Lightweight Alumni, Parents, and Friends,
As I write you this email, the Naval Academy Lightweight Rowing Team is less than 48 hours away from opening our spring season. I feel like I should pause for a moment for all of you former rowers and coxswains to think back to the ‘glory’ days of your youth and the many miles that you spent on the Severn River. Ok, enough about the past, let’s talk about the present!
Our lightweight team kicks off its 2009 season this weekend against Yale University in the sixth running of the Eads Johnson Jr. Cup. The race will take place on Saturday afternoon on Lake Carnegie in Princeton NJ. The races are slated to start at 1330, with the varsity race to conclude the afternoon at 1450. If you are in area, please come out to cheer on the guys as we race Yale.
Lightweight Alumni, Parents, and Friends,
As I write you this email, the Naval Academy Lightweight Rowing Team is less than 48 hours away from opening our spring season. I feel like I should pause for a moment for all of you former rowers and coxswains to think back to the ‘glory’ days of your youth and the many miles that you spent on the Severn River. Ok, enough about the past, let’s talk about the present!
Our lightweight team kicks off its 2009 season this weekend against Yale University in the sixth running of the Eads Johnson Jr. Cup. The race will take place on Saturday afternoon on Lake Carnegie in Princeton NJ. The races are slated to start at 1330, with the varsity race to conclude the afternoon at 1450. If you are in area, please come out to cheer on the guys as we race Yale.
Looking to the future, the next weekend we travel back to Princeton NJ, to take on Princeton for the Murtaugh Cup and guest Columbia University. The races are scheduled for the morning of Saturday April 4th, with a start time of 1000. On the 11th of April we travel into DC to race Georgetown and Delaware. Next on the schedule is the Hanes Cup, this year being held in Boston. We take on Harvard, on the morning of Saturday April 18th. Finally, we come to the last regular season contest, which also happens to be our only home race this year, when we row against Penn for the Callow Cup, on April 25th.
Sprints will be May 10th in Worcester, while we travel across the country this year to race in the IRA regatta, to be held in Sacramento CA, on June 6th. All of the schedule and the results as the races are run are posted at http://www.navysports.com/sports/m-crewlt/sched/navy-m-crewlt-sched.html
To get ready for the upcoming spring season, the team has been working very hard since the brigade returned from Winter Break. Spending most of January and February either on the ergs or in the weight room, the lightweights have addressed areas that the coaching staff felt the team lacked during the fall season. The training went well, with close to 80% of the team reaching new personal bests on the erg (including 24 of the top 26 guys). We also started a new weight lifting routine this year and the guys all saw significant increases in strength through out the off season. The majority of the guys decided to attend the Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprints this year, something that we hadn’t done in many years. Although the race, being held the last week of January, is early in our schedule we where able to take home the top 11 spots in the Open Lightweight and the top four spots in the Collegiate Open Division. Some of the women joined the guys on the trip and they were also able to take the top spot in the Collegiate Women’s division.
As March appeared on the calendar we started to get back into the shells, at least when the Severn allowed. The team was able to row a hand full of days prior to leaving for our Spring Break Racing Camp (formally know as the spring training trip) in Oak Ridge, TN. This really, at least in my mind, marks the beginning of our spring season. The team ran two a day practices for almost all of the eight days we were down there this year. The rowing that we get in this week of training, as most of you will remember, is worth at least three weeks of the rowing that we are able to accomplish here in Annapolis. The trip had a couple of highlights including; the Class of 2010 (2nd Class) winning the class day race by open water, the 1sties with myself, Coach Washburn, and Coach Schopler (who happens to be a SEAL) losing everyone of the paintball games we played (those paintballs hurt!!), being able to rescue the Army coaches launch when she couldn’t figure out how to get it running, and the absolutely gorgeous weather that we encountered over our eight day stay. We returned from our Spring Racing Camp to classes this past Monday, and that’s where we are now.
This winter we purchased a brand new lightweight eight from the Hudson Boat Works company. I truly believe their new line of boats (Super Predator, Hammerhead) to be the fastest lightweight boat on the market. It is the same exact model of boat that the US team rowed to a World Championship this past summer and the varsity guys that are currently rowing it LOVE it. We will be christening the boat later this season, but it was bought with the funds from the joint Heavyweight/Lightweight fund of the Class of 1966 Memorial group.
As I mentioned in an earlier email, the Foundation fund-drive is now underway. Every rowing alumnus should have received information about the drive and should also be receiving phone calls to follow up on that letter in the near future. If you need to update your contact information with the foundation, please visit www.USNA.COM. This fund raising drive is for the endowment of all of our equipment. There is no separate lightweight fund, so if you wish give money towards the purchase of future equipment for our team this is the means to do so.
Below are directions to all of our away races this year. It would be great to see as many Alumni and friends as possible, cheering on our guys throughout the season. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Nick Baker
Varsity Lightweight Rowing Coach
U.S. Naval Academy
March 28th, vs. Yale at Princeton, starting at 1:30 PM
Directions to Yale Race at finish-line area of Princeton’s Course
Take the NJ Turnpike to exit 9, New Brunswick.
Immediately follow signs and take Route 1 South for approx. 15 miles.
As you enter Princeton area, take a right onto Washington Road.
After crossing bridge, do not turn into Princeton Boathouse, follow Washington Rd. up the hill.
At top of hill, turn right on Route 206, main street through Princeton.
Follow route 206 for about 3 miles and turn into a parking lot in front of Lake Carnegie.
The finish line is all the way at the end of the parking lot.
April 4th, vs. Princeton, starting at 10:00 AM
Directions to Princeton’s Boathouse
Take the NJ Turnpike to exit 9, New Brunswick.
After tolls, take Route 18 North.
Immediately follow signs and take Route 1 South for approx. 15 miles.
As you enter Princeton area, take a right onto Washington Road.
The Princeton Boathouse will be on the left after crossing the bridge.
To watch the race at the finish line, follow directions below for Yale race.
April 11th, vs. Georgetown, 9:48 AM
Directions to Georgetown Boathouse: Thompson Boat Center
From North:
Take I-95 South to I-495 West (Beltway) toward Silver Spring
Continue on I-495 West and take the George Washington Memorial South
Take the Roosevelt Bridge across the Potomac River into downtown
Follow signs for the E Street NW exit
Turn left onto Virginia Avenue NW
Virginia Avenue deadends into Rock Creek Parkway at a stoplight – proceed straight through light into the parking lot for the boat center
By Car From Points West:
Take I-66 East
Take the Roosevelt Bridge across the Potomac River into downtown
Follow signs for the E Street NW exit
Turn left onto Virginia Avenue NW
Virginia Avenue deadends into Rock Creek Parkway at a stoplight – proceed straight through light into the parking lot for the boat center
By Car From Points South:
Take I-95 North
Upon reaching I-495 (Beltway), continue straight and the road becomes I-395
Follow signs for the George Washington Memorial Parkway North
At traffic circle, turn right and proceed across Memorial Bridge; follow road around Lincoln Memorial
Turn left onto 23rd Street NW
Turn left onto Virginia Avenue NW
Virginia Avenue deadends into Rock Creek Parkway at a stoplight – proceed straight through light into the parking lot for the boat center
April 18th, vs. Harvard, morning race
Directions to Harvard Boathouse, “Newell Boathouse”
From the Mass Pike (East or West) you should take the Allston/ Cambridge Exit.
After the exit, bear right toward Cambridge.
You will then be facing a series of lights, and the Charles River will be in front of you.
Merge toward the left as much as you can.
Turn left on Storrow Drive, just before you cross the river. Take Storrow Drive West.
After you pass the Harvard square exit, you will see Harvard’s boathouse up on the right.
It is the only building between Storrow Drive and the river.
You will not be able to park at the boathouse parking lot.
April 25th, vs. Penn at home, early morning race
May 10th, Eastern Sprints, Worcester, Mass.
Directions to Regatta Point State Park, 10 Lake Ave. North, Worcester, MA
Take the Massachusetts Turnpike East.
Get off at Interstate Route 290 East (Worcester).
Get off at Exit 21 (Plantation St.). Turn right at the end of the ramp.
Turn left onto North Road (between the Mercandante Funeral Home and UMass Medical Center).
Proceed to Lake Ave and turn right.
The park entrance is one hundred yards on the left.