The Fordham Lady Rams dipped their oars into the southern waters of Richmond, Virginia, where they faced-off with Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond last week. Fordham met little opposition as they swept both regattas and achieved "perfect results," as reported by head coach Ted Bonanno.
Senior Catherine Mascia said that the squad was "rowing two or three times a day, working hard to prepare for upcoming races."
"We had a ton of progress during this trip - more so than past training trips. It's really exciting to feel the boat come together and feel so strong this early in the season," she said. Mascia stroked in the varsity boat while in Richmond.
Senior Caroline Gibbons also rowed in the varsity boat.
"We won both [races] by a lot and are really looking forward to the upcoming season," she said.
Sophomore Chelsea Berry had similar comments on the team's performance.
"The team is looking very strong, as people are finally getting over injuries that occurred during winter training," she said. "[We are] pushing each other to be better and motivating each other to make it to the top boat. "The six seniors are really putting their all into making this a memorable and exciting season." Berry also rowed in the varsity boat while in Richmond.
The dual wins in Virginia over the break will give the Rams a running start into this weekend's events.
The Schuylkill River serves as the backdrop for the first major event of the spring for Fordham and many other colleges and universities. This weekend the Rams will be competing in the 26th Annual Murphy Cup Regatta in Philadelphia where eight states, 26 cities and some of the best rowers in the country will be represented in a sprint to attain an early season edge. The Murphy Cup Regatta gold will grant bragging rights to the winner as well as an indication of how a particular squad will perform throughout the rest of the spring schedule. The regatta is hosted by Temple University's men's and women's crew teams.
"We will be racing some of our biggest competitors," Mascia said. "It's going to be a challenge, but I am very confident that we will perform well. We can't wait to put all of our hard work to the test."
Berry is also confident in the team's composure and potential.
"I feel that the team discipline to do two-a-days and lift three times a week is what makes us that much better than any other rowing team," she said.
Following the Murphy Cup, the Rams have three more major events before competition begins at the Atlantic 10 Championship. A win this Saturday would give Fordham an upper hand in the coming weeks. Mascia also made it clear that "[the squad is] going to continue to work hard, get faster, and get some good results!"
Bonanno has made it clear from the beginning of the season that "anything short of being undefeated will be disappointing."
2008 Woodie Awards
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