This past weekend, the University of North Georgia Rowing Club attended the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships in Oakridge, TN. It was our first time attending a SIRA event, and an event so large. Not to mention it was also our first time to be recognized as the University of North Georgia Rowing Team, and not as an unaffiliated team. We originally entered a single, double, and four, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we had to drop the single so I could race in the double.
We arrived the day beforehand after a three-hour drive. We had to attend a meeting to ensure we knew the protocol, safety, and traffic information for the time trials and finals. As I listened, I could not help but notice how many teams were there and how far many traveled to come to SIRA. There were teams and clubs from Virginia, Florida, and even Texas. The women's novice four would only be facing boats from other clubs. The men's double would be racing against boats from other clubs and teams.
The first race of the day was the men's double. We were the beginning of the regatta, our time trials starting at 8 a.m. We set out onto the course at 7:05 a.m. to give us plenty of time to warm up, and get set for our time trial. The water was exceptionally calm and quiet. Fog drifted slowly over the glass-like water. I have always found the sunrises at Oak Ridge to be beautiful. It was so calming to see such natural beauty before a race.
Our bow number was 19; we were the next to last boat to be released on the course. We hit the course hard and strong. Our oars remained off the water for most of the race. I had a little trouble steering, but we only hit the buoys a few times. As we approached the finish line, I saw the boat released before us in my periphery. We crossed the finish line exhausted. My partner, Micah Testament, and I were confident we had done our best, and had done well. As we exited the course, the women's novice four headed up to the start line.
We watched for the women's novice four as we waited for our results to come in. We waited at the finish line to see the cross it. Once they did, we went to the recovery docks to help carry the boat and oars back. They had gotten 18th place out of originally 24 boats. They would have been seeded in the C semi-finals, but due to several boats scratching, they were placed in the D finals that day.
The B finals for the men's double was nine-and-a-half hours later and the women's race was only thirty minutes after ours. Both boats set out on the race course an hour before our races. There was not a cloud in the sky and the sun was beating down on us. Of course, the morning was still, but the afternoon was a bit windy, making it difficult to maintain a straight point down the race course.
The beginning of our race was actually quite tough. Strong gusts of crosswinds continually blew us to the port side, something that would be echoed throughout the race. We were not prepared for the quick start, but we recovered quickly. In the finish 500 meters, the boats were extremely close not only in distance but in our lanes.
The winds pushed boats around throughout the race, only our boat did not cross the lane lines, though our oars did hit the buoys. The women were coming up the side of the course and cheered us on as we passed by. I decided to call a power 10 then to push us ahead. We finished our race without a hitch. We finished first, 37 seconds ahead of second place. That cemented us as seventh overall. A top 10 finish for a regional competition is not bad at all.
The women's four went passed us as we were de-rigging our boat. We ran over to the shore to cheer them on. They were vying against St. Edwards for the D final win. From our vantage point, St. Edwards was gaining on them. Our members at the finish line were quick to tell us they pulled ahead by several seconds in the end, winning their final.
At the end of the day, we may not have gotten a medal, but we finished strong and pulled our hardest. Now, we are going to prepare for the fall season and we look forward to competing again next year if we have the chance!
