
The team kicked off the season with weeklong Spring
Break training, spending both mornings and afternoons on the
water, bringing the fire to Whatcom day in and day out.
On March 25, 2015, the men and women travelled down
to Lakewood, Wash. for the annual Cascade Sprints Regatta. The
team had planned to field multiple Novice and Varsity 8’s, as well
as a Varsity 4 and two JV 4’s. Unfortunately, despite the team’s
wishful thinking, the regatta was cancelled after a handful of
heats due to severe winds. Because of this, roughly half the team
was able to race, while the other half were stuck in limbo on the
water until the race officials made the call to cancel racing 1.5
hours after the projected start of the JV 4+ race.
April 4th, 2015 WWU Men’s crew traveled down
to Seattle to compete in the Husky Open. The team fielded
three eights and two fours to race 2000m through the cut
against UCSB, UW, UPS, and SU. Although the Viks were
unable to catch UCSB and UW through the sprint, the V8
finished 5 seconds back on UCSB V8 and well ahead of
conference rivals UPS and SU. The V4 had a heart breaker
of a race with a 2 second loss, seeing them pull across the
line on the stern deck of UCSB’s V4.
The following weekend, the Western men drove
south to race at the Covered Bridge Regatta in Eugene, Oregon. Covered Bridge is one of the larger regattas the entire
team shows at, and is continually a favorite for rowers and
spectators alike. The entire team performed well, with multiple boats bringing medals home with them, and scoring
the Team Efficiency Points Trophy with 97% of the wins.
5
On April 18, the Vikings went down to Vancouver to reclaim the conference title after surrendering it to the University of Puget Sound Loggers
in 2014. It was a successful day for the Vikings, with
wins in all events and a podium finish for the exhibition 8 as well. The Vikings effectively reestablished
themselves on top of the conference once again
with the first across the board set of wins since the
establishment of the Northwest Collegiate Rowing
Conference (pictured below).
The Vikings fielded a Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ to compete at the Western Intercollegiate
Rowing Association Championship regatta on Lake
Natoma, California Filled with carbs and hungry for
success, the Varsity 8+ managed to take 1st place in
the petite final, 7th place overall.
Following this, the Varsity 8+ dropped the
hammer on UW’s territory and finished 3rd at
Windermere Cup behind UW’s A and B varsity
boats. The Windermere Cup is a regatta that attracts
teams from all over the globe.
For the last regatta of the season, the Varsity
4+ flew over to Philadelphia for the Aberdeen Dad
Vail Regatta. Henry Brown, Brayden Jacobson, Carl
Smith, Severn Anderson and Charlotte Nieman
made the Pacific Northwest proud by finishing 1st
in their heat, 2nd in the quarter-finals, and 6th in a
very close semi-final race.
To wrap up the season, the Vikings bid
adieu to seniors Roddy van der Linden, Carl Smith,
Jackson Turvey, and Brayden Jacobson.
Head of the Charles:
The Varsity 4+ went back to Boston, Mass. For the second year in a
row. Line-up: Nick Jensen, Severn
Anderson, Henry Brown, Stuart
Doty and coxswain Charlotte Nieman. The men put up a fierce fight
on the river, and finished at a solid
15th place out of 46 crews with a
time of 18:10.32.
V8: Charlotte Nieman, Henry
Brown, Nick Jensen, Severn Anderson, Gabriel Moss, Jeff Pratt,
Ben Wapels, Stuart Doty, and Corban McKay
JV8: Marielle Face, Grant Williams, Patrick Abercrombie, Mason
Starr, Daniel Korus, Kal Imlay,
Dario Castellon, Mitchell Tokuoka,
Michael Ottele
Fall
2015
Season
Recap
Team Building:
Head of the Lake:
On a beautiful fall Sunday in Seattle, the V8+ took 6/7 with a time
of 18:02. UW won the collegiate 8’s
with a time of 15:59. V8+ took 9/9
with a time of 19:47.
Both crews raced up at this event,
as is tradition at HOTL, also competing against Stanford, Oregon
State, U of Oregon, Gonzaga, UBC,
UVic, and WSU.
1st Annual Whatcom Ham &
Egger:
WWU Men’s Crew finished out
our season last weekend with an
intra-squad race in lieu of our
planned duel with Frazier Valley,
due to weather concerns and some
late-season injuries. Lineups were
arranged at random, some ports
became starboards, vuvuzelas were
blown at the start line. Four 2k’s
and a lot of math later, we crowned
our champions.
Welcome to the team, novices!
This year, the men decided to improve off -the-water relationships
to build trust and friendship in
the boats and as a result, we held
multiple exciting all-team events
off of the water including a 5k for
alumni, a team hike, and the 5th
annual Frostbite Football game (a
December classic for the team.)
A
Farewell
to Coach
Jack
Marolich
Jack Marolich left Western in late October after
6 years as the men’s head coach. Jack was a rower for
Western from 2004-2008, beginning when the program was still a varsity program. Jack returned to his
alma mater in 2009. The program had become a club
sport in 2006, and strong leadership was necessary to
keep the team from fading into obscurity.
“Crew is basically the family I’ve always wanted to
have. Jack makes me want to be a better person, for
him and for the team. And I am sure that every guy in
the team feels that way too. At practice he talked about
the ‘Rowing Gods’ above; I am pretty sure he is secretly
one of them.” Dario Castellon, Class of 2017
Under Jack’s unwavering leadership, the club
grew from 12 in 2009 to its current 40. Beyond raw
numbers, the club is returning more rowers than ever,
with 25 returning for the 2015 season. The team has
also grown in competitiveness, with recent qualifications for the Dad Vail Regatta as well as Head of the
Charles, and the team is now a perennial competitor at
the NCRC and WIRA championships. WWU executed
the first-ever sweep of every event in the NCRC last
year for the first time in conference history. In honor
of Marolich, the team made the decision to name the
previously unnamed boathouse “Marolich Shellhouse.”
“Jack Marolich made an indelible impression on me in
the years. I cannot say high enough praise for Jack; his
work ethic only matched by his humor, his humbleness complimented by his patience and vision. What
Jack made with his time in Bellingham is a testament
to what selfless action can do for others. Through him
I learned how to win and lose gracefully, how to be
tenacious in the face of adversity, the joy of succeeding
after sacrifice and trial. He stands unparalleled in his
even handedness, his compassion and his foresight.”
Carl Smith, Class of 2015
Quotes from current and former team
members about Marolich:
“Amazing asset to the team. Was able to build something back to greatness.” Andy Foltz, Class of 2007,
current PLU women’s coach
“Jack made me work hard at the sport, he made me
love the sport.” Jason Syms, Class of 2010
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The 2015 - 2016
Viking Crew
Dario Castellon
Robert Cohen
Stuart Doty
Kal Imlay
Nick Jensen
Cameron Moser
Gabe Moss
Cox. Charlotte Nieman
Elliot O’Neill
Jeff Pratt
Mitchell Tokuoka
Nick Vitalis
4th Year Oarsmen
Henry Brown
Michael Ottele
Cox. Genevieve Carrillo
Cox. Tohn Keagle
3rd Year Oarsmen
Jackson Wood
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Corban McKay
Severn Anderson
Ben Waples
Grant Williams
2
N
D
Y
E
A
R
R
O
O
K
I
E
S
Novice
Rowers
Nic Carter
Ben Chapman
Ben Clark
Cox. Molly Dowell
Luke DuChesne
Joel Gesicki
Cox. Brittney Go
Levi Hamernik
Alex Kivela
Daniel Korus
Nick Lyon
Cox. Bayley Maynard
Not Pictured:
Justice Dutton
Nathan Hopkins
Micah Melkonian
Cox. Evelyn Sides
Mason Starr
The thing about rowing is that you’ll get punished, tattered, you’ll sweat, you’ll bleed,
you’ll cry, and you’ll be in more pain than ever before but every time you will get back
up, possessed by the power to win, and you will never give up.
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2016 RACING SCHEDULE
Samish Sprints vs. University of Puget Sound • March 12, 2016 • Bellingham, Wash.
Daffodil Regatta • March 26, 2016 • Lakewood, Wash.
Husky Open • April 2, 2016 • Seattle, Wash.
Covered Bridge Regatta • April 9, 2016 • Dexter Lake, Ore.
Cascasdes Cup / NWC Championships • April 24, 2016 • Vancouver, Wash.
Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships • April 30, 2016 • Lake Natoma, Calif.
Alumni Day • TBD May, 2016 • Bellingham, Wash.
Dad Vail Regatta • May 13 and 14, 2016 • Philadelphia, Pa.
American Collegiate Rowing Association Championships • May 28 and 29, 2016 • Gainsville, Ga.
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INFORMATION FOR
ALUMNI AND PARENTS
Rowing has brought huge benefits
to the Western student-athletes
and community since the team first
began. Now a club sport, the team
strives to make rowing available
and accessible to all, regardless of
experience or financial status.
victories in the conference and
impressive showings regionally and
nationally, the team looks towards
a season of even larger growth and
needs than years past.
The team has made great strides
since losing school varsity funding,
We accomplish this through a num- none of which could have been
ber of means, including fundraising possible without support from our
and keeping participation expenses sponsors. We thank our alumni,
family, and friends of Western
to a minimum to limit team dues.
Men’s Crew, and we appreciate
The expenses involved with runyour continued support to help us
ning a growing team represent a
through another great year
constant challenge for a group that
ultimately must count on being
self-funded.
To donate online, go to:
Maintaining an operational fleet of
www.wwu.edu/give
racing shells is a multi-thousand
and select “Men’s Crew”
dollar undertaking every year. The
costs of race entries, trailering,
regatta dues, gas, hotels and car
rentals add to the financial burden.
With increasing visibility of the
program and a series of recent large
Fundraising goals for 20152016
A new/lightly-used Vespoli 8.
8 new Concept-2 ergs
5 new Speed Coaches
2 new spotlights and 1 set of walkie-talkies for coaches. There are
a variety of smaller items like this
that would be great additions to the
coaching staff ’s equipment locker.
We cannot thank you enough for
your support of the Western Men’s
Rowing team!
Support the team
keep in touch
website:
wwucrew.com
twitter:
@WWUMensCrew
instagram:
@WWUCrew
written and designed by Genevieve Carrillo
photographs by Tohn Keagle