In one of the most impressive performances in Notre Dame Men's Rowing history, the Varsity 4+ took first place in the Men's Collegiate Four category at the Head of the Charles. Reed Curtis (stroke), Bryce de Venecia (3), Matt DiDonato (2), Joe Boyle (bow), and Caitlin O'Loughlin (coxswain) knocked off four-time defending champion Virginia to bring gold to South Bend. The V4+ posted a time of 17:09, winning by a margin of 3 seconds. Congratulations to our four rowers and coxswain for their historic accomplishment!
Head of the Grand Results
Our season kicked off in East Lansing, Michigan this past Sunday at the Head of the Grand Regatta. With multiple first place finishes, we were happy to see our season get off to a solid start. The team finished 2nd in the overall point total, tallying 40 behind Grand Valley's 44.
Results:
Varisty 8+:
- Notre Dame B - 2nd place, time: 10:42
- Notre Dame A - 3rd place, time: 10:43
Varsity 4+:
- Notre Dame B - 1st place, time: 11:05
- Notre Dame A - 5th place, time: 11:49
- Notre Dame C - 6th place, time: 12:03
Varsity 2-:
- Notre Dame A - 6th place, time: 13:21
- Notre Dame C - 8th place, time: 13:41
- Notre Dame B - 9th place, time: 15:38
Novice 8+:
- Notre Dame A - 2nd place, time: 11:17
- Notre Dame B - 4th place, time: 12:33
- Notre Dame C - 5th place, time: 12:34
- Notre Dame D - 10th place, time: 13:25
Novice 4+:
- Notre Dame A - 1st place, time: 12:24
- Notre Dame B - 2nd place, time: 12:40
- Notre Dame C - 7th place, time: 14:18
In addition to the results are two reflections: one from the president of ND rowing, Bryce de Venecia, and another from a novice rower, Evan Gies.
A beautiful fall day gilded NDRC’s first Fall regatta, the Head of the Grand. Contrary to the frigid October air that we rowed through last year, the sun was shining off the kelly green shells eager to show off their speed. Our four, which will race at the Head of the Charles next week, felt powerful through the chop created by the wake of the other boats. I always forget how exhilarating head races can be when your boat approaches, overtakes, and leaves another boat behind. All boats, both varsity and novice, succeeded in proving NDRC’s hard work and dedication over the past two months on the St. Joe. We could not have been so successful, however, without the support of the parents of NDRC, who provided us with fresh Michigan apples, sizzling bacon, exceptional burgers, and plenty of other snacks. Racing down the course certainly takes a toll, but the parents were there to provide both food and cheers!
-Bryce de Venecia
As a novice freshman rower that is completely new to the sport, the Head of the Grand Regatta was an incredibly exciting opportunity. The regatta was the first time that we could really put all our hard work and training to the test, and it was the first opportunity to get time trials since the erg test at the end of tryouts. Each boat bonded well as we spent the early morning rigging the boats and preparing for the race. The racing conditions were perfect and the water crisp. As the boats lined up at the start line, we were really nervous and knew absolutely nothing about the other teams there. We only knew what the coaches had told us about the course moments before. We just put all our muscle memory and dedication to the test. Nothing felt better than hearing the horn cross blare as we crossed the finish line.
The rest of the day was exciting to just hang out with the other guys on the team and cheer for the other Notre Dame boats as they passed by. Overall, the times and results were way better than I had expected for a first regatta, and it was really satisfying to know that we are well on our way to reaching the high standard we hold ourselves to as Notre Dame Rowers. And it is even more exciting to see that we can only get better from here.
- Evan Gies
Alumni Row
We would like to thank everyone who made Alumni Row weekend a success, especially the alumni who were able to come back this year. Below are two Alumni Row reflections from the current team captain, Brandon Burdine, and 2008 ND graduate Scott Campbell. R'Irish!
Last weekend, the Men’s Rowing Team had the pleasure of welcoming back our alumni for the annual Alumni Row. The morning started with Mass outside of the new boathouse overlooking the St. Joe’s. We then enjoyed a light breakfast and socialized before heading out on the river to relive the glory days, where the current team managed to defeat both alumni boats in a closely contested race. The day concluded by tailgating and watching the football team cruise to victory over Massachusetts. Personally, the highlight of my morning was being able to meet many of the older alumni, to hear their stories about the team when they were rowers, and to appreciate the long and storied tradition that we have the honor of being a part of. With more than 50 years of history, it struck me how blessed my teammates and I are to have the opportunity to row for Notre Dame. It inspired me to work harder each day to continue the legacy that those who came before me have left. - Brandon Burdine
Alumni Row is circled on my calendar each year. In addition to attending an Irish football game, it provides an opportunity to hear an update on the team successes, reconnect with old friends, and race some shells! The team seems off to a strong start to the year with hordes of eager novices learning the craft for the first time from coach Mike and coach Nick. The clear day and flat water made for an exceptional race against the current team and fellow alumni. The tailgating lot was filled with barbeque and war stories from my ’08 classmates and previous generations. Lastly, I believe that the strong alumni presence demonstrates the commitment to the team and university that current students have come to expect and look forward to participating in. I’m looking forward to next year. - Scott Campbell
Novice 2015 - 16 Roster Announced!
After a tough two-weeks of tryouts, we are pleased to announce the roster of men and women who have made the team for the 2015-16 season. Everyone came to work every day of the tryouts which made the process of cutting the roster to 42 very difficult. Thank you to everyone who tried out this fall! R'Irish!
Coxswains
Abby O'Loughlin
Alex Kruszewski
Belin Mirabile
Diego Arias
Kassandra Boliakis
Lauren Whalen
Mary Katherine Nagengast
Rowers
Alejandro Anderson
Alex Kiess
Andrew Litteken
Andrew Nemecek
Braeden Benedict
Brennen Roetzel
Chris Ray
Christian McGrew
Cole Grabowski
Colin MacGregor
David Nunes
Eddie Duffy
Evan Gies
Francois Moyo
Frankie Hagan
Gabriel Ostler
Hudson Ozello
James DeMaio
James Driscoll
James Zwierzynski
Joe Gonzales
Joe Orecchio
Jose Armengol
Liam Boll
Matt Piwko
Michael Halder
Nicholas Azar
Nick Battis
Nick Dedo
Nick Kiene
Paul Brunts
Peter Witty
Seamus Long
Seth Tautges
Zach Prephan
Alumni Row Schedule
Alumni Row is this week and we are very excited to welcome our Alums down to the boathouse! Here is the schedule for the weekend:
Practice - Friday 5:00 PM, Boathouse
Welcome BBQ and Team Meet/Greet - Friday 7:30 PM, 1025 N. Twyckenham Drive
Morning Mass, Remarks from Team - Saturday 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM, Boathouse
Row - Saturday 10:30 AM- 12:00 PM, Boathouse
Alumni Tailgate - Saturday 12:00 PM- 3:30 PM, Library Lot
Football Game vs. U Mass - Saturday 3:30 PM, Notre Dame Stadium
Go Irish!
New addition to the coaching staff
We are pleased to announce the addition of Zach Stackhouse to the coaching staff for 2015-2016! Zach brings a lot of rowing experience and love for the program to the staff and we are confident he will help move us closer to becoming ACRA Champions.
Zach is a first year law student at Notre Dame. He graduated from ND in 2012 with a degree in Philosophy...
Read Zach's full Bio HERE
Boathouse Update!
What I am sure you have all been waiting for! The NEW BOATHOUSE is coming along very nicely. We now have walls, floors and almost a roof! The second floor is even starting soon! Very exciting stuff for us and something that will help move the program to the next level.
Images below...
Stay tuned for more updates!
ACRA Results
ACRA Results and End of the Season
2nd Varsity 4+:
Heat: Place – 2nd
Time – 6:56.86
Advanced to – Finals
Grand Final: Place – 5th
Time – 7:02.36
Varsity 4+:
Heat: Place – 4th
Time – 6:47.01
Advanced to – Repechage
Repechage: Place – 1st
Time – 6:53.2
Advanced to – Semi-Final
Semi-Final: Place – 7th
Time – 6:56.1
Advanced to – Petite Final
Petite Final: Place – 6th
Time: 6:55.84
Varsity 8+:
Heat: Place – 3rd
Time – 5:56.82
Advanced to – Semi-Final
Semi-Final: Place – 5th
Time – 5:54.7
Advanced to – Petite Final
Petite Final: Place – 4th
Time – 6:07.42
2nd Novice 8+:
Heat: Place – 2nd
Time – 6:35.0
Advanced to – Grand Final
Grand Final: Place – 3rd
Time – 6:36.22
Novice 8+:
Heat: Place – 3rd
Time – 6:18.66
Advanced to – Repechage
Repechage: Place – 2nd
Time – 6:13.2
Advanced to – Petite Final
Petite Final: Place – 2nd
Time – 6:16.0
We would like to congratulate the men of Notre Dame Rowing Club on a great season, and also the 2nd Novice 8 for bringing home some hardware from ACRAs. The team made significant strides this year, becoming faster and growing together.
That being said, the team has collectively set the bar higher for Notre Dame Men’s Rowing. Our men are not satisfied with the results from this year’s ACRAs. Already, the team has set their sights on ACRA 2016 and is determined to get faster. Whether lifting weights, erging, or joining their local rowing clubs, our men are taking steps this summer to reach the bar they have all set.
We are excited to return in the fall and take the Notre Dame Rowing Club to new heights. Thank you to all of our parents and donors who have supported us throughout our season. We look forward to seeing you all next season!
R’Irish!
Preparing for ACRAs (Schedule Released)
The team arrived in Gainesville, Georgia on Wednesday to compete at the ACRA National Championships. As a program, our end goal is to win at ACRAs. Our oarsmen have trained extensively all year with this goal in mind. In the weeks since MACRAs, the team has continued to improve and make the final adjustments necessary to find success in Gainesville. We are excited to see what we can accomplish in what will be a great weekend of racing.
We have five Notre Dame boats entered for ACRAs. Their tentative heat times and competition are as follows:
Varsity 8+: Heat 4 at 12:20 pm vs. Illinois, Kansas, Cincinnati, UC Irvine, and UCSB. (Top 3 to the semi finals)
1st Varsity 4+: Heat 3 at 11:34 am vs. Michigan, UMass, UCLA, Murray St, Kansas St, and George Mason. (Top 3 to semi finals)
2nd Varsity 4+: Heat 2 at 10:00 am vs. Michigan, Boston College, Vermont, and UCSB. (Top 3 to grand final)
1st Novice 8+: Heat 1 at 10:20 am vs. Illinois, Minnesota, UC Irvine, Orange Coast, New Hampshire, and Kansas. (Top 2 to grand final)
2nd Novice 8+: Heat 2 at 3:02 pm vs. UCSB and Wash U. (all to final, place determines lane)
The full (tentative) schedule can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JxaNHgiV9sT6MGqbAYOJpaTMGiqFuuUA8ezZHKijp_w/edit?usp=sharing
Our results from the weekend will be posted soon after Sunday’s races.
R’Irish!
MACRA Results
The team came to MACRAs with a determination to finish on a strong note before several weeks of training for ACRAs. Our entries consisted of the Varsity 8+, two Varsity 4s, and two Novice 8s.
Under a fierce headwind and choppy water, the Varsity 4A started off the day of racing. In their heat, the varsity 4A pulled away from the field and didn’t look back, finishing in 1st place by open water. They finished with a time of 7:49.4 to advance to the grand final.
Up next was the Varisty 4B. In their heat, the varsity 4B got into a battle with Wheaton. After establishing an effective rhythm, the varisty 4B was able to overcome Wheaton by 0.7 seconds. They finished in 3rd place to advance to the petite final, posting a time of 7:58.3.
The Novice 8A was next to take the water. Facing the same headwind and choppy water, the 1N was forced to lower their rate a few beats in order to keep a solid ratio. They found open water quickly and finished in 1st place with a time of 7:17.8, 17 seconds ahead of the next boat.
In the very next race, the Novice 8B faced off with two Michigan boats, Minnesota, and Miami. After a fantastic start, the 2N’s race was called back due to a collision between two other boats. This ultimately hurt the 2N, as the second start did not have the rhythm of the first. After a close race with Michigan’s 3N, the novice 8B came in 4th with a time of 7:55.8 to advance to the petite finals. Due to continuous delays throughout the day, the petite final was ultimately cancelled.
The Varsity 8+ was last to compete in their heat. The V8+ stayed with Mercyhurst through the early stages of the race, and ultimately fell to them by about a boat length. Their time of 7:08.6 earned them 2nd place and a spot in the grand final.
In the afternoon, the Varsity 4B returned to the water to compete in the petite final.
They finished in 3rd place with a time of 7:51.5, a 7 second improvement from their heat earlier that day. The Varsity 4A, competing in the grand final, had a great race to finish in 2nd behind Michigan A, while beating Michigan State and Michigan B. The varisty 4A, only 3.6 seconds off the winning time, were glad to bring home some hardware.
The Novice 8A’s grand final immediately became a three boat race for first with Mercyhurst and Michigan. After a move at the 1000-meter mark, the 1N led Michigan by a seat and was on Mercyhurst’s stern. However, they were unable to maintain a solid ratio, and finished in third place with a time of 6:53.5 to take home the bronze.
The final race of the day was the Varsity 8’s grand final. In a race featuring many solid crews, the varsity 8 cut over 10 seconds off their heat and beat Mercyhurst, after falling to them in their heat earlier in the day. They finished in 4th place with a time of 6:56.
MACRAs provided our team with great race experience in less than ideal conditions. Two of our boats were able to bring home some hardware, and all boats now know what they need to accomplish in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to some productive training as we head towards ACRAs.