(Our motto in Latin -- "Rowing Conquers All!!")
 

        Near the beginning of my freshman year, I went to the Organizations Fair to browse through the clubs and activities which are offered at Centenary.  There I met Allen Eubanks, the head coach of the rowing program.  He told me all about the sport of rowing, which was completely new to me at the time, so of course I had to sign up!!  After several meetings with the team at the gym and the boathouse, I could tell that crew was going to become a big part of my life.  A lifetime softball player, I was looking for a new way to stay in shape, have fun, and work with people.  My involvement with the Centenary Crew has fulfilled all of these things -- with the added bonus of being one of the best experiences of my life!!

        In the fall, we mainly train for head races, which are approximately 6000 meters (3.7 miles) long.  Last year, we went to three regattas in the fall -- Head of the Red (Shreveport, LA), the Pumpkin Head Regatta (Austin, TX), and the Head of the Hooch (Gainsville, GA).  Considering our team's youth and inexperience, we did surprisingly well.  At Head of the Red we won a gold medal, at the Pumpkin Head we won silver, and at the Hooch we placed 12th of 34 crews.  Pretty awesome!!

        The spring semester is a little different in that we train for sprint races, which are 2000 meters long.  (They may be shorter, but you still feel like you're going to die afterwards!!)  A little short on both funds and rowers last spring, we kept our sights aimed on only one regatta -- the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regional Regatta held annually in May in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.  Since we had neither the funds nor the equipment for a large number of rowers to travel, we only took one women's four...  We made arrangements to rent a shell from Northwestern University, and we borrowed Coach's mom's mini van to make the trip.  What do you get when you pack six people and all of their luggage in a borrowed mini van with 12-foot oars strapped on top?  An amazing victory and a ton of fun!!  Read more about the struggles and triumphs we encountered at SIRA HERE!!

        I can't wait to see what's in store this year for the Crew.  A few changes have occurred already -- Coach Eubanks was offered an unbelievable job in Oak Ridge, TN, coaching the city's junior rowers and managing the marina.  The team is extremely proud of him, but of course we all miss him a ton.  I do, however, want to give my warmest welcome to our new head coach, Jena DelCampo.  She worked with us a lot last year, and I am confident she will provide the leadership and knowledge to drive our team to further success.

GO CREW!!

Jenn Watson, Erin Watson, Hamblin, Celeste, Coach Eubanks

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