Feb. 17, 2006

MC Men’s Crew ready for water

By Tom Gray
twg001@marietta.edu

The Marietta Men’s Crew team has consistently been a force to reckoned with. Even at a small school like Marietta, the Pioneer Crew team has earned itself a big name in the rowing community.

With the introduction of a new coach, the big question was could Marietta continue to be the great force they had been in the past? Starting the fall season, things did not bode well.

A large number of team members from the previous year had either transferred or quit. By the start of the fall season races, there were not even enough rowers to field a JV 8 (eight person boat) without using freshmen, who traditionally race in a different classification. Although the shortage of rowers made things difficult, and the introduction of a new coach should have made this an “off year” for Marietta, the Men’s Crew team fought the odds. With a lot of hard work, Marietta finished with a great fall season, medaling at every regatta they attended.

Although the fall season was successful, the true testament to the abilities of Men’s Crew lies before them. As the spring racing season approaches, Men’s Crew has been training hard, and they are out to prove that they still belong at the top, despite all of the hardships that they’ve had to endure.

“I think that we as a team are doing very well. I personally truly feel that the erg workouts are hard, and that is what we need to show people that we were not just a ‘one coach’ kind of team” commented junior Zach Stimart.

Returning to the water this spring are seniors Dave Himes, Brent Keuch, Mike Ross, and Braden Sanner, juniors Evan Tsourtsoulas, Devin Ohman, Chase Graham, Chuck Geyer, Eric Dowler, Zach Stimart, and Karl Biermann, and sophomores Justin Callahan, Jon Carlon, Tim Rinehart, and Eddie Yu.

Newcomers this spring are Nicholas Brown, Samuel Burton, Brian Casto, Grant Deken, Tony Disimone, Mark Hirschfield, Austin McIntire, Victor Narkevic, Andrew Norris, Mitch Paskawych, Craig Ripiski, and Jon Waldman.

Along with coming back from Winter break a week early to train in Florida, adding Yoga to the regular work out schedule, and hiring of a new head coach, the team has been doing everything they can both on and off the water to get ahead of the competition. The gold medal at the Dad Vail Regatta is still the ultimate goal, as it has always been in the past, but it will also be the final chance to show the rowing world that Marietta has not fallen down, and that is still stands among the best.