Bright and early on Saturday, March 25, a collection of Smith athletes from a variety of teams packed into shuttles and carpooled to the bank of the Connecticut River to support the Smith Crew team in their only home regatta this season.
The Crew team donned matching Smith jackets, gold glitter and smiles on their faces as they ran four varsity boats in a series of three races, competing against Amherst College, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Franklin Pierce University, and Bryant University.
Each varsity boat is equipped with eight rowers along with a coxswain to steer the boat and give directions. The rowers must stay in perfect harmony to stay balanced and afloat, and on this stormy Saturday, they also had to handle racing against a strong current. In the fall, the crew team raced longer distances with approximately 2.5 mile courses, but spring is sprint season, so they are now gearing up to race a grueling two kilometers.
The boats are ranked by skill, with typical races matching up the fastest boat (1V) with the other teams’ fastest, second fastest (2V) with second fastest and so on. However, due to Smith Crew’s depth and competitive standing, their fourth and third varsity boats (4V and 3V) were seeded against the competitors’ first varsity boats and they still managed to close the gap finishing a second behind Amherst’s 1V and even pulling out a 35 second victory with their 3V against Franklin Pierce’s 1V.
The energy was electric as the first race kicked off. Spectators held up signs, cheering in support of their racers in blue and yellow. The crowd watched in awe as Smith sweeped the competition, winning two out of three of the women’s races. In the concluding Varsity 8 race, the Pioneers’ first and second varsity boats finished within strokes of each other and both were able to pull ahead and claim the victory over Division I Bryant University.
Overall, the Amherst Invitational Regatta showcased the depth and breadth of Smith Crew despite many newcomers. Off the river bank, the excitement and support of the spectators continued to feed the sense of community and school pride that was fostered in the recent basketball season.
Due to their standout performances at the Amherst Regatta and against No.3 Tufts this past weekend, Smith is now ranked 3rd in the New England Regional Ranking and 11th in all of Division III according to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National poll.
Smith Athletics seems to be on an upward climb, and it’s evident from watching the strength and drive of the crew team that the record-breaking and stand-out performances of the winter are far from over.
Crew’s next competition is at Hamilton College on April 22 before heading to the NEWMAC Conference Championships on April 29.
