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