2007 Pioneer Navy outlook
Marietta men looking to repeat at Dad Vails and assert themselves at the elite level

March 14, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Pioneer Navy, still riding the wave from last year's Dad Vail gold in the Varsity Eight, will open the 2007 season Saturday (March 17) morning at the FIT Invite. Marietta will cap off a week of training in Palm Bay, Florida, during the team’s Spring Break by taking on host FIT and Columbia on Canal 54.

Marietta has six of the nine rowers back from the 2006 Varsity Eight, which won the school's fifth Dad Vail title. The Pioneers won the inaugural race in 1934 and had victories in 1963, 1966 and 1967.

This spring marks the 40th anniversary of the 1967 crew, which achieved the goal that the 2007 team will attempt to accomplish, when the crew successfully defended its 1966 gold medal at Dad Vails. Members of the 1967 shell are already making plans to be in Philadelphia May 11-12 to cheer on the team.

The Pioneer Navy not only has its sights on capturing another championship ring, but it is also looking move beyond the Dad Vail and test itself on some unfamiliar waters.

"Our main goal remains to win the Vail," said second-year Head Coach Chris Pucella. "However, our guys have committed themselves through July, and the V8, if its qualifies, will compete at both the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Regatta and the Henley Royal Regatta. These races will help us gauge our program's progress against the sport’s elite."

The IRA, which features the top 24 crews in the nation, takes place on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J., May 31-June 2. The Henley Royal Regatta is slated to take place July 4-8 on the River Thames in Henley-on-Thames, United Kingdom. A victory at Dad Vails would qualify Marietta for the Henley.

The Varsity Eight shell, which features six seniors and three sophomores, includes senior Zach Stimart (McLean, Va.) at bow, senior Jon Carlon (Winter Park, Fla.) in seat two, senior Chase Graham (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) in seat three, sophomore Mitch Paskawych (Marietta) in seat four, sophomore Andrew Norris (Dublin/Dublin Scioto) in seat five, senior Mike Ross (Fairport, N.Y.) in seat six, senior Eric Dowler (Washington, W.Va./Parkersburg South) in seat seven, senior Chuck Geyer (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) at stroke and sophomore Lydia Easterling (Tallmadge) at coxswain. Four of the athletes are actually lightweights.

Marietta will also compete in the Junior Varsity Eight again this spring. That boat will feature a combination of freshman and junior varsity rowers.

"There may be a bigger learning curve for the JV guys because of their youth," said Pucella. "However, they are improving each time that we take the water, and we expect a solid season of racing out of them in 2007."

The Pioneers were able to get on the waters of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers twice before heading south for the week. Marietta expects to complete a similar training regiment (237,000 meters) as last year on Canal 54 before the FIT Invite. The Pioneers will have two practices every day but one and spend an average of 5.5 hours on the water each afternoon.

Marietta's schedule will have the team competing each weekend until the one before the Dad Vail. The Pioneers will travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, for the MC/Purdue Challenge Cup on March 24 before hosting six crews at the Marietta Invitational on March 31. Marietta will then travel to the George Washington Invitational April 6-7. While in the nation’s capital, the Pioneer Navy will compete in three dual races, including head-to-head races with Cornell and Michigan. Following a home scrimmage with Drexel on April 14, Marietta will compete at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships April 20-21 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Pioneers' final Dad Vail tune-up will be at the Indianapolis College Championships on April 28.

"The men have really dedicated themselves to their training," said Pucella. "We entered January in better shape than we did last year and have continued to build on that base. We are currently in mid-season form in terms of endurance, giving us reason to really be exited about what can be accomplished this spring."