Rowing at Vassar |
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Women's News & Notes
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The first race of the spring 2007 season was in Schenectady, NY against Union College. The First Varsity Eight was the first to race against Union and had an incredible win, beating Union by 24 seconds. Vassar's 2nd Varsity Eight and Novice Eight raced together against Union's 2nd Varsity boat, as Union could not boat a full Novice boat. The 2nd Varsity ruled the race with a great start and pushed away from the other boats with a finish 17 seconds ahead of Union. Vassar's Novice put in a good show, placing third. The next race was in Worcester, MA against Conn College, Fairfield, Amherst and Clark on Lake Quinsigamond. The Varsity Eight raced against Clark and ruled the race from the start and finished 45 seconds ahead of their competition. The 2nd Varsity Eight had a competitive race against Fairfield and Clark where Vassar finished the race only nine seconds off of Fairfield's first place and a whopping 53 seconds ahead of Clark. The Novice Eight was cut down to a Four to accommodate the two empty seats from two injured rowers in the 2nd Varsity boat. The Novices raced Conn College, Fairfield, and Amherst. The Novices finished the race 4th . The following day on Lake Quinsigamond the First Varsity Eight raced against WPI, Mt. Holyoke, and Wellesley in the first and closest race of the day to finish with a solid 2nd to Mt. Holyoke by six seconds. Wellesley fell to Vassar's time by seven seconds with WPI trailing to last place by three seconds. Vassar's 2nd Varsity Eight raced Mt. Holyoke and Wellesley and came in a strong second to Mt. Holyoke's time by 23 seconds, with Wellesley falling third to Vassar by 20 seconds. Vassar's Novice Eight came in 3rd, having had a good race against Mt. Holyoke and Wellesley's 1st and 2nd Novice boats. Wellesley's 2nd Novice boat fell to VC's Novice boat by ten seconds. In Rome, NY the following week the Vassar Women raced against Hamilton College. The Varsity Women's Eight raced well but to fell to Hamilton by a mere two seconds. The 2nd Varsity Women's Eight split up into two Fours to race against Hamilton's Varsity Four. Vassar's two 2nd Varsity Fours finished within a second of each other but came in 3rd and 4th to Hamilton. Due to the weather conditions and safety concerns, the Novice Women did not race. Vassar had an incredibly successful Liberty Leagues in Saratoga Springs, NY.
The following weekend was the New York State Collegiate Championships in Whitney Point, NY. With DI and DIII schools from the state of New York trying to qualify for ECACs, it was the biggest regatta Vassar had been to all season. The Varsity Women's Eight launched for their heat against Ithaca, Dowling, St. Lawrence, Hamilton, Canisius and Rensselaer. The women had a solid race coming 2nd by ten seconds to Ithaca in the faster of the two heats. The women qualified for the Grande Final and hoped to improve on their performance for their Final. In the Grande Final for the Varsity Women's Eight the VC women raced Ithaca, William Smith, Dowling, Army and Rochester and placed a tight 5th against Rochester's 6th. The 2nd Varsity Eight raced against William Smith, Ithaca, and Union in their heat to finish in 4th, 14 seconds off of Union in the fastest heat of the 2nd Varsity Eight event. There was no Petite Final for this event. The Novice Women's Eight raced against Ithaca, Skidmore, Binghamton, and Stony Brook. The VC Women had a solid race in the choppy conditions to come in the 3rd to Ithaca and Skidmore, qualifying them for the Petite Final. Their Final the next day would be their last race of the season as there is no Novice event at ECACs. In their Petite Final the Novice Eight they had an incredible race against Albany, Hofstra, Stony Brook, and Rensselaer. The Novice boat was ahead until Albany squeaked out ahead before the finish Vassar's boat, beating our boat by only two seconds.
Vassar's success is due to the combination of both experienced rowers as well as a large number of inexperienced athletes ("walk-ons") who join the team upon their arrival to Vassar's campus in their freshman year. In this way, rowing at Vassar is a very unique sport with the opportunity to excel with or without previous experience. Head Coach Rodney Mott encourages athletes of all backgrounds and abilities to try-out for the rowing team. In fact, a number of swimmers, basketball and volleyball players, and runners have transitioned to the sport of rowing and had great success. Athletes with prior experience typically begin on the Varsity team their first year, while those without rowing experience train in the afternoons on the Novice squad with others who are also learning the sport for the first time. All teams train on the magnificent Hudson River, just four miles from campus. A spacious boathouse includes boat storage, locker rooms, showers, and other amenities. Currently, the team's fleet of shells consists of seven eights, four fours, and four pairs, each with its own set of oars. The team gathers in the clubhouse to review practice and competition tapes as well as hold team meetings, mental training sessions, and team dinners. Winter training sessions in early February are held in the "Crew Room" located in the on-campus Athletic Facilities. This area includes free and machine weights as well as more than 16 rowing ergometers, used exclusively by the rowing team.
The Division III 19-week season spans seven weeks in September and October, and twelve weeks in the spring from March to May. Practices are held daily, with athletes attending unless there is an academic conflict. Athletes are generally on the river for two hours; combined with preparation and post-practice activity, the total commitment is about two and a half hours a day. Another important factor in Vassar's success has been the program's ability to attract top scholar-athletes.
Head Coach Rodney Mott |
Vassar's Women's Rowing Team had an amazing season of wins that ranked them 13th in the Nation out of all Division III schools. Their consistent and dynamic performance throughout the spring of 2007 made Vassar a school to be reckoned with in the Liberty League and the northeast. 
The Varsity Women's Eight had a nail-biter of a heat in the first women's race of the day against Union and William Smith. Vassar was victorious and beat William Smith to the line, qualifying for the Grande Final that afternoon. In the Grande Final that afternoon, the VC Varsity Eight raced William Smith. Skidmore finished third with Hamilton finishing fourth. One of the most debated finishes of the day was the 2nd Varsity Women's Eight race. William Smith dominated the race to come first with St. Lawrence coming second, but the real contention was between Vassar and Union, in the fight for the bronze medal. The Officials replayed the video of the finish numerous times and flip-flopped from Vassar, to Union, and back to Vassar again for third place. Vassar placed third with Union fourth place by 0.3 seconds. The Novice Women's Eight placed 3 rd to Skidmore's 1st and William Smith's 2nd (7:46.5) which followed to take second place. RPI's Eight straggled across the line 40 seconds behind Vassar to come fourth. 
At the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships that took place on Lake Quinsigamond in Massachusetts. The Varsity Women's Eight was the first to race Saturday against Mt. Holyoke, Wellesley, Smith, Tufts, and Skidmore. In the heat, Smith and Tufts took a strong lead and held it throughout the race while Vassar and Mt. Holyoke fought for third place. Vassar came 4th to Mt. Holyoke, qualifying them for their semi-final the next morning. Wellesley and Skidmore followed 5th and 6th respectively. In the semi-final against St. Lawrence, Hamilton, Marietta, Skidmore and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the VC women battled for 1st place and won, against USCG, which qualified them for the Third Level Final. St. Lawrence, Hamilton, Skidmore, and Marietta trailed after Vassar and Coast Guard. In the Third Level Final against Coast Guard, Washington College, Wellesley, WPI, and St. Lawrence, Vassar and USCG fought to the finish with Vassar while the rest lagged behind. It was a photo finish with Vassar winning by 0.24 seconds.
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