The Men's team got the 2011-2012 season off to a very solid start, with the 1V winning the Snake Regatta while setting a course record in the process. The 2V, 1F, and 3V also performed well, finishing 5th, 9th and 11th, respectively. The 1V won the race in a time of 12:55.356, more than 16 seconds over an entry from Merrimac River.
Race Results can be found here.
A recap from the goholycross website is available here.
After the race, we were able to exchange emails with Captain Mike Walker '13, bow seat of the 2V, and Jordan Traub '14, stroke of the 1V. Click below to read the interview.
Adam: When did the boat lineups get sorted out?
Jordan: The line up for the 1V was getting mixed around a little to see what combination of guys worked best two weeks before the Snake. Then, for the week leading up to the Snake, we switched our 5 and 6 seat with our 3 and 4 seat (inter-boat); this seemed to be more efficient so we stuck with that new lineup for the race (ed. note: at the Snake, Peter Prominski '13 sat 6 seat, Henry Van Damme '14 sat 5 seat, Pete Dwyer '12 sat 4 seat, and Colin Hayes '12 sat 3 seat).
Mike: The lineups of the boats came to be largely due to the testing on the ergs. Collectively, we've tried to forget about our old PRs from years past and reach towards levels that we never thought were possible. The vast majority of our team has not only been able to set personal records, but has pushed through boundaries we once thought impassable. We rowed mixed boats for the first month or so of practice, complimented by a heavy dose of high intensity erg workouts. The lineups were never really set in stone until 4 or 5 days before the race, since we all recently re-tested and are constantly trying to lower our scores. As you know, lineups are constantly being evaluated and are subject to change on a daily basis.
Adam: It sounds like there is more competition this year than ever before to get into the 1V. Jordan, what's it going to take for you to keep your spot in the 1V? Mike, what do you need to do differently to get into it?
Jordan: I think for me to keep my spot in the 1V, I will have to continue to work hard, make technical changes on the water when needed, and drop my 6k time on the next test.
Mike: The depth of our team is just amazing. Having a 3V that goes only 40 seconds slower than the 1V is really exciting. That being said, the ultimate goal is always to be in that first boat. For me, I just need to continue to increase my fitness by doing extra workouts and all of the other little things that add up, like eating right and getting enough sleep. We are a much deeper team than we've ever been before, and competition is fierce. In the long run, this competition is only going to make us better as we push each other to become better oarsmen. Ultimately though, the goal we are working towards is the Eastern Sprints in 7 months. So as much as it does bother me that I'm not in that first boat right now, I just have to improve each and every day.
Adam: What was the race plan for each of your boats? Were all boats focused on separate things or was there a common mission?
Jordan: The race plan for the 1V was to start off hard and try to put crews away early, rating at a 31 for the first 3/4 of the race then increasing to a 32 until the end. Because we were the first boat off in the race, and did not have any boats to catch up to and pass, we went off of splits from the Speed Coach to make sure we kept on the pressure the entire time. I know the mission for the 1V was to go out and win. We had won last year so we needed to keep the title.
Mike: Going into our races, our main goal was to execute. Across all four boats, we knew that as long as we focused on putting together a complete race, we would position ourselves to see a result that we could be pleased with. Each boat had their points of focus and recognized and addressed things that had been of concern throughout the week. With how our fall had been progressing, we knew that we were in a position to impose our will on all other boats. We like to think of Lake Quinsigamond as our water and we had to protect it this past weekend.
Adam: Were you happy with the result? What can you fine tune for the remainder of the fall season?
Jordan: I was very happy with how the 1V raced the Snake. Everyone in the boat pulls hard and rows well, but we can still get stronger and technically better for the remainder of the fall. I am in no way satisfied with how we raced; there is always room to get better, especially this early in the year. I have a lot of confidence in these boys and I know that if we continue to focus and make changes, we will have a successful season.
Mike: Although the results could have been better, each boat felt like they executed their race plan and had very good races. All of our boats placed first compared to their respective competition. Finishing all of our boats in the top 10 is really exciting and it was good to see such a positive result after all the hard work we've put in since the start of school. The rest of the fall season will be far more competitive. We are always looking for ways to improve, and will need to do so for the remainder of the year. The Snake is now in the past and we are looking forward to the rest of the fall season. It would be easy to get caught up in how well we did, but we are moving on and trying to embrace our training on a day-to-day basis in preparation for what's down the road.
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