Saturday, March 16
Lake Nockamixon; Quakertown, Pa.
TBA
Lehigh University
vs
Loyola
Lehigh set for spring season opener against Patriot League foe Loyola Saturday
3/15/2019 4:29:00 PM | Men's Rowing, Women's Rowing
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Entering the spring season with expectations as high as ever, the Lehigh rowing team will kick things off on Saturday when it hosts Loyola on Lake Nockamixon in Quakertown, Pa. Racing will begin a 10 a.m. Saturday is the first spring event for the Mountain Hawks as they look for continued improvement heading into their championship races in May – the Patriot League Championship and prestigious Dad Vail Regatta.
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When thinking about 2019 versus years past, there is an increased confidence and belief within the Mountain Hawks that the program can compete for medals at the highest level of collegiate rowing. Last season, the Lehigh women made history by picking up its first medal at Patriots in school history. Not only did one boat win a medal, but two did; the Varsity Four and Second Varsity Eight each took bronze.
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"I believe the biggest difference with this team (this year versus the past) is its maturity – in terms of wanting more out of their goals," said Lehigh head coach Brian Conley. "You can see it just in how they approach daily practice. They don't see things as far-off goals anymore. They see winning the Patriot League Championship and trying to take home a medal at Dad Vails as being more realistic than ever."
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Medals aren't just won in the spring, but in the offseason as well.
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"The winter is always tough for a lot of rowers, but we handled it really well this year," said Conley. "The women have definitely shown on paper that we're the strongest we've ever been. The men developed well, particularly over the last month and a half and should show some speed this spring. But at this point, everything is on paper and we need to get out on the water and prove it."
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The talent within Lehigh Rowing only continues to grow. Combining that with the experience so many returning rowers garnered last year should hopefully lead to even greater success.
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"The upperclassmen have done a great job," said Conley. "The team is young, which can always present a number of issues, but the upperclassmen have stepped up – particularly our captains have really led the way with what we're trying to do. They've empowered others to take hold and hopefully continue us into the future. They're focused on the here and now."
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The here and now features tremendous competition within the boats. The athletes are pushing each other, which leads to not only individual, but also collective boat – and team – success.
Â
"We have a lot of returnees to our Varsity Eight, but they've definitely made it much more competitive to try and get into that boat," said Conley. "We're still trying to figure out who's going to be in what boat for each race, but we'll start off with Loyola with the current lineups that we have. Usually throughout the year, there's a lot of switching going on. It might be the same lineup come Patriots. It might not. That's up to the athletes to compete and fight for those seats every day. It's going to be fun."
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The fun starts on Saturday against the Greyhounds. It will be a good barometer for Conley and the Mountain Hawks, right from the very beginning of the spring slate.
Â
"Starting off with a league opponent really makes the start of the season very real and very serious," said Conley. "The team is taking it very seriously. Spring break has definitely been a benefit to get out there twice a day every day. Loyola has definitely gotten better every year so we're not taking them lightly. Despite them having a smaller roster, it doesn't mean that they can't make fast boats. We'll see what happens on Saturday."
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Following Saturday's race, the Mountain Hawks return to action next Saturday, Mar. 23 at the Murphy Cup on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.
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Like Lehigh Rowing on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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When thinking about 2019 versus years past, there is an increased confidence and belief within the Mountain Hawks that the program can compete for medals at the highest level of collegiate rowing. Last season, the Lehigh women made history by picking up its first medal at Patriots in school history. Not only did one boat win a medal, but two did; the Varsity Four and Second Varsity Eight each took bronze.
Â
"I believe the biggest difference with this team (this year versus the past) is its maturity – in terms of wanting more out of their goals," said Lehigh head coach Brian Conley. "You can see it just in how they approach daily practice. They don't see things as far-off goals anymore. They see winning the Patriot League Championship and trying to take home a medal at Dad Vails as being more realistic than ever."
Â
Medals aren't just won in the spring, but in the offseason as well.
Â
"The winter is always tough for a lot of rowers, but we handled it really well this year," said Conley. "The women have definitely shown on paper that we're the strongest we've ever been. The men developed well, particularly over the last month and a half and should show some speed this spring. But at this point, everything is on paper and we need to get out on the water and prove it."
Â
The talent within Lehigh Rowing only continues to grow. Combining that with the experience so many returning rowers garnered last year should hopefully lead to even greater success.
Â
"The upperclassmen have done a great job," said Conley. "The team is young, which can always present a number of issues, but the upperclassmen have stepped up – particularly our captains have really led the way with what we're trying to do. They've empowered others to take hold and hopefully continue us into the future. They're focused on the here and now."
Â
The here and now features tremendous competition within the boats. The athletes are pushing each other, which leads to not only individual, but also collective boat – and team – success.
Â
"We have a lot of returnees to our Varsity Eight, but they've definitely made it much more competitive to try and get into that boat," said Conley. "We're still trying to figure out who's going to be in what boat for each race, but we'll start off with Loyola with the current lineups that we have. Usually throughout the year, there's a lot of switching going on. It might be the same lineup come Patriots. It might not. That's up to the athletes to compete and fight for those seats every day. It's going to be fun."
Â
The fun starts on Saturday against the Greyhounds. It will be a good barometer for Conley and the Mountain Hawks, right from the very beginning of the spring slate.
Â
"Starting off with a league opponent really makes the start of the season very real and very serious," said Conley. "The team is taking it very seriously. Spring break has definitely been a benefit to get out there twice a day every day. Loyola has definitely gotten better every year so we're not taking them lightly. Despite them having a smaller roster, it doesn't mean that they can't make fast boats. We'll see what happens on Saturday."
Â
Following Saturday's race, the Mountain Hawks return to action next Saturday, Mar. 23 at the Murphy Cup on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.
Â
Like Lehigh Rowing on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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Rowing Season Preview
Friday, March 28
Lehigh Sports Central: Rowing
Wednesday, April 24
