Every sports team goes into the season focusing on one goal, winning the championship. Penn State club crew is no different.
The crew team will begin its journey towards the championship on Sunday when it travels to Occoquan Va. To compete in the first race of the spring season.
Head coach Susan Saint Sing said she is looking at this race as a warm-up regatta. She said she is using it to see what the team has and to help her decide what adjustments she needs to make to better the team.
Members of the team are also looking at this race as a starting point to their success. Men's open four coxswain Kelly Weaver said she sees this race as a good way to judge how prepared the team is for the season.
"It's always hard in the beginning," she said. "You don't know where you are at. It's a chance to see where everyone stands."
This year the crew team will be entering five varsity teams, as well as five novice teams, into the race. The varsity teams include both men's and women's pairs, a women's open four and two teams of men's open four.
Saint Sing said she is expecting strong performances from three of her varsity boats in particular.
The men's pair of Peter Vaiana and Michael Welsh, the women's pair of Kristen Vitellaro and Stefanie Bachman and the men's heavy weight open four of Patrick O'Dunne, Ken Wedel, Evan Neft, and Nate Bishop.
The women's heavy weight open four consisting of Marissa Weber, Tessa Heller, Aziza Atwa, Megan Barrett and coxswain Christine Cohen was called a dark horse boat by Saint Sing.
Cohen agreed. She said with their size and strength, this boat has a lot of potential but she is more concerned with them gaining race experience and coming together.
The novice team should also prove to be a competitive team Sunday. Novice coach John Biddle said he too will be using the race to figure out what group of team members will make the fastest boat in future races.
Biddle said the novice team's dedication is their driving force. He said not only do they not miss scheduled practices but they rarely miss optional practices.
"The dedication is there," Biddle said. "They've worked exceptionally hard. Across the board they're a strong group."
Sunday's race will feature teams from schools in the eastern and Mid-Atlantic regions. John's Hopkins, Univeristy of Maryland, George Washington, Washington College, George Mason University, and close to 30 other schools from the Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Richmond areas will be competing against Penn State.
The team is looking to not only get back into the water and race but to win O'Dunne said.
"Last year almost everybody had a medal," he said. "I'd like to see the team rise to the same level of success and beyond."
