Spring Break
W. crew prevails, wins Kelly Cup
Michael Sipos
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: Sports
It's safe to say that the St. Joe's women's crew team has not only been dominant this season, but the past two seasons as well.
This season, it won the San Diego Crew Classic, in which Drexel placed 13th, along with capturing the Atlantic-10 Championship two weekends ago.
The Hawks looked poised to win their third-consecutive Kelly Cup, but they weren't counting on the Drexel women's varsity eight to shatter their dream as the Dragons convincingly won the Bergen Regatta - considered the city's championship of rowing - to dethrone St. Joe's April 25 on the Schuylkill River.
And for other Drexel boats competing at the Bergen Regatta, such as the women's varsity four and men's freshmen eight, it was an "open-water" type of day as well, as they took first in each of their respective races.
Considering the women's varsity eight boat had shown steady improvement over the course of this season, it was only a matter of time before it defeated its biggest competitor.
The Dragons' (6:53.6) race plan was to come out strong in the first 1,000 meters and then adjust accordingly. But the boat didn't get off to the start they were hoping for as they had a few difficulties to begin the race.
"Our start was a little rocky, but we got back into the swing of things after our first 10 [power strokes]," Dana Haneman, a sophomore rower on the women's varsity eight boat, said. "We held out a high rating of a 40 (strokes/minute), and coming through the bridge where we were about a boat length ahead of St. Joe's."
The Dragons remained ahead of St. Joe's (6:59.3) past the 1,000-meter mark to defeat the Hawks by open water.
And with the victory, especially over St. Joe's, a huge weight was lifted off the Dragons' shoulders.
"It's something we've been trying to do, but up until this race we haven't accomplished it yet," Chelsea Nowakowski, a senior rower on the women's varsity eight boat, said. "I'm very excited to compete against [St. Joe's] again just as a way to reaffirm how much we have worked this season and to show that we are just as good as they are. This win puts us where we want to be for Dad Vails."
This season, it won the San Diego Crew Classic, in which Drexel placed 13th, along with capturing the Atlantic-10 Championship two weekends ago.
The Hawks looked poised to win their third-consecutive Kelly Cup, but they weren't counting on the Drexel women's varsity eight to shatter their dream as the Dragons convincingly won the Bergen Regatta - considered the city's championship of rowing - to dethrone St. Joe's April 25 on the Schuylkill River.
And for other Drexel boats competing at the Bergen Regatta, such as the women's varsity four and men's freshmen eight, it was an "open-water" type of day as well, as they took first in each of their respective races.
Considering the women's varsity eight boat had shown steady improvement over the course of this season, it was only a matter of time before it defeated its biggest competitor.
The Dragons' (6:53.6) race plan was to come out strong in the first 1,000 meters and then adjust accordingly. But the boat didn't get off to the start they were hoping for as they had a few difficulties to begin the race.
"Our start was a little rocky, but we got back into the swing of things after our first 10 [power strokes]," Dana Haneman, a sophomore rower on the women's varsity eight boat, said. "We held out a high rating of a 40 (strokes/minute), and coming through the bridge where we were about a boat length ahead of St. Joe's."
The Dragons remained ahead of St. Joe's (6:59.3) past the 1,000-meter mark to defeat the Hawks by open water.
And with the victory, especially over St. Joe's, a huge weight was lifted off the Dragons' shoulders.
"It's something we've been trying to do, but up until this race we haven't accomplished it yet," Chelsea Nowakowski, a senior rower on the women's varsity eight boat, said. "I'm very excited to compete against [St. Joe's] again just as a way to reaffirm how much we have worked this season and to show that we are just as good as they are. This win puts us where we want to be for Dad Vails."
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