VERO BEACH — The rigors of two-a-day practices are normally associated with sports like football, but members of St. Ed’s top rowing crew are willing to pay that price for an opportunity to become the first boat in school history to compete at the National Championship Regatta in New Jersey over the Memorial Day weekend.
Third-year Head Coach Aaron Lee has preached hard work from the very beginning of his tenure.
He expressed great satisfaction with the response from the 28 boys and girls – ranging from the sixth through 12th grade – on his 2013 roster.
“You can see the gains every year,” Lee said. “This is the third year in a row we’ve improved. We’ve got the right kind of kids out there. They are self-motivated, work hard, want to learn and want to succeed. They also have a realistic picture of what they are getting into.”
What they are getting into is a sport that can be demanding physically, mentally and technically.
Numerous hours are spent conditioning on rowing machines in addition to mundane logistics such as hauling boats from the storage shed to the lagoon for practice or onto trailers for travel.
It’s all for the chance to compete in exhausting 1,500-meter races.
Lee will accompany three crews to Sarasota later this month for the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association Championships.
All eyes will be on the boys’ varsity 4+ boat to see if they can finish in the top four and qualify for that trip to New Jersey.
Coxswain Ella Merrill and rowers Kris Menninger, Sean Barry, Will Tremml and Matt Murphy have good reason to be optimistic.
Senior Kris Menninger has been one of the Pirates’ best rowers for three years. He said, “We are expecting to qualify and go to nationals. Last year we only missed it by four seconds. It was kind of a shot to the gut when we realized how close we were. We’re better than last year. We’ve shaved off about 10 seconds, so hopefully we can get it done this year.”
Junior Sean Barry rowed on the boys’ varsity 4+ with Menninger in 2012.
“Last year, we worked hard but this year we took it to a whole new level. In addition to our daily practices after school, we come in early for morning workouts three times per week. We have a group of really dedicated people.
“It’s not going to be a walk in the park. There are still a lot of good boats across the state. We’ve been training extremely hard (to qualify for nationals) and we want it bad. It’s an achievable goal.”
Senior Matt Murphy and junior Will Tremml complete the boys’ varsity 4+ rowing contingent.
As a first year rower, Murphy adds the athleticism honed from his main water sport, swimming. Tremml rowed last year and brings the experience Lee recognizes as a factor vital for the growth of his program.
“We average two years of experience (on the boys’ varsity 4+) versus four years on most other teams, so we’re playing above our experience level,” Lee said, mentioning Sebastian River High as a paradigm for scholastic rowing teams. “We have a whole herd of novices. Half the team is brand new, including five seniors. The growth of the team both in numbers and experience has been fantastic.”
Junior coxswain Ella Merrill is the plus in boys varsity 4+ description.
“Last year, we were learning how to row and I was just happy to steer the boat in a straight line,” she said. “Now, I’m gaining more of an understanding about how the boat moves and how the rowers affect that. We’re fixing nuances now and I have a lot of responsibility. As a coxswain you must sound confident and keep your head on your shoulders.”
While the crew of the top boat appears ready explore new waters, Lee wants everyone to remember that the entire team remains his focal point.
Also slated for Sarasota are Wesley Campbell, Gunther Read, Elliot Jaffe, Jordan Canevari and Haley Smith in the boys’ junior varsity 4+ category.
Chiara Villacorta, Kiersten Grella, Maggie Taylor, Amber Quinlan and Rachel Gambee will represent St. Ed’s against girls varsity 4+ crews.
“There’s a lot more going on that just one boat (potentially) making it to nationals,” says Lee. “We’ve got a lot of kids working awfully hard and getting a lot of blisters. Going to nationals is not really the story of our season. This is starting to feel more like a rowing program. The team is finally coming into its own.”
Nevertheless, it’s hard to ignore the looming milestone.
“Their goal all year long has been to make scholastic nationals,” Lee added. “We’re a bubble team. No guarantees, but we’re doing well – improving at every regatta, picking up speed and time. I’d love to see us make it. I think we have the pieces in place.”
