Crew: Williams Men Win First National Championship, Slay Michigan and Trinity
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Williams men were assigned lane zero in the first men’s 1V heat. Wind was gusting at the start. The red flag caught Williams by surprise as they were adjusting their bow’s angle. Bucknell was quite fast off the line, taking a length on the field with the assistance of a tail wind.
As the crew passed the 600m mark lane zero became highly sheltered. Williams began to move away as WPI and Bucknell faded. Williams won the heat by only 1.5 seconds. The first men’s heat posted the fastest, but conditions prevented direct comparisons. Doubtless, Williams had the toughest heat.
The 2V also did well in their heat, besting Hobart and Bucknell. They raced admirably with the aggressive rhythm of sophomore Noah Schoenholtz. In the grand final Williams lost to Trinity by 8.5 seconds and Michigan by 5 seconds. The 2V’s bronze medal was the first for Williams in that event in history.
Williams 1V returned from their lodging at 4 p.m. to prepare to race. Eight plus months of hard work were to culminate in one 6-minute test of physical and emotional prowess, a practice ratio and level of teamwork unheard of in other sports. The University of Michigan was seeded in lane 1, Williams had lane 2, Trinity had lane 3. Hobart, RIT and Coast Guard also joined in for the grand final.
Williams was the last boat off the start. Rough swirling winds threatened the crew in the first thousand. An over the head crab was neatly avoided and a few strokes were missed, but Williams never lost contact. After the thousand meter mark Williams regained its stride, and began to reel the other crews back in.
The crew was down heading into the last 500. The race would be decided in the sprint as it had been for New England Championships. With 500m to go Williams settled in for the sprint. Michigan began to fade and Williams inched up on Trinity. Williams won by a canvas, or only 3/10 of a second.
The Novices placed second in their heat to Trinity and claimed third in the final, 11 seconds from Trinity and only 2 seconds from Michigan.
This national championship marks the end of the season for the victorious crew. Williams’ men won all of their major Regattas this year for the first time in history. Williams triumphed in the Head of the Charles, New England Rowing Championships, and the ECAC Invitational Regatta. The crew greatly thanks head coach Peter Wells ’79 for an excellent season, both on and off the water.
Coach Wells said the victory, "reveals how much your actions mean to those who have come before you, just as you will appreciate the actions and performances of those that are here now. Our spirit grows each year by the deeds and thoughts we encompass and so as you can see the message for you all has been pretty consistent one since I arrived...boys becoming men...girls becoming women. Thanks for making that journey this year together."
The men’s team alumni qualified the most alumni boats in the Head of the Charles Regatta of any school. Williams’ strong alumni network gets stronger with each passing year.
For results, go to www.row2k.com/results/
1V 8+
Mike Abrams ’11 – Coxswain
Alex Treco ’12 Stroke
Nathanial Lim ’11 – 7
Cameron Skinner ’10 – 6
Theo Patsalos-Fox ’12 – 5
Ken Sluis ’11 – 4
Dan Kenefick ‘11 - 3
Joey Kiernan ’11– 2
Dan Costanza ‘11 – Bow
2V 8+
Michelle McRae ’12 - Cox
Noah Schoenholtz ’12 - Stroke
Faust Petkovitch ’12 - 7
Leland Brewster ’11 - 6
Shawn Curley ‘11- 5
Greg Ferris ’10 - 4
Matt Crimp ’12 - 3
Chris Ting ’10 - 2
Crosby Fish ‘10 - Bow
