BY JORDAN VITICK

With a warmer season approaching, the RHS crew is looking forward to regatta wins and more practice out on the Detroit River.

Recently the weather has been less than ideal, and the crew has felt the results.

"Lately it’s been hard getting out on the water [to practice]," said rowing coach Patrick Hickey. "A lack of water time can determine what we’re going to do at practice."

When conditioning started in the late fall, the rowers worked out to help make the season a success.

The crew’s practices have included training on the rowing machines and running both outside and in the new gymnasium’s upstairs track.

"The individual goals…are to get faster on their times for the ergometer. As far as team goals, we want to continue to get more boats into the finals at every regatta," said Hickey.

Lightweight 4+ rower and senior Joe Zalewski said that his expectations for this season are success and regatta wins.

During Spring Break, the Roosevelt rowing team had practice twice a day to get ready for a busy season of regattas.

"We had two-a-days over Spring Break," said senior crewmember Amanda Kruse. "There’s really no reason why we shouldn’t do well."

On Saturday, April 21, the RHS crew competed in their first regatta of the season. The Grand Rapids invitational regatta was filled with many wins for RHS.

A gold medal was awarded to the Men’s 145-lb. 4+ (with coxswain senior Nicole Rennie).

The Women’s Dash 8+ (with coxswain Rennie) as well as the Men’s Dash 8+ (with coxswain senior Chelsea Tims), took home bronze medals.

Even though the Women’s Novice 8+ (with coxswain Tims) did not receive a medal, they still advanced into the finals.

The only two home regattas of the season were the Hebda Memorial Challenge Cup on April 28 and Wy-Hi regatta on May 4-5.

Both regattas were held at the Wyandotte Boat Club.

At the Hebda Memorial Challenge Cup, rowers compete and are awarded points corresponding to the rank taken in their race.

At the end of the regatta, points are added together, and the crew with the most accumulated points is awarded the Hebda Memorial Challenge Cup trophy.

The Men’s Lightweight Varsity Four qualified for finals, and came in fourth place, beating out the Riverview crew.

The Women’s Junior Eight came in fifth place in the finals.

The most popular and favorite regatta for both the coaches and rowers, however, is the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association Champion regatta in Saint Catharine’s, Ontario, Canada.

"[In] Saint Catharine’s, everyone loves rowing so much and you’re…welcomed," said Kruse.

The CSSRA Champion regatta is held from Friday, June 1 through Sunday, June 3 at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta Course.

Any collegiate, high school or secondary school can compete in the 2000-meter course, as long as rowers are less than nineteen years of age by January 1, 2007.

"We want to continue to get more boats into the finals at every regatta," said Hickey. "Our goal since we’ve been here is that every boat and every person is competitive and not just a small number of [rowers]."

According to Hickey, a lot of experience and hard work is coming from the seniors, a major asset to the team.

The Women’s Senior Four is one boat, in particular, that is expected to do considerably well this season.

"Our Senior Four should do very well this year. It’s [made up of] all seniors and one junior, but the junior is very strong and we should do very well," said Kruse.

The Senior Four boat is made up of seniors Amanda Bardoni, Stephanie Mayville, Kruse, along with junior Nicole Schmidt, and is coxswained by Rennie.

At the Grand Rapids regatta, the women’s senior four boat came in first of six boats in their heat, qualifying them to the finals. In the finals, they placed fourth out of another six boats.

"Our numbers are a little down from what they were last year, but the [crew is] working hard," said Hickey. "They’re tough kids."