Bowdoin Rowing

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Reflections on the New England Rowing Championships

Today, May 2, 2020, would normally be one of our favorite days of the spring racing season: the New England Rowing Championships! We’ve compiled some of our favorite memories and medals from the last few years. Bowdoin Rowing has earned 13 medals over the last two years at NERCs, including 8 gold medals.

Women’s 1V4 takes gold in 2019 –– Julie Scholes ‘20 (Capt.), Allie Gross ‘20, Andy Bolender ‘21, Summer Chamberlin ‘22, and Jill Galloway ‘21.
A men’s crew huddles with Coach Welling before a 2018 grand final.
Women’s 1V4 takes gold in 2018 –– Cirkine Sherry ‘18, Erin Jeter ‘18 (Capt.), Sadie LoGerfo-Olsen ‘19, Allie Gross ‘20, Max Larson ‘18, and Coaches Birney & Welling.
Men’s 1V4 takes gold in 2019 –– Kenny Lamm ‘20, Matt Donnelly ‘22, Elizabeth Kolle ‘19 (Capt.), Seth Chatterton ‘19, and Walter Gadsby ‘20.
Women’s 1V4 and Men’s 1V4 share a moment with their cups –– Max Larson ‘18, Cirkine Sherry ‘18, Erin Jeter ‘18 (Capt.), Sadie LoGerfo-Olsen ‘19, Brendan Mallery ‘18, Phillip Wang ‘18 (Capt.), Will Brockett ‘18, Phillip Maier ‘18, and Walter Gadsby ‘20.
Men’s 2V4 takes gold in 2019 –– Former Coach Birney, Jeff Okamoto ‘19, Calvin Kinghorn ‘21, Alicia Edwards ‘21, Jack Tarlton ‘20, Jake Readinger ‘20. The crew was the first winner of the new Gil Birney Cup, dedicated in honor of Coachie’s 22 years with Bowdoin Rowing.
Men’s 3V4 takes silver in 2019 –– Ian Ward ‘20, Steven Miyawaki ‘20, Nick Vasiliu ‘21, Gianni Jannke ‘20 (Capt.), and Itza Bonilla ‘20.
Former Coach Gil Birney holds the Gil Birney Cup after its dedication in 2019.
Rowers, parents, and alumni pose for a group photo in 2018.
Phillip Wang ‘18 (Capt.) stands with teammates after a win and cox throw in 2018.

Today, rowers with ergs completed a virtual 2k challenge on Zoom to mark NERCs. Many rowers earned PR times after weeks of training at home. Great racing to all, and it was awesome to see everyone cheering them on!

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Together: Bowdoin Ends Spring Season

SUMMERTON, South Carolina –– Together. Bowdoin Rowing’s spring 2020 season ended early following the College’s announcement that it would close for the remainder of the semester due to COVID-19.

While our season was cut short, Bowdoin Rowing was so incredibly lucky to be able to spend the final moments of the spring season together at Camp Bob. We filled our last few days with lots of joy and, of course, rowing.

Crews launch for a sunrise row.

Our crews condensed a whole season of racing with plenty of speed into the final days. The annual scrimmage included our fellow campers from Wentworth, the University of Rhode Island, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University. The Polar Bears were competitive in both the 8s and 4s, and the men’s varsity four set a new course record.

The team also made the most of the time off the water. The last four days included an ice cream social, team talent show, karaoke night, dodgeball tournament, capture the flag, bonfire, and finding the secret to speed going down Camp Bob’s waterslide. The night before Coach Welling and the loaded trailer drove off towards Maine, the coaches put together a wonderful spring banquet on the banks of the Wyboo to celebrate each other and to honor our seniors.

Seniors pose for a Class of 2020 “graduation” photo.

The week in South Carolina was truly a gift. We are so sad that we will not be starting our days on the New Meadows this spring, but we know that this extraordinary and resilient group will continue to adapt, train, take our connections to a “digital level,” and celebrate our incredible seniors over the next two months.

Crews practice at sunrise.

“Being together as a team felt tremendously important, and we feel lucky to have had this one week to row together, laugh together, cry together, and enjoy the camaraderie that defines this program’s motto: have fun and go fast,” Coach Welling said.

“I am so grateful that Bowdoin Rowing was able to have this week together,” Coach Hills added. “I don’t think any other team at Bowdoin, or anywhere else for that matter, was in such a tight-knit and fun environment, all day, every day, for their final week of this season. In the grand scheme of things during this crazy time, that was a gift. We will treasure the memories.”

To everyone in the Bowdoin Rowing family––our teammates, friends, alumni, and supporters––stay safe and healthy. Take care of each other. And until next time: Let’s Go Black!

Shells raft up during our last full fleet row.

Find more coverage of our travels on our Instagram @BowdoinRowing.

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Bowdoin Rowing Receives Seventy-Seven Award

This spring, Bowdoin Rowing was proud to receive the Seventy-Seven Award––awarded annually in honor of the Class of 1977 by a vote of the coaching staff to the team that, regardless of record, played unselfishly and with the utmost heart in victory or defeat and built character as the season progressed while upholding the competitive spirit and the traditions and ideals of the College and the Department of Athletics.

Peter Garrison ’77, sculptor of the trophy, presenting Mike Donnelly ’20 with the award.

Head Coach Doug Welling said this on behalf of the team:

The Rowing team is incredibly honored to be the recipient of the Seventy-Seven Award. 2019 started with tragic news, the loss of teammate and friend Henry Zietlow ’22. Not a day has passed without Henry on our minds. Coping and healing has largely stemmed from simple human connection; being surrounded with community members and teammates that witnessed Henry’s incredible presence firsthand. While only with the team for the fall semester, Henry left a lasting impression on teammates and coaches that will positively impact our program going forward.

Henry lived life to the fullest in every regard. He greeted each sunrise on the New Meadows River with a huge smile. He possessed an incredible sense of humor. He trained and competed with fierce inner belief. Yet, Henry was humble, inclusive and known on campus for the beacon-like light that he emitted. On our team, Henry became synonymous with the term, “Free Speed” — the notion that we can create a performance enhancing environment. Small examples came in the form of favorite, retro-style headbands, uplifting humor, and a positive attitude that was contagious to all.

At the Service for Remembrance for Henry in February, President Clayton Rose noted:

We remember, most of all, that Henry was special not because he was smart or musical or loved the water (he was all of that). He was special because he had the gift of touching others. He made a difference in the lives of those who knew him—in Minneapolis, at camp, on campus, in class, wherever he went. He made life for others more fun, more interesting…better.

From a performance standpoint, the 2019 spring campaign has been incredibly successful. Bowdoin Rowing sent seven crews to the New England Rowing Championships and all seven crews finished with medals: four Gold, two Silver and one Bronze. One of those gold medals came in the Men’s First Varsity Four, rowing a newly-dedicated hull named the “Free Speed”.

Maybe Coach Welling sums it up best: ”Rowing certainly has a much greater purpose than simply trying to win medals and this season has heightened that. We are all just trying to channel our inner ‘Henry.’”