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UD looks to build upon their strong showing at the 2011 Atlantic 10 Women's Rowing Championship. |
– During the holiday break, the Dayton Flyers women’s rowing team trained down in Orlando in preparation for the upcoming 2012 campaign.
Under sunny skies and with warm weather, the Flyers spent mornings and afternoons preparing for the spring season which begins at the Oak Ridge Invitational in mid-March.
“This was my first year on the training trip and I was thoroughly impressed with the amount of work we were able to get in during the week,” Erin Quinn said.
The team’s usual schedule was big boats (8+'s and a quad) in the mornings with practices in smaller sculling boats (quads, doubles, singles) in the afternoon. Team members mixed in the workouts with some ultimate Frisbee and cross-training.
As an added bonus, some team members enjoyed a dinner with Ellen Tomek, an Olympic sculler who is training full time for London 2012. Tomek talked candidly about her experiences as and with the fastest rowers in the world.
The Flyers felt the winter trip was a great motivating bridge into the spring racing season.
“It was rewarding to live the lifestyle of a full time athlete while we were down there,” said Quinn. “I enjoyed spending time with teammates without our usual daily stressors like school and jobs we juggle along with rowing during the semester.”
After graduating just three seniors in 2011, this team is deeper than in past years, proven by its strongest showings in JV8 races throughout the fall season.
The 2012 senior class includes the three A-10 academic team members from last year and is comprised of three rowers with high school experience, Michele and Nicole Baeder and co-captain Lauren Bielak, and five true novice who walked onto the team four years ago.
UD looks to build upon their strong showing at the 2011 Atlantic 10 Women's Rowing Championship when Dayton's Varsity 8 won by setting a conference record with a time of 7:52.20.
The Flyers were then voted the week's Crew of the Week on Row2k.com for their winning their first ever Atlantic 10 Championship.
Dayton also had three student-athletes ear spots on the 2011 Atlantic 10 Women's Rowing All-Academic team, the most selections in the conference and three A-10 All-Conference selections as well. Head coach Michael Wenker earned the 2011 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year award as well.
