Dedicated Crew
Colby, Bates, Bowdoin take on elements, each other in annual regatta
Copyright © 2002 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
SIDNEY — It's Sunday morning, and you are listening to the sounds of Messalonskee Lake. The water laps the shore, the wind sways the budding trees. Somebody just down the shore skips a rock on the water, and a coxswain counts off and eggs on his four-man crew.
"Six, seven! Focus! Eight, nine! Do it now!"
The Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) rivalry took to the water on Sunday. The Maine rivals rowed against each other in their annual regatta, and it featured some of the best athletes you've never heard of. Led by wins by both the men's and women's varsity eight crews, the White Mules claimed the Presidents' Cup for the second consecutive year, scoring 29 points. Bowdoin was second with 21, and Bates finished with 18. 
Staff photo by JIM EVANS Colby College's Lindsey Williams puts a bend in her oars as she and her crew teammates start the varsity women's eights race in the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Regatta on Sunday on Messalonskee Lake. click to enlarge
Crew teams row in teams of eight or four, plus a coxswain who directs the team through the water. If one person can make a difference, it's usually bad. Unless everyone in the boat is on the same page, your team isn't going anywhere.
"You'll find a lot of kids love it for that reason," said Colby head coach Stew Stokes.
You can call Sunday's venue Messalonskee Lake or you can call it Snow Pond. No matter what you call it, crews fought bitterly cold winds and choppy waters as well as each other.
"Conditions are a huge influence," said Colby senior Katie Ward-Waller, who helped lead the White Mules women's varsity eight to a 7-minute, 22.4-second finish over the 2,000-meter course. "It's almost more who can tackle the conditions."
The White Mules finished nine seconds ahead of the second place team, the Colby junior varsity squad. Colby's varsity women's eight team is currently ranked fifth in NCAA Division III, and with wins over the third-and fourth-ranked teams (Smith College and the Coast Guard Academy) the Mules could move up.
The men's varsity eight race was the closest of the day. Bates took an early lead, but was overtaken late by Colby and Bowdoin. The White Mules finished barely a second ahead of Bowdoin, 6:29.6 to 6:30.7, with Bates half a second behind the Polar Bears at 6:31.2.
"You live for races like that," said Stokes. "To go stroke for stroke with another boat down the stretch."
If most people have heard of crew at all, it's because they've heard of races like Boston's Head of the Charles. Head races are held in the fall and are generally longer distances. Spring races like Sunday's are 2,000 meters and are built for speed and power.
"On (the start command) row, everything just erupts," said Bowdoin assistant coach Erin Jaworski.
"It looks like a pretty beautiful sport," said Colby senior Lindsey Williams, "but it's a challenge to the team."
Compared with other sports, the crew rivalry between Colby, Bates and Bowdoin is relatively tame. These three schools are eager to compete against each other in anything, from football to pie-eating contests. During ice hockey games between Colby and Bowdoin, the students have been known to go out of their way to be rude to each other, but Sunday's races carried a subtle air of civility. The teams openly cheered each other on, and Colby even loaned a boat to Bowdoin so the Polar Bears could compete in the eight-person races.
Part of the politeness stems from the sport's history.
"I don't know if civilized is the right word," said Colby assistant coach Pat Tynan. "We just get it done on the water and leave it on the water."
"This sport is too difficult and too demanding for it to be any other way," said Stokes, who is in his second year at Colby. "There's just a natural respect for each other. I've tried to foster that."
One of the sport's more popular traditions is competing for shirts. Losing crews present the winners with their shirts, giving the teams a chance to meet and talk.
"At the end of a race, we'll all congratulate each other," said Williams.
Most of the rowers at this level had no experience in the sport before college. Jaworski estimated that nearly all of the Bowdoin rowers came to the team with no prior experience.
"Almost every college will train rowers who are interested," she said.
The Colby women's varsity eight have the CBB title and a national ranking, and the Mules hope to keep building on their successful season by staying focused on the goals of the group. Eight succeed, but the way they see it, eight can just as easily fail.
"There are no superstars," said senior Christine Lavertu.
"It's a matter of keeping the same focus," added Katie Lazdowski.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242 tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com