The Cascadilla Boat Club (CBC) Varsity rowing team made a *splash* at the Head of the Genesee Regatta in Rochester earlier this fall, earning gold and bronze medals in multiple events. At the time of this writing, our team is looking forward to the Head of the Fish Regatta in Saratoga, one of the most competitive rowing races in the state. In this article, I will interview our Varsity Team Captains to take a closer look at our behind-the-scenes team here in Ithaca that is producing impressive athletes and medalling at high-level competitions. The 2022-2023 Team Captains are Sara Bellman ’24, Elle Decatur ’23, Graem Chiuten-Black ’23, Boaz Ng ’23, and Jacob Merrill ’23.
Terms to know before reading:
“Erg” stands for ergometer, a rowing machine that rowers train on.
A “piece” is a workout of a specific distance or time, in a boat or on an erg.
“U17” and “U19” mean “under age 17” and “under age 19.”
“PRing” means to achieve a personal record.
In this article, a rower’s “split” refers to the average time it takes them to row 500 meters.
A “single” is a type of boat with only one person, rowing with two oars.
Ruby Zawel: What’s your favorite thing about being on the team?
Sara Bellman: My favorite thing about being on the team is hanging out at Captain’s Practice in the afternoons with my teammates.
Elle Decatur: I love the team so much and our silly traditions even more. Specifically, our clothing swap spirit between the girls’ and boys’ teams and the long-lasting tradition of “sisters.” Each season everyone on the girls’ team is randomly assigned a “sister,” and before each race, we write a note of encouragement to her. Our traditions reflect the sense of family we have at the boathouse.
Graem Chiuten-Black: Definitely the people. There’s a very good rowing community. Everyone feels like they have a place.
Boaz Ng: Seeing my improvement and spending time with teammates.
Jacob Merrill: I really like the community, and the sense of progression you get by improving, also the sunrises on the water in the morning.
RZ: What rowing accomplishment are you most proud of?
SB: Winning first place in the Women’s Varsity Double at the Pittsford Regatta.
ED: I am most proud of my showing at the 2021 Head of The Charles Regatta. I placed 4th in U17 and 11th overall in U19.
GCB: Probably our Women’s Varsity 4 second-place finish at the Pittsford Regatta. It felt like it all came together at the end and all of our hard work over the season finally paid off, because we actually felt good about our race.
BN: It’s a toss-up between winning in the Men’s Varsity Double race at the Pittsford Regatta and placing 7th at New York State Championships.
JM: PRing my 5k by 12 splits in a season.*
*This means that Merrill’s 5,000 meter erg time improved by two minutes.
RZ: How do you plan on continuing with crew after high school?
SB: I hope to row in college, if I get fast enough. I’d probably row in Division 3.
ED: I have committed to rowing at UMass Amherst next year.
GCB: I’m looking into a Division 3 school. I’ve already interviewed with their coach and I’ve gone to one of their practices, so that’s exciting.
BN: I’ll continue my rowing journey on the couch as I watch my teammates win at the Head of the Charles Regatta and the Olympics.
JM: I don’t think I’m going to continue with rowing in the future, but I will always look back positively at my memories of this boathouse.
RZ: What do you find to be the hardest thing about crew?
SB: Mentally keeping yourself motivated during workouts and races, and waking up at 5:00 A.M. in the morning, telling yourself, “Yeah, I like rowing,” not “I wanna go back to bed.”
ED: Rowing is a demanding sport that requires intensive training and physical exertion. That said, I believe the emotional aspects are the hardest. Everyone on the team sacrifices so much to train for races, and when at times we don’t win, it can be discouraging. It takes a certain kind of determination to come back from a loss stronger.
GCB: Definitely the mental aspect. Staying motivated when you’re on the erg and you can’t see your surroundings pass by. Sometimes on the water it’s hard to stay motivated when you can’t see your competition.
BN: Staying motivated when you’re by yourself in a boat.
JM: Keeping your mental on days when you don’t want to go.
RZ: How do you stay motivated when you face challenges within the sport?
SB: Usually I just yell at myself, or if I don’t feel motivated, the next day I’ll feel fine. I know I have to do well on a workout so I can get fast and win my next race. Also knowing that my teammates are relying on me.
ED: As it gets colder later in the season, getting up at 5:00 A.M. six days a week becomes increasingly challenging. Every morning I get out of bed for my team. When training on top of school becomes overwhelming, I lean on my team for inspiration. They are the foundation of my success.
GCB: When I’m in a boat with other people I can remind myself that I’m not just doing this for me, that there are other people in the boat that are relying on me. On the erg it’s more challenging, but most of the time, telling myself I’m not gonna die if I work a little harder.
BN: I have two answers to that: I think there’s a micro and a macro. For example, during a piece, I personally like to look at numbers and how much distance I have left, but in general I feel motivated by everyone around me, who is also pushing themselves to do better.
JM: If it’s a challenge during the piece, then I’ll come up with something to take my mind off of it. I’ll either focus on form, or break up the piece into micro-segments. Outside the erg I try to stay positive and remember that progress takes time.
RZ: What is one piece of advice you would give to young athletes, and specifically rowers, looking to get better at their sport?
SB: If you want to get better, you have to show up every day and put effort into what you do. If you put in the effort, it might take a while, but you’ll eventually see the results.
ED: It’s important to be patient with your training and to have fun. Take it easy on yourself mentally; you have time to gain more experience and speed. Overworking can be counterproductive. Just stay disciplined and consistent. Progress will come with hard work, I promise :).
GCB: It’s hard, but it’s important to stay motivated, to show up to each practice, to put in as much effort as you’ve got each day. And it’s important to remember that numbers don’t define you as a
person and you’ll still have a place on your team.
BN: Care about the sport, erg, and spend time in a single. Grow taller.
JM: Remember that how you get better is through hard work and dedication, and it’s not gonna come one day magically, you’re gonna have to work for it.
With the Fall Season coming to an end, our team is looking forward to Winter Training and Preseason Conditioning before the onset of the high-intensity Spring Season. Young students in the area are encouraged to try out this fun and challenging sport by joining the Modified and Novice teams in the spring and attending Learn-To-Row programs over the summer!