Rowing as a tribute has brought Bianca Czaderna '11 national attention

Eph novice rower Bianca Czaderna (Woodbury, CT) was one of 22 first year rowers, and one of only two Division III rowers, invited to attend the U.S. Olympic National Team Freshman Camp at Cornell University June 16-21. Cornell's women's varsity coach Hilary Gehman conducted the camp, which featured several rowers who have been perennial Junior National Team selections.

"It's huge for Bianca to be included in the National Team picture, she could really make some progress with this experience,” said Williams women’s crew coach Justin Moore.

There is, however, more to this story.

Tragic reality burst into Czaderna's life shortly before she headed to Williams College late last summer. She awoke on a July morning to news that was so horrific it became a national news story and it ended her nearly lifelong relationship with her best friend from middle school – Hayley Petit of Cheshire, Conn.

It is not possible to prepare yourself to hear that your best friend; along with her sister Michaela and her mother Jennifer Hawk-Petit have been senselessly murdered. Not when the story is on the front page of every newspaper, on every major network and cable news outlet in the country and the talk of the state. Only Hayley's dad Dr. William Petit Jr., survived the home invasion.

"Although I was in denial about the news for quite a while, I finally had to face the reality and think about what I could do to honor and remember Hayley and her family - she was truly one of the most genuinely nice people I have ever met," said Czaderna.  "Because I had already been thinking seriously about rowing, it was clear to me that I would row at Williams, and that I would do it for myself and for Hayley."

Since middle school Czaderna and Petit had been inseparable to the point of everyone considering them twins, including their friends. They were both tall, academic-oriented athletes who played different sports, but with great success. They even had the same sense of humor and did everything together.

Czaderna started participating in organized sports in the sixth grade and she played soccer, basketball and lacrosse with lacrosse being her favorite. Through middle school Petit was her teammate. Petit and Czaderna went on to different high schools, but remained very close. Czaderna continued playing all three sports through high school at Westover, while Petit’s passion became rowing.

Westover School (Middlebury, CT) did not offer crew, but from many conversations with Petit about the sport, Czaderna was intrigued with the notion of trying crew in college. "The primary reason I took up the sport of rowing was Hayley took up rowing as a junior in high school and I remember how she just couldn't stop talking about how great crew was," stated Czaderna. "So, naturally, I thought that if Hayley loved crew so much (and was so good at it), then I would too. While Hayley was recruited to row at Dartmouth, I planned on joining the crew team at Williams."

Williams women’s crew coach Justin Moore had no idea that a Czaderna was coming to Williams College never mind that she was interested in rowing for the Ephs. Moore did not meet Czaderna until she showed up for the first novice team gathering. Crew is one of the few intercollegiate sports where you can join in with no prior experience because most programs offer a novice program for beginners.

"I was attracted to rowing for several reasons (other than Hayley):  First, I have played team sports my entire life, and rowing is known to be the "ultimate team sport" — you can't row an eight without all eight people, and there are no "superstars," noted Czaderna. "In order to go fast, everyone must be in sync, moving together in a steady rhythm. Crew really forges (and requires) great team unity. Also, it's hard work. There's no way around it — no shortcuts. If you want the boat to go fast, you have to practice every day and put your best effort in."

"With novice rowers you never know what you are going to get until they get into the boat and start to experience the team commitment required to make the boat go fast," said Moore. "Every once in a while I will see a novice candidate and think this woman could be a great rower for us because of her size and strength, but you just do not know until they are in the boat. Then it is our job to teach them to row and keep them motivated and improving long enough for them to make a commitment."

One of the ways of gauging the strength and natural abilities of a rower is called an "erg" test on the ergometer (rowing machine), which is an event where the rower tries to go as fast as she can for a set amount of time. Czaderna's erg test result was startling, not just for a novice, but for a woman rower.

Keep in mind that Czaderna did not walk-on just any women's crew team, she was walking onto a Williams team that had won two NCAA Division III Championships in a row. However, Czaderna benefited from the fact that one of the hallmarks of the program since Justin Moore arrived is depth.

When all of the erg scores were recorded for the Williams women from the V1 to V2 to V3 and Novice boats, Czaderna had the second highest Eph score. "That's pretty impressive for someone new to the sport to do so well," said Moore.
"I always think about Hayley at the very end of a very tough erg piece or race," said Czaderna. "I dedicate 10 strokes to her (called a "Hayley Ten") and I also carry a picture of her, her sister, and her mom in the pocket of my gym bag."

During the season Czaderna rowed with the Eph novice team and at season's end she was selected as a spare on the Eph team that competed at the 2008 NCAA Division III Championships in Sacramento, Calif.

"I didn't fully realize just how badly I wanted to be in one of our boats until I watched the races from the sidelines," said Czaderna. "The experience of going to Sacramento and witnessing the event was an amazing experience in itself, but nothing compares to racing. It really encouraged me to keep training throughout the summer so that I can give myself the chance to be in a boat next year!"

"I just feel privileged to be a part of Williams Crew," stated Czaderna. "It is full of incredibly strong, supportive, and hardworking women who have become some of my closest friends at Williams. I would especially like to thank the senior captains Louisa Berky and Abby Weir, who were very approachable and helpful." 

Over the rest of the summer Czaderna will be working at Yale teaching younger kids how to row. "The camp is organized by the Yale Athletic Department and the Yale Community Rowing Program, and it is my understanding that we will coaching kids from such organizations as Connecticut's Special Olympians, the American School for the Deaf, and the Girl Scouts of Connecticut," said Czaderna. It is also likely that Czaderna and the other camp instructors will get in some time on the water as well.

"Justin Moore and Mary Shofner (Williams’ assistant coach) have both been very motivational and helpful to me, and they have both helped open up many opportunities for me like the Yale camp - Justin helped me get that job," commented Czaderna.

"Bianca just needs more time in the boat to work on her technique," said Moore. "When her strength and natural ability are combined with her commitment and improved technique I have a feeling that we'll all be hearing a lot more about her in the future."

Along with teaching rowing and rowing this summer Czaderna will also continue to remember Hayley, Michaela and Jennifer Hawk-Petit by participating in some events to support both the Petit Family Foundation and research on Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a disease that Hayley's mom suffered from and for which Hayley raised huge amounts of money. "On July 20th, there is the GE 5K Road Race which I am planning to run in where all the proceeds will benefit the Petit Family Foundation and I am hoping to go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Capitol Challenge in September," stated Czaderna. "That's a two-day walk that ends in Washington, D.C. with all the money raised going to MS research." 

We know that the photo of Hayley, Michaela and Jennifer Hawk-Petit was at the national rowing camp at Cornell because it was in Bianca's gym bag. What we will never know is would Czaderna have been invited to the National Rowing Camp along with Petit if tragedy had not unfolded. Maybe the slot Czaderna received would have been Petit's or maybe they would have been reunited at the National Team Freshman Camp. What we do know is that Hayley Petit is there in Bianca Czaderna's heart and commitment to her new sport of rowing, in tribute to the friend and family she cannot forget.