This fall, Smith Crew made program history finishing fourth at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. While only a fraction of the team was on the competing boat, the victory was the culmination of hard work by everyone.
“It was 100% a team effort,” said Anna Boden ’26, one of the rowers who competed at the Head of the Charles. “As soon as we got off the water, we could feel that support. It really wouldn’t have happened without every single person who’s a part of Smith rowing.”
This year, the team consists of 51 student athletes and three coaches. Head coach Clare Doyle said this year’s team is the largest she’s coached in her seven years at Smith.
Despite the team’s size, Graduate Assistant Coach Greta O’Hara says their chemistry and support for each other is uncanny.
“’I’ve never seen a group’s chemistry so strong and detail oriented,” O’Hara said. “They really have an awareness for each other. They care for each other and, through challenge and competition, at the end of the day they have each other’s back.”
Crew is a sport that requires athletes to train at a high level all year long, said O’Hara. During the spring and fall seasons, the team trains together three hours a day six times a week.
“We see the best and the worst of each other — we’re around each other so much,” said Rayna Rose ’26, a second year rower on Smith Crew. “You’re doing something that’s hard. But what encourages me and so many other people to show up every day is the fact that people seem happy to be there and are excited to be doing it and doing it together.”
Rose said that during practices, boats usually launch in groups of two or more, so rowers are side by side with their teammates.
“When we’re in the workout, everyone’s obviously working hard,” she said. “Then we’ll stop for a rest and everyone’s chatting and cheering each other on.”
The strong chemistry and trust the team shares allows them to push each other in practices and work seamlessly together in races like the Head of the Charles.
“We were only able to perform the way we did because of how we competed with each other during practice,” said Boden.
While the historic finish at the Head of the Charles was something the whole team was ecstatic about, Doyle said placing well at the Regatta was not a goal the team had been specifically working towards. The fall season is dedicated to building fitness, refining technique and building a team culture surrounding the ultimate goal of racing as fast as possible in the spring.
“We were mostly just excited to see that crew go out and represent the program in their competition at the Charles and really didn’t focus too much on the outcome,” Doyle said.
On the morning of Oct. 29, the crew of nine consisting of Sofia Trotta ’23, Zeynep Akdora ’27, Sarah Grace Allen ’24, Megan Holm ’22, Linnea Schultz, Riley Amos ’27, Alex Catlin ’26, Anna Boden and Greta Stekl ’25 had the support of their teammates, confidence in the work they had put in during the season and the pressure of a large audience egging them on.
When they received the signal to launch, they were ready to go.
“As soon as we started the race, I felt us all locked in,” Boden said. “Even before I knew the results, I knew we had a great race. It was just a lot of fun and everyone came off of the boat smiling.”
“Even though there was one boat racing and it’s two hours away, somehow it felt like the whole team was there,” Rose said. “Everybody found a way to show up.”
As the team moves forward into the spring season, they plan to build on the momentum they have already accumulated in their successful fall season. At the end of the day, Doyle said, their aim is to row 2,000 meters as fast as possible, show that Smith Crew is a serious competitor in the NEWMAC conference and work towards a NCAA championship appearance.
“But we don’t talk about those outcome goals at all,” Doyle said. “Our focus is on what we can do in our team environment to become as fast as possible and build the most effective environment for each of our students to show up, grow, and learn and challenge themselves.”
