By Brady Baylis ’19

When entering a new season, every sports team faces challenges.  Nerves, new teammates, and “offseason rust” can lead to initial struggles.  However, the rowers of the Chaminade crew team were in fine form for their first regatta of the season, the Tail of the Fish Regatta in Saratoga, NY.

After weeks of hard practice, the freshman and JV rowers looked ready for this first competition.  Freshman and novice rowers were competing in their first races, while their varsity counterparts, though experienced, entered a tough field.  Despite these obstacles, the Flyers turned heads with impressive times.  

In each race, Chaminade’s young rowers got off to a great start.  The novice boats, comprised largely of upperclassmen who joined crew after freshman year, came out in peak performance.  The Novice A boat dominated the 3,000m course and took fourth place in the A-boat category and fourth overall in the Novice section, which was comprised of seventeen boats.  The Novice B boat took first place in the B-boat category and trailed their teammates only slightly, taking fifth place overall.

Stepping up to the challenge of a varsity regatta, these rowers showed both courage and skill against top competition.  The Flyers turned in great races, which helped them put the right foot forward for the season.  “I think our lineup did well in the circumstances we were in,” said Adam Price ’19.  Liam Knowles ‘19 added, “We all have work to do, but I see us going far.”

Form is often honed on the water in regattas against skilled teams.  While nerves and unknown competition can intimidate new rowers, these nerves shrink as team members become more experienced.  The Tail of the Fish Regatta, which was stacked with strong boats, provided an opportunity to overcome jitters early in the season.