Williams women's crew is in position to register yet another
first at the NCAA Division III Rowing Championships for Women May
29-30.
Last spring the Ephs were gunning to become the first Division III
team to win three consecutive NCAA titles and they accomplished
that task.
Williams won the first NCAA Division III Rowing Championship for
Women in 2002 and through 2008 the Ephs have won four of the seven
NCAA titles.
This spring the Ephs are seeking to become the first Division III
team to 4-peat when they take to the water in the Cooper River in
Camden, New Jersey.
Impressive would be a good word to start with when describing the
Eph women's crew team's run at the NCAA Championships and when one
considers all it takes to get the team in the water to compete, as
well as the academic pursuits of the rowers, well, impressive just
might not measure up.
The Ephs practice at Onota Lake in Pittsfield, Mass., which is a
good 30-minute, 21-mile ride from campus. The Ephs have to
surrender an hour a day of practice time to travel.
Due to NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference)
restrictions the Ephs cannot even begin spring practice until
February 23rd, much later than the rest of Division III.
Keep in mind that Williams is one of the nation's most select
academic institutions and the academic load is rigorous.
"Should I stay or should I go?"
Of the 13 seniors and juniors on the Eph roster competing for the
2009 NCAA title nine have participated in the College's Junior Year
Abroad program, spending the fall semester of their junior year
studying in another country. With crew boasting both fall and
spring competitive seasons this is most unusual. This just does not
happen in Division I or even at many Division III schools and
certainly not to the extent that it happens at Williams.
"The fact that we allow our women to study abroad in the fall of
their junior year has paid huge dividends for us," notes Eph head
coach Justin Moore. "We get a lot of interest from rowers who look
at the Ivies, but get excited about being able to combine
competitive rowing with being able to engage in a foreign academic
setting. I think it also helps us to develop depth."
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| Class of 2009 (l. to r.):
Elissa Brown, Jess Kopcho, Clara Coughlin, Sam Smith, Kat Conaway, Monsie Munoz, Meg Conan, Katherine Robinson, and Allison Prevatt/photo by Liz Kantack |
The Eph 1V boat has four members who are at least juniors who
have all availed of opportunity to study abroad. Senior stroke
Katherine Robinson studied in England and classmate coxswain
Allison Prevatt studied in Italy. Junior bow Julia Halterman
studied in Rome and junior Meg Conan (Seat 5) studied in
Scandinavia.
"Meg Conan had a life-changing experience in Scandinavia studying
health care systems and now she plans to go to medical school,"
comments Moore. "Meg is also somewhat atypical as a top-level rower
because she was a complete unknown to us when she walked on the
team without having rowed prior to coming to Williams."
"Studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark provided me with a
tremendous opportunity to discover a new place, to become more
confident and more independent, and to confront routines that I
wasn’t even aware were engrained in me," stated Conan.
"Beyond the lasting personal connections I made with my host family
and friends, studying abroad for the semester provided me with new
direction and passion academically. As a student I was
involved in a program focused on psychology and child development
that allowed me to develop deeper insight into the
educational philosophies and practices of Denmark and Scandinavia
through study tours to various educational, vocational, and
recreational centers both in Copenhagen and other northern European
cities, as well as weekly volunteer work in a local school."
"The emphasis on socialization, peer relations and experiential
learning I observed provided me with a new perspective on what is
possible for children with special needs," stated Conan. "Before
going abroad I was thinking about pursuing medical school, and
while that is still a goal, I have discovered a new passion for
educational policy and practice after being immersed a system in
which the emphasis on providing and creating opportunities for
children with special needs was tangible. My time in Denmark left
me with a greater purpose in pursuing my interests in early
education and developmental disorders at Williams, leaving me with
an appreciation for the way in which educational systems reflect
society and also with excitement for what is possible."
Robinson's semester away from Williams and rowing has not
diminished her national profile as she has been invited by US
Rowing to attend the Under-23 Lightweight National Team Selection
Camps.
In February Robinson won the U 23 Lightweight title at the CRASH-B
World Indoor Rowing Championships, a result that put her fifth
overall among all lightweight women in the nation. She will be one
of twelve women competing at two separate U23 Lightweight
Women’s Sculling Camps for a spot in a quad, a double, and a
single that will race at the US Trials. Robinson will attend
camp at the GMS Rowing Center in New Milford, CT.
Robinson's first goal will be to land a spot in the U23 World
Championship Trials, to be held July 6-10 at Lake Mercer in West
Windsor, NJ. The Trials are a qualifier for the U23 World
Championships, to be held July 23-26 in Racice, Czech Republic.
Two members of the 1V boat who are at least juniors who did not
study abroad are participating in or have participated in the
College's Junior Adviser (JA) program. Junior Sarah Ginsberg
(Seat 7) is currently a JA and senior Samantha Smith (Seat 6)
served as a JA last year.
The JA position at Williams is a coveted opportunity that always
attracts a large number of applicants. The JA program has been a
cornerstone of first-year residential life at Williams for the past
seventy plus years. JAs are Williams juniors who volunteer to live
with first year students and help them acclimate to college
life.
"Judgment, responsibility, job interest, a desire to work with
people, and an ability to project oneself to understand and
sympathize with freshman," are qualities necessary for a JA, noted
former First Year Dean Robert C.L. Dean. Furthermore, JAs are
capable and trained to point first-years to available resources on
campus if serious problems arise. JAs must be able to make ties
with both males and females, domestic and international students,
and students of all religions and ethnicities. Mentoring and
mediating have stood the test of time since the 1920s and still are
an active part of being a JA, but the role has broadened, grown,
and evolved along with the College. Each JA brings a different,
valuable perspective on academic, social, and extracurricular
aspects of life at Williams.
The remaining three members of the 1V boat: Dorothy McAusland,
Kate Shaper and Emma Pelegri-Oday are all first years. "I'm pretty
sure all three of the first years in the 1V are planning to study
abroad as juniors," said Moore.
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| 2V boat winning the Onota Cup/photo by Liz Kantack |
Two first years and three sophomores are in the Eph 2V boat.
Sara Wallace (Seat 7) and Jane McClellan (Seat 6) are the first
years. Sophomores Ellen Stuart (Seat 4) and Heather Burrell (Seat
5) both have plans to study away next fall as Stuart is headed to
Ecuador, while Burrell will be going to Chile. Sophomore Anna
Soybel will serve as a JA to the class of 2013 next year.
Senior stroke Kat Conaway and senior cox Monsie Munoz studied in
Italy, while junior bow Maddy Berky studied in Copenhagen.
Senior Jess Kopcho (Seat 3) did not study abroad as a junior or
serve as a JA, but her superior vocal talents that were recently
displayed in her senior recital have led her to accept a position
teaching singing in Italy next year.
Two of the three Ephs listed as spares for the NCAA Rowing
Championships have all studied or will study overseas. Junior Laura
Caccamo was in Dublin, while sophomore Rebecca Licht is headed to
Switzerland next fall as is classmate Adrienne Darrow who may be
inserted into the Eph lineup if Caccamo's injury keeps her out of
the competition.
Junior spare Emma Lehman was unable to row a stroke a year ago due
to injury and she elected to remain on campus to get back to her
capabilities as a rower and by all reports she has come back better
than ever.
Most coaches would not think that a semester away from competition
would be a good thing, but Justin Moore is pretty sure that it is
more of a positive for his program than a negative. "Coaches always
want their athletes focused and working hard every minute, but at
Williams we're not in the business of training Olympians so taking
a semester off from competition to pursue an academic interest
works just fine because here you have to be fully focused
athletically and academically." Moore knows of what he speaks as
his Ephs are in position to go for a fourth straight NCAA Division
III Rowing Championship for Women, which would make five in the
last eight years!
