Golden Bears on the Water

Upper Arlington Crew rows toward 20th year

THE SPORT OF ROWING has a rich history. It is one of the oldest Olympic sports, and when Harvard beat Yale in 1852, it became the first intercollegiate sporting event in the U.S. In ancient times, rowing was a means of transport (think of the galley slaves in Ben-Hur) and inspired a rowing T-shirt slogan, “Crew: the only sport that originated as a form of punishment.”

As Upper Arlington Crew nears its 20th anniversary next spring, it is creating its own history by wrapping up a successful season amid stiff competition while earning lots of “clinkage” – an insider term for multiple medals.

Though the boys and girls teams are officially on a break for the summer in July, practice continues for many of the 100 rowers on the UA Crew girls’ and boys’ teams. The fall season kicks off in August, but many choose to participate in summer competition.

The UA Crew Golden Bears compete in the fall as a club and in the spring as a scholastic team. Club competitions are more challenging because rowers can come from many different school districts, whereas a scholastic team must draw members from only one district.

Under the tutelage of head boys coach Chris Swartz and head girls coach Mike Rice, the combined teams won the points trophy at the Ohio Governor’s Cup regatta, held at Griggs Reservoir April 29. The annual event attracts more than 1,000 rowers from throughout the Midwest.

At the Midwest Scholastic Rowing Association regatta in Cincinnati, UA Crew won two gold, five silver and two bronze medals – serious clinkage –which earned third place honors overall in a field of 45 teams from 12 states.

Crew, as a sport, does not offer state titles, so Swartz tells UA Crew parents that a national title is the only option. Two opportunities exist to compete for national titles annually, as either a scholastic or club team, and this year, UA earned spots in both categories. At the scholastic national regatta, in Camden, N.J., the girls’ first Varsity 8 finished sixth in the nation.

The team also had three boats qualify for Boston’s Head of the Charles, the largest rowing regatta in the world, held in October.

UA Crew was thrust into the limelight unexpectedly in 2009 when the boys’ team captain, Blake Haxton, battled a rare type of flesh-eating bacteria – to which he lost his leg and nearly his life. “I have never coached an athlete who has as much ability or drive as Blake Haxton,” says Swartz. Haxton’s story touched many and prompted a record number of new rowers that fall. Haxton now attends The Ohio State University and is an assistant coach for UA Crew.

Most freshman rowers are completely new to the sport. Each year, a free, three-day rowing mini-camp is offered, introducing them to crew and inspiring many to sign up.

“I knew a little about the basics of rowing before I started,” says sophomore Marissa Donadio, “but it is hard to fully understand the sport without being a part of it. I thought it would be easy just to pull an oar, but it is so much more than that.”

“Perhaps the most significant misconception about rowing is that we use our arms,” says senior Grace Tucker. “Rowing is actually more of a leg sport.”

Rowing has its own terminology. For example, “catching a crab” refers to an improper stroke that causes an oar blade to get caught in the water. “Power 10” is a concentrated period of time in the race when the rowers pull harder. A coxswain, the “cox,” sits in a small seat in the stern of the boat and captains the boat, or “shell.”

A coxswain steers the boat and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers, says senior Allie Keegan. “You have to make them work together as a team,” she says. In fact, teamwork is a term you hear often from these students. “Crew is the epitome of a team sport,” Grace Tucker says. “There’s no way you can win a race all by yourself.”

Rower Sam Klamar, a senior, says the most challenging part of rowing is finding the right boat dynamics. “Putting eight people in a boat and expecting them to automatically row well as a group doesn’t always work,” he says. Coaches will try different combinations of rowers to find the best mix.

Teamwork leads to what Keegan describes as her favorite part of the sport: the camaraderie. It’s a familiar refrain among the rowers, including Tucker. “There is something about being around the same group of people, two hours a day, six days a week, throughout the school year that creates strong bonds. We’re a family,” Tucker says.

Zach Politz, who graduated in June and plans to row in college, discovered crew as a junior after trying several different sports. “None compare to the strength and endurance required in rowing,” he says.

“It is the most difficult sport I’ve done. It takes up the most time, is the most physically demanding and mentally taxing, yet the most rewarding.” It’s an interesting observation from a young man who is also an accomplished mountain climber, having ascended both Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Rainier.

Annie Jennings, who also graduated this year, plans to row in college, as well. “Blisters, sloppy mud, torrential downpours, hail, tornadoes, snow, extreme heat and humidity, and beach docking in freezing water couldn’t keep me away from this sport,” Jennings says.

Haxton is honored at the annual Haxton Invitational Regatta, an event that draws the fastest regional crews. The 2012 event is scheduled for Oct. 2627. At the Haxton family’s request, all proceeds from the regatta go to the UA Crew Scholarship Fund to help make the sport more affordable.

For more information visit uacrew.org.