March 25, 2011
By Ashley Simmons (COM '12) - Special to GoTerriers.com
Ever wonder who is out rowing on the Charles River each morning at 6:30? Ever wonder who is committed enough to his or her craft to brave every element that the New England climate can possibly throw at them? One of the several collegiate and high school squads on the water is the BU women's rowing team. As the sun rises each morning and students all over campus along Commonwealth Ave. begin to snooze their alarms, 39 rowers and eight coxswains row synchronously up and down the Charles River. They cross the BU Bridge every morning around 5:30 on their way to the DeWolfe Boathouse to begin another grueling two and a half hour practice.
In her third season as head coach, Stacey Rippetoe has been able to watch this team grow and flourish during her tenure at BU. A native of Oakhurst, New Jersey, she began rowing during her first year of college at the University of New Hampshire. After just one season, she transferred to Rutgers University, where she continued to row for the following three years. After graduating in 1997, Rippetoe coached at the University of Rhode Island and then Michigan State University prior to taking the position as head coach at Boston University.
Since joining the staff, Rippetoe has led the Terriers to their first Kittel Cup victory at home against Syracuse and guided the program to its first-ever medal in the Championship Four race at the Head of the Charles Regatta. During the 2010 Charles River Challenge, BU earned its first win over Northeastern since 2005. In just three short seasons, Rippetoe has seen success but is hungry for more.
Each week, rowers spend between 12-14 hours on the water, with their most intensive practices falling on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Add two days of lifting and a few solo workouts as well, and that is the life of a rower. The sport is simply not for the faint of heart.
"Rowing is not something where you have to learn plays and start practicing when you're five years old. You just have to be willing to work really hard and be mentally flexible enough to be coached," said Rippetoe.
In any sport, it is very important to have strong leadership, an area in which Rippetoe believes that the rowing team excels. Rather than just having a set of captains, two or three rowers are chosen from each class to act as team leaders. Although it may seem odd to have such a large group, Rippetoe says this is the perfect system for a team of this size.
"People have different strengths. Some of our leaders are really good at laying down the law and enforcing things. Other leaders are really good at motivating people. So for such a large roster, it's helpful to have several people guiding the team throughout the season."
This year, BU is fortunate enough to have an incredibly strong group of leaders. Led by seniors Allie Doro, Brittany Tovee and Alex Thornton, they have helped to create a new team culture that has strengthened the program as a whole. They have focused in sharing their experiences with younger team members in hopes of preparing them for race day. The confidence of the team as a whole has flourished because of this style of leadership.
As for expectations, Rippetoe is aiming for consistency. During her tenure, the team has focused on developing effective race plans. They have also worked tirelessly to train in a way that allows them to succeed in executing their race plan. They strive each day for consistency in practices and in races.
"They just have to have the tenacity and the athletic character within themselves to get themselves to be as good as they can be on any given day," Rippetoe said. "I am looking for more of a consistent athlete and for people who are consistent racers. They have to be able to show enough skill and enough guts during practice that they don't have to try to do something special on race day. It has to be what we did really well in training."
Brittany Tovee, who started rowing her freshmen year of high school, understands Rippetoe's desire for "consistent" racing and has worked hard to incorporate this concept into the team culture.
"I would just really like to see an improvement in rankings and racing results. To succeed this season we need to be sharp technically and race with confidence," Tovee said.
Rippetoe explains that the key to having a successful season this year will be the team's ability to transfer the hard work and preparation from the practice sessions into the races. During past dual events, the boats sometimes did not meet the high standards they had reached earlier in the week.
"I want to enter a race knowing how fast a boat goes during practice and that the team will be able maintain that speed on race day," Rippetoe said. "I don't want it to be a case of us not being able to execute our race plan. I don't want any surprises."
Alex Thornton, a coxswain on the team, is confident that this team has prepared itself for what can be a long and grueling season. Physical and mental improvements in their overall training will hopefully allow them to reach new and exciting milestones. "Our team has to continue believing in our abilities and executing the way we know how. We've taken huge strides over the winter that will prove to be invaluable as we transition to the water. We trust each other, and I think that's something that will really carry us through the season," she said.
Thornton stressed the importance of a positive team attitude and atmosphere. Tovee agreed that this trust among team members is key. "My favorite part of being on the team is knowing that 50 girls support me no matter what. You're not going to be friends with everyone but everyone supports each other."
After spending a week in training, the women's rowing team recently opened its season in a race at Clemson over spring break. Led by Tovee and Thornton, the Terriers' varsity eight boat placed fourth out of the seven schools, finishing ahead of Syracuse by three seconds.
As the home schedule kicks off Saturday on the Charles River, the women have established their goals and expectations. With experienced team leaders and the coaching staff entering its third season together, the Terriers are prepared for another season on the water.
They will host Syracuse on Saturday at 7 a.m. and the coveted Kittel Cup will be up for grabs once again. If all goes well and the race plan is executed, the Terriers should bring home the cup for the third time in four seasons.
