Indianapolis Invitational

Indy Invites was pretty standard this year: high wind gusts canceled afternoon racing.

The novice guys didn't even get to race in a final because of the winds. This happens just about every year. In my four years of going to this race, they've canceled racing twice and should have canceled another two times. The conditions are just atrocious on Eagle Creek Resovoir. This year I even witnessed a women's eight capsize during a race (one of the funniest things I've seen in a while).

There were good moments though. Our varsity 4, which had two novices in the boat, won a third place medal. The next race we have is for this Saturday against Miami University. This should be a tremendously winnable event.

Polls

I can't say I'm upset about this week's polls. Three of the schools in the top four spots are public universities and none of them are from the East coast. That's a rarity in itself.

I also look at this poll and think to myself that UC rowing has been so close to this point. If it weren't for a number of setbacks, we could have been ranked while I was rowing. The reason? In 2006 we beat M.I.T (now ranked No. 13) and Dartmouth (now ranked No. 18). I especially like seeing M.I.T. finding their stride. It's been a
while since they've been relevant nationally.

Pictured above is UC's rowing team in front of M.I.T.'s boathouse in Boston.

US Rowing poll courtesy of row2k.com

Men's Varsity Eight

Team (1st-Place Votes)	Points	Previous Week
1. University of California (10)	385	1
2. University of Wisconsin (10)	371	2
3. Stanford University	354	5
4. University of Washington	333	3
5. Harvard University	323	4
6. Brown University	298	7
7. Columbia University	277	6
8. Northeastern University	258	8
9. Cornell University	235	9
10. Syracuse University	201	10
11. Boston University	200	12
12. Yale University	167	14
13. Massachusetts Institute of Technology	147	17
14. Princeton University	143	11
15. United States Naval Academy	128	13
16. Oregon State University	112	15
17. George Washington University	74	16
18. Dartmouth College	47	18
19. Georgetown University	36	19
20. Trinity College	29	20t

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: University of Michigan 28, Gonzaga University 19, University of Pennsylvania 14, University of California at San Diego 13, Holy Cross 5 and Purdue University 2.

(This weeks men's varsity eight voters: Craig Amerkhanian, Tom Bohrer, Topher Bordeau, Michael Callahan, Chris Clark, Paul Cooke, Brooks Dagman, Dan Gehn, Fred Honebein, Zach Johnson, Curtis Jordan, Todd Kennett, Greg Myhr, Todd Pearson, John Pescatore, John Pojednic, Dave Reischman, Mike Teti, Steve Todd, Mike Zimmer)

Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association

So SIRA was this weekend. We didn't go, but it's still interesting to keep an eye on. The best I ever did at this race was win the petite finals in the varsity 8 back in 2006. But the race has changed a bit, adding an assortment of teams from the Northeast (Temple, St. Joe's, Delaware). It's only gotten more competitive in recent years.
The men's varsity 8 event this weekend was a close one - Florida Tech 6:09.6 followed by Grand Valley 6:13.13 followed by Temple 6:14.00 followed by Purdue 6:15.3 followed by Jacksonville at 6:15.7. Virginia, who used to win the event perennially, finished 4th in the petite final. Who knows what happened there. St. Joe's and Marietta College also failed to make the grand finals.
And once again club teams around the country are clinching their fists at the the Intercollegiate Rowing Association's decision to exclude unfunded teams from competing in the IRA National Championship Regatta. Grand Valley, who finished 2nd and Purdue, who finished 4th in the grand final are technically club teams who are now excluded from going to the IRA effective this year. But Jacksonville, St. Joe's and Marietta, still funded by their school's athletic departments, could be qualified.
It's a shame that this ever had to happen. The IRA nationals was what made collegiate men's rowing such an interesting sport. But the good old boys network on top of the IRA sided with conformity instead of tradition when they ruled that starting in 2009 they'll no longer invite self-funded teams, regardless of performance during the course of the season.
If SIRA proved anything this weekend, it's that unfunded teams can compete and shouldn't be ignored.

Quick side notes:
Grand Valley's club women also finished 2nd in their event. The rest of the 6 schools in their final were NCAA-sanctioned teams.

Concerning UC rowing:
We have less than a week before Indianapolis Invite. Some of the schools the novices will see this coming Saturday raced at SIRA. Ohio State didn't have a good showing, finishing last in their opening heat. But Purdue novice won the petite final. It's just a matter of getting in position.

First Post.

It was bitter sweet when my rowing eligibility finished in the fall of 2008. I was happy to be done. I was happy I wasn't going to hurt myself by pulling an oar anymore. I was happy that I could be lazy.
But, in truth, I need rowing. I needed to be pushed and to push back. I need to feel that for more than just four years. I want to race again.
In the time since the fall I've been coaching the freshman guys at UC. It's been a different kind of fulfillment. Most importantly, it's kept me engaged in the sport that I've immersed myself in. If everything goes the way I plan it to, then I'll be coaching for a long time to come. Even if this means moving somewhere else.

Just recently I started getting back on the horse. I contacted a former teammate, Steve Glowacki, to help me get back into some semblance of shape. Once he graduated, Steve took a liking to cycling and endurance training. Our gym sessions have been embarrassing for me - Steve lapping on the track, Steve out pulling me on the erg (rowing machine), Steve schooling me on body weights and Steve thinking the whole thing is funny.

But it's just the beginning. Right now I'm weighing in at about 190 lbs (10 lbs more than when I was in rowing shape). So let the games begin.