Held every year around the same time, this year’s Western Intercollegiate Rowing Championships, also simply known as WIRA, took place on the last weekend of April (4/28-4/30) at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center. This regatta featured pairs and doubles in addition to the standard 8+s and 4+s featured in just about every regatta. Being the last major and official regatta for most of the collegiate crews on this side of the country, coaches planned for the crews to peak in their training around this time; thus, it is usually the most competitive out of all of the regattas that Beach Crew partakes in. This year, novice and varsity captains from the Men’s team were chosen to lead second workouts on top of the standard 5:30 AM practice, with most of the athletes ending up getting two workouts a day, multiple days a week. The women’s team went through similar feats to prepare for competition as well, feats that required much self-discipline.

The entire Spring Season had many luckless pitfalls, and this year’s WIRA was no exception. A series of unfortunate events during this year’s WIRA ultimately lead to a few of the Men’s team’s boats being scratched from their respective heats. It was a setback to say the least, one that discouraged many members of the team. For some of the members, it would have been their last regatta of their rowing/college career. Thankfully, both the Men and Women of Beach Crew have access to Sports Psychologists,which we meet with once a week throughout the season. We were fortunate enough to have the Men’s Sports Psychologist come up with the team to Sacramento to come support, and inadvertently end up being there to help cope with the adverse news. For the most part, everyone handled the news fairly well. It also didn’t hurt that the weather for the entire weekend was absolutely perfect for being outdoors.

For the boats that went out to race in their heats, it seemed like there was extra zeal during the heats. On top of the hours of training leading up to the regatta, the news of fellow teammates not being able to compete alongside may have provided the extra edge needed for this competitive championship. Needless to say, everyone tried their hardest and the results showed;  three of our boats made it all the way to the Grand Finals on Sunday, with every other boat defeating at least one other boat in their respective heats.

Men’s Varsity 4+

Men’s Double

Women’s Varsity 4+

Women’s Double

Men’s Novice 8+

Women’s Novice 4+

Women’s Pair

Gabriel

To sum up the regatta and the Spring season, the whole weekend was an emotional-roller-coaster filled with low points and high points. Starting from the early morning bus ride all the way to the bus ride back, the experience was just that: an experience. WIRA tends to be the longest and most memorable of regattas, and this year’s WIRA did not fail to reach that quota. For many of our rowers, this regatta was supposed to be, and was in fact, the last competitive regatta of their collegiate career. It is safe to say that everyone who partook enjoyed their time spent up north in Sacramento this year alongside their fellow rowers, the very same teammates that have sacrificed hours and months waking up early to sweat and train together. Also a special thank you to the DeVore family and the Brush family for contributing much-needed nourishment to our young athletes during the competition weekend, as well as to the many unnamed supporters who have contributed various needed supplies.

As always, Row Beach!

Photo creds: Arthur Parmentier, Emily Seiersen, row2k.com

Race Results at: http://www.row2k.com/results/resultspage.cfm?UID=812DBB4D19157E385FBF638C5D29347C&cat=6

Photo cred: Mike Modlin. Womens Pair Penny Gallardo and Megan DeVore holding their silver medals

WIRA is the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association. For west coast collegiate club rowing, this is typically the championship regatta (unless you go to ACRA). The venue is set at gorgeous Lake Natoma, a few miles outside of Sacramento, CA. Do not let the beauty of the lake fool you, the competition is fierce. If you want to win on that water, you need to earn every meter. When teams showed up on Friday to practice the wind was so bad that many crews were not allowed to row until it was safe. Some did not get row at all. This can be a significant disadvantage if you have never raced on a particular course before. It is expected to get in a practice row the day before a regatta if possible, especially when traveling to a new body of water. This was disheartening and reminiscent of WIRA last year. The wind ended up being too severe on Saturday afternoon and almost half of the afternoon races were canceled. Thankfully, the wind died down and the conditions ended up being some of the best I’ve seen. There was a strong tail wind pushing boats towards the finish line, as well as a strong current pulling boats in the same direction. It was rumored that with the wind and current, teams should expect to shave 10-15 seconds off of their expected times.

Photo cred: Mike Modlin. Womens pair Penny Gallardo and Megan DeVore in grand finals

Coach Ian Simpson and the LBS Women’s team were ready, especially the V2- and V2x (Pair and double). The double was rowed by Destanie Brush and Anabel Cardenas. Destanie has had previous success on this course in the pair and also at ACRA when she sculled a single. Anabel served as the women’s V4+ coxswain, so it says a lot about her ability to be able to both cox and row successfully. They raced hard and won a bronze medal this year, a well deserved result for these girls. The other two women who won medals were second year rower Megan DeVore and fourth year rower as well as women’s team president, Penelope Gallardo. They both worked hard all season and capped 2017 off with a silver medal performance in the pair. This was Penelope’s final race of her collegiate career, congratulations to her and the rest of the women’s team for all their success this season.

Photo cred: Kayla Bollinger. Women’s V4+ racing their heat

The men’s team had their success as well. Most of the boats, both novice and varsity posted the best times they have seen all season. Unfortunately the competition was stiff and the end result had many of the men’s boats near the bottom of the rankings. No medals this year for the fellas.

Photo cred: Mike Modlin. Men’s V8+ vs. Humboldt St. in 3rd final

WIRA is always fun, regardless of the outcome. It is a great time to bond with teammates. Both on the 7+ hour bus rides there and back, as well as in between races, hanging out at the race course and in the hotels. LBS Rowing appreciates all the support from the Beach Crew Alumni Foundation and the Parents who travel to see their children compete. They show up every year at the regattas with open arms, supporting words of encouragement, a giant EZ Up tent for shade, and tables and chairs with food for all rowers on the men’s and women’s team. It is truly an honor to have their support. So from all of us at Long Beach State Rowing, Thank you.

Photo cred: Mike Modlin. US Rowing Referee and Beach Crew Alumni Brandin Grams

With the conclusion of the season we all look forward to heading back home and relaxing for the summer. Not relaxing too much though because next season is right around the corner and those who work hard and smart in the off-season have success during the regular season. It has been a pleasure to write for LBS Rowing this season and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the program for participating, coaches, rowers, parents, alumni, LBRA, who so graciously shares the boathouse with us, and of course, the man behind the scenes who does more work than we realize and never looks for recognition but deserves so much credit… Boatmaster John O’Donnel (pretty much our version of George Yeomen Pocock).

Thank you very much for all the support. I’ll leave you with this quote:

“It is hard to make the boat go as fast as you want to. The enemy of course, is resistance of the water, as you have to displace the amount of water equal to the weight of the men (or women) and equipment, but that very water is what supports you and that very enemy is your friend. So is life: the very problems you must overcome also support you and make you stronger in overcoming them.”

-George Yeoman Pocock

Coach Ian Simpson, Rikki Oden, Zaena Guest, coxswain Sarah Dresser, Emily Seierson and Jayne Goodwin achieved gold medals at the American Collegiate Rowing Association in Gainesville, Georgia. (Photo courtesy Emily Seierson)

By Ariana Gastelum

Women’s Team President 2015-2016

Persistent training has paid off, and Long Beach State Rowing successfully medaled at the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) and the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA).

Of the three boats that were sent to ACRA, which took place in Gainesville, Georgia on May 28 and 29, two were rewarded. The women’s lightweight four earned gold and the women’s single took silver.

The lightweight four, comprised of Rikki Oden, Zaena Guest, Emily Seierson, Jayne Goodwin and coxswain Sarah Dresser, won gold with little trouble. They finished the 2,000-meter course in 7 minutes and 57.07 seconds. Washington State University (WSU) followed approximately 20 seconds after, and Northwestern University took third, in 8 minutes and 23.19 seconds.

Their performance noticeably improved since WIRA, which took place on April 30 and May 1 in Sacramento, California. They took a silver medal, finishing in 8 minutes and 15.3 seconds, approximately nine seconds after University of California, Berkeley Lightweight Crew (Cal). WSU and Chico State University took third and fourth.

Between competitions, the four made drastic changes in their training environment and lineup. At WIRA, they raced in a bucket-rigged boat. This means seats two and three both rowed starboard side, and seats one and four rowed port.

After WIRA, the women borrowed a boat from the men’s team to practice with the Southern California Scullers Club in Huntington Harbor. They raced at ACRA in a similar boat, rigged traditionally with a starboard stroke.

“[The] four worked on improving technique: catches, better posture, more effective use of bodies,” head coach Ian Simpson noted. “The women went through a lot, they supported each other through their ups and downs, and they remained focused on performing well at the national championships.”

Brush won second place in the singles race in 8 minutes and 56.55 seconds, after University of Virginia Rowing Association who finished 12 seconds prior. University of Alabama/Huntsville Crew took third, finishing in 9 minutes.

Because Brush was training to race in a pair at WIRA, she only had time to practice in a single for four weeks. Along with the four, Brush practiced with SoCal Scullers to prepare for ACRA.

The men’s varsity eight launches for their race at the American Collegiate Rowing Association. (Photo by Anthony Chacon)

The third boat that raced in Gainesville was the men’s varsity eight, which consisted Jacob Bledsoe, Dylan Widjaja, Isaac Da Silva, Zach DeVore, Sean McCrea, Ibrahim Almaqball, Jacob Muñoz, Nate Young and coxswain Eric Oates. Of the eight rowers, four of them were novices.

“For ACRA, since medaling was never really a goal, I wanted to give everyone on the team an opportunity to compete for those spots,” head coach Anthony Chacon noted. “I am happy that the top performing athletes ended up being a mix of first year rowers, a couple second years, one third year and one forth year rower. That is very young compared to whom we faced in the varsity-eight event.”

The eight trained six days a week after WIRA. Their main focus was to cut multiple seconds off their 2k times.

At ACRA, the eight achieved fourth place out of five in the D final with a time of 6 minutes and 40.87 seconds. Wichita State University followed five seconds after. Universities of Pittsburgh, Illinois and Georgia took first, second and third.

“The guys soaked up everything I taught them and did it without complaint,” Chacon added. “They asked the right questions, and when they suffered defeat, they didn’t see it as a loss, but a gain in experience. They were hungry to learn new things and to compete even if the odds were stacked against them. I love that. It will only make them faster.”

Of the five boats that competed in the grand finals at WIRA, three received medals. The women’s double won gold, the women’s lightweight four earned silver, and the women’s pair took bronze.

Ariana Gastelum and Penelope Gallardo win gold medals at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association in Sacramento. (Photo by Bryan Pulling)

Ariana Gastelum and Penelope Gallardo raced in the winning double. They finished the 2,000-meter course in 8 minutes and 35.4 seconds. WSU’s A boat followed closely, finishing less than two seconds after. Cal Berkeley ended in third, before WSU’s B boat, Chico, Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) and University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).

Gastelum and Gallardo had only practiced six times before racing at WIRA.

Brush and Lucie Webb rowed together in the pair. They finished after UCSB and Cal Berkeley, in 8 minutes and 30.6 seconds. Arizona State University finished fourth, 2.8 seconds after. University of Oregon, Humboldt State University and Chico followed.

Brush and Webb had raced together multiple times throughout the year. However, they switched boats and their lineup weeks before WIRA. Webb, who was previously stroke seat, had to adjust to looking over her shoulder and staying conscious of their point.

All members of the double, lightweight four and pair were originally supposed to race together in the varsity-eight category in addition to their small boats. Due to winds exceeding 25mph, all Saturday heats after 12:40p.m. were postponed to Sunday morning.

The varsity eight’s heat was scheduled to race at 8:10a.m. Shortly after, the double would have to race at 9:30a.m., and the pair at 9:50a.m. After considering their options, Simpson and the team ultimately decided to scratch their entry.

“If the eight had raced its heat on Sunday morning, it would have had to race at its very best to advance to the afternoon’s final,” Simpson noted. “The effort required would have severely impacted the performances in the other events and, given how close the margins were in those races, we would have probably fallen short in all our events. The choice was simple: take advantage of the opportunity to win something, versus the likelihood of achieving nothing at all. I am very pleased that every member of the WIRA varsity group departed Sacramento with a medal.”

The women’s novice four, comprised of Aimee Ramos, Hanna Anderson, Megan DeVore, Chloe Volz and coxswain Chamille Mendoza, placed fourth out of seven in grand finals after a very close race. All boats after Western Washington University finished only two to three seconds apart from each other.

Long Beach completed the course in 8 minutes and 14.6 seconds, 2.3 seconds after UCSB and 1.4 seconds before University of California, Irvine. Members of the four considered this race to be the best they performed the entire season.

The women’s novice team is coached by Alyssa Hartel. Hartel is a former rower from Fordham University’s crew team. Before that, she was rowing for Long Beach Junior Crew. This is her first year coaching the team.

“Having coached Alyssa since she was in middle school, I know her very well,” Simpson noted. “This was her first coaching experience, she learned a lot – often by having to figure it out for herself – and she is excited about returning to the team in the fall and is determined to do a great job.”

Novice coxswain Chamille Mendoza, Chloe Volz, Aimee Ramos, Hanna Anderson, Megan DeVore and coach Alyssa Hartel (Photo courtesy Chamille Mendoza)

The men’s novice lightweight four, which included Jordan Baluyot, AJ Morales, Tyler Huy, Daniel Trejo and coxswain Stephanie Kirchhoff, placed fifth out of six in grand finals. They finished in 7 minutes and 52.6 seconds, approximately 14 seconds before San Diego State University.

Chacon also finished his first year coaching for Long Beach. He has also coached for North Park University, Chicago Rowing Union, University of Notre Dame and Grand Valley State University.

“I have coached other teams, but this has been a highlight year for me,” Chacon noted. “The guys soaked up everything I taught them and did it without complaint. They asked the right questions, and when they suffered defeat, they didn’t see it as a loss, but a gain in experience. They were hungry to learn new things and to compete even if the odds were stacked against them. I love that. It will only make them faster.”

Without a doubt, Long Beach worked hard for a victorious 2015-2016 season. It required athletes with persistent attendance, complete focus, open mindedness, physical and mental strength, support, competitive spirit, pain tolerance, and long-term, goal-oriented minds. For seniors Sarah Dresser, Ariana Gastelum, Jayne Goodwin, Rikki Oden, Ranita Ram, Jacob Bledsoe, Mark Saavedra, Dylan Widjaja and Nate Young, it was their last season competing for Long Beach.

Thank you teammates, coaches, family, friends and Beach Crew alumni for your support. Row Beach!

For more information:

Official ACRA results

Official WIRA results

Photo by Chamille Mendoza