By Trevor Wenners
Special to GoHolyCross.com
It has been a historic season for the Holy Cross men's rowing team. The varsity eight has been ranked for five straight weeks in the USRowing men's varsity eight poll which is the first time they have ever been ranked more than once in a season. Additionally, the Crusaders have defeated two ranked opponents. Holy Cross is looking to continue this historic season as it competes against the best teams in the country at the 2015 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship from Friday (May 29)-Sunday (May 31) on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J. The varsity eight, second varsity eight and third varsity eight will all compete.
Coming into this season the Crusaders knew there was potential for a special season. "We knew heading into the spring season that we were fast," said senior captain Connor May (Wakefield, Mass.). "The top eight's 2K average was very competitive, so we just needed to get some water time to gel into a boat and convert that power into speed."
Hard work, chemistry and leadership have been the keys to the success of the team. "The season has been extremely exciting," said interim head coach Jim Barr. "I knew the team had a great deal of potential and the leaders of the team have really worked well with both myself and (assistant) coach Kyle Traub to reach that potential. The team has a great work ethic and never backs down or gives up."
The varsity eight was ranked No. 18 in the final regular season poll on May 20. The Crusaders defeated No. 16 Syracuse on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester at the 2015 Eastern Sprints on May 17. The varsity eight also defeated No. 19 Georgetown on Lake Carnegie in Princeton, N.J. to win the Healy Cup for the second straight season on April 18. Prior to being ranked No. 18, the Crusaders were No. 19 three weeks in a row (April 29, May 6 and May 13) and No. 20 once (April 22). The Crusaders defeated Hobart, Williams and Bucknell on Lake Quinsigamond on April 25. The varsity eight placed fifth out of 19 boats in the first event of the year at the Murphy Cup on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J. on March 28.
The Crusaders will now try to build on the success they have achieved this season. "Beating nationally ranked teams doesn't come often and we have worked hard to beat two so far this season," said Barr. "The training is now in the fine tuning stage in preparation for the IRA. A lot of guys dreaming big, guys that are capable, it will be a great few days of racing."
May added, "In regards to the IRA National Championship this year, we are excited to line up against the West Coast schools. Our hope is to keep beating our seed. I like being the underdog. While the rowing community has taken notice of us much more this season than in the past, we still feel that we have not exhibited our full potential yet. This weekend will be our opportunity."
The Crusaders have been led by an outstanding senior class. The seniors include: Alex Brandon (Amherst, N.H.), John Burke (Bedford, N.Y.), Brian Clark (Westport, Conn.), Tiarnan Doherty (Doolin, Ireland), Conor Faron (Medway, Mass.), Kyle Larkin (Buffalo, N.Y.), May, Andrew McNamara (Needham, Mass.), Eddie Ryan (Pasadena, Calif.), T.J. Watts (Shaker Heights, Ohio), Nick Whalen (Sutton, Mass.) and Zack Zaniewski (Boxford, Mass.). "Another key to our team's success this year often overlooked is our team chemistry," said May. "Our senior class has really stepped up to create a welcoming environment for the underclassmen to be engaged with us on and off the water. When you are in the last 500 meters of a race, knowing that you are pulling for some of your best friends can really be all the difference."
May sees that the coaching staff has played an enormous part in the success of the team. "Coaches Barr and Traub have been awesome every step along the way," said May. "We have bought into their coaching philosophy, and the results speak for themselves."
Hard work during the winter always helps when spring time finally shows up. "I would also credit the guys in the varsity eight for their leadership during the winter training season," said May. "We all went to the early erg practices together, so that we could push each other on each piece. This undoubtedly made us fast and mentally tougher. The water is a display of a boat's fitness, finesse and power, but the erg room is the manufacturer of the boat. Without the hard work put into the ergs, there is no success on the water."
Watts, junior Sam Poryanda (Branford, Conn.), sophomore John Tanis (Cleveland, Ohio), sophomore Anthony Criscitiello (Ridgewood, N.J.) and May have competed on the varsity eight in all six spring events. The nine people on the varsity eight boat have been the same the last three events with junior J.T. Kearney (San Mateo, Calif.) as the coxswain. The rest of the lineup consists of sophomore Vince LaMonte (West Babylon, N.Y.), Watts, Poryanda, Burke, McNamara, Tanis, Criscitiello and May. "This year's varsity eight is different from ones I've been in over the years," said Barr. "Normally the varsity eight is a boat that carries a lot of stress. The nine people in the boat can sometimes seem like they are perched precariously at the top of the team and normally feels the threat from the guys below gunning for their seats. These guys really showed a great deal of confidence especially after the Georgetown race. I was a bit worried that complacency would set in once we started rising in the national ranking but quite the opposite happened."
In a season that has featured so many positives, it can be difficult to single in on one favorite moment but Barr has one memory that sticks out. "My favorite moment this year is when we had one of our first indoor rowing tests," he said. "The test was a 6K and I had set the goal of 100 percent personal records (PRs). In order to hit the goal of 100 percent PRs the team would have to really buy into the new training plan and team culture. We ended up not only hitting 100 percent but the average improvement was by 30 seconds."
The Crusaders were ranked No. 20 at the end of the 2013 season and they have made another jump this year to continue their upward climb. "Our program really felt like we hit a milestone in 2013 with our No. 20 ranking at the end of the season," said May. "I really looked up to that senior class and the guys in that varsity eight, so it was awesome to hear accolades from those guys now in my senior season. It is my hope that the 2015 class has left a similar legacy for the underclassmen this year to take this success as a building block that will motivate them to continue to advance our program's success and most importantly believe that they deserve it."
You can stay connected with the Holy Cross men's rowing team by following the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossMRowing. You can also get the latest news and results on the team sent directly to your e-mail. To sign up for e-mail alerts go here: http://www.goholycross.com/list-signup.
