Perhaps a portent of things to come, Georgetown competed in its first regatta under a clear blue sky in perfect rowing conditions.
On Sunday, the Hoyas raced in the Head of the Potomac, a timetrial style race featuring nearby college and club teams. The events began at 9 a.m., and by the time the award ceremony concluded after 5 p.m., few Hoyas left the river without hardware.
Only the men and women’s heavyweight programs competed in the regatta, with both sides racing in the open eight events, the club eight, and the coxed four.
Georgetown’s first eight’s were entered in the open eight while the second and third eights entered the club eight. The coxed four race contained a mix of novices and rowers that had competed earlier in the day.
The men’s team was confident that their training up to this point in the season would carry them. After a grueling six-kilometer workout ” nearly 20 minutes of continuous rowing ” nine of the men finished with top times on the ergometer.
Despite the men’s preparation, the open eight event would be no walk in the park. The Potomac Boat Club fielded an eight that included a former Olympian and two national team members.
The all-star boat proved no match for the Hoyas who won the race with a time of 14:13.97, more than 20 seconds better than second place PBC.
“It seemed to go really well,” junior coxswain Jack Carlson said. “There was really good power.”
A handful of the rowers from the club eight event also competed in the coxed four. Though tired, the Georgetown rowers still finished a respectable third place behind George Washington Alumni and the Potomac Boat Club.
“It’s a good start, but it is also a product of whom we raced today,” men’s Head Coach Tony Johnson said.
Sunday was an important day for the women’s team, racing in its first regatta under new head coach
Glenn Putyrae. Putyrae comes to Georgetown after spending the past 10 years coaching at Gonzaga.
The women’s open eight left several boats eating their wake as they cruised to a first place finish. “It was very controlled,” freshman Alexis Zink said, adding that despite the success, the team would have to work on balancing the boat while rowing.
The women also had a strong showing in the club eight race, capturing second and third place behind Alexandria Community Rowing.
The women’s four race was perhaps the most exciting race of the day, if for no other reason than the large number of boats competing. Georgetown, which fielded two fours, earned a second-place medal.
Both men and women showed promise by medaling in every event in which they competed. Focus now shifts to late October’s Head of the Charles, one of the premier regattas of the fall rowing season, attracting top-caliber college and club teams from across the country.
Said Putyrae: “We’re headed in the right direction, and that is always good to hear.”
