Men’s Crew Leadership 

By: Marissa Long

The Men’s Crew recently held an election to choose their team captain and decided on two varsity seniors, Alejandro Juarez and Gillan Corvera, to lead the team. Juarez is majoring in business management, and Corvera is majoring in communication studies. Both rowers show up early to nearly every practice, lead workouts, actively recruit for the team, and positively motivate their teammates. When asked about the goals for the Men’s Crew this season, Captain Juarez stated that they were “to win two shirts from different universities, get more people excited about rowing, find new coxswains, incorporate stretching and recovery sessions, and have navigated erg sessions.” Even as a novice last year, Juarez showed significant leadership skills. Now that he is a captain, he makes announcements often after practice to keep the team informed on upcoming races and events.

As for the overall progress of the Men’s Crew this year, Captain Corvera stated, “The team has seen major progress with their confidence on the water. The team has developed into a tighter niche community. We have progressed this far with our grit; it is now up to us to refine our technique to be an efficient boat on the water. The Men’s Crew has progressed in size and has increased their training this season under the leadership of these two captains.”

Another leader of the Men’s Crew is the team president, Andres Boppell. President Boppell has been a part of Beach Crew for the past five years, the longest of any other current rower. He is a first-year master’s student studying psychology. As president, he is in charge of administrative tasks such as scheduling practices, coordinating events, and managing finances and fundraisers. Boppell stated that he serves as “a bridge between team members, coaches, and rowing governing bodies.” With his ample experience on the team, President Boppell is a crucial leader to the crew.

Photo credit: Suki Sra

President Andres Boppell fixing his foot stretchers.

Captain Alejandro Juarez

Captain Gillan Corvera