t is a quiet, dark Wednesday morning in Milwaukee and a small group of Marquette students meet at 4:45 am to begin practice. Nope, it is not the men’s basketball team, but Marquette’s men’s varsity crew team.
Waking up early is just the beginning for the Crew Team. While a few members drive down to the boathouse, most of the team jogs from campus as a warm-up for their legs; as it will be the core and arms doing most of the work at practice. When all the members of the team arrive at the boathouse, the men go through a series of different stretches, as well as, understandably, a series of yawning.
The temperature at the boathouse does not help. Most of the team wears hoodies or Under Armour to dispell the cold air, but while the hardcore members are just in shorts and T-shirts.
But the team is used to all this by now. With practices at 5 a.m. Monday through Friday with days off only on Thursdays, the routine is not exactly a desirable one unless you are a passionate rower.
On this morning, it is easy to see Marquette has exactly 12 passionate rowers, as Wednesday is one of the last practices before the Head of the Charles Regatta, one of the most prestigious rowing tournaments in the world. The race will contain participants from colleges, high schools and rowing clubs from all over the world.
For the Regatta, the team will be split into two teams: the lightweights, an eightman team of freshmen through seniors and the openweights, a four-man team of mostly upperclassmen. Wednesday’s practice will also have this format.
Before they can jump into the water, the team must retrieve the boats. Inside the spacious boathouse are rows and rows of black and white eight and four member boats, as well as all of the oars and practice rowing machines. Although the warm-up has been fairly easy-going, it is here where the team gets down to business.
“Hands on, openweights,” says Brianne Garrett, head coxswain or the person who sets the pace of the row and steer the boat.
Garrett, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences continues her instructions,“And up, side-step out… shoulders at split…over your head…and walk it out.”
When the boats are out, the two teams lock them down to the dock, fasten the oars and hop in the boat.
“Ready,” says Garrett, “One, two, and row.”
Both the lightweights and openweights plunge into the water and head down the river as coach Mary Spitzer, a recent graduate and a former rower herself follows in a white motorboat. On the way down the river, Spitzer follows the lightweights and their coxswain, Alec Hurley, a sophomore in the College of Communication.
Just five minutes into the practice, the looming Aurora Health Center and US Bank buildings come into view. But the lightweights only have eyes for the water, as the boat of eight men focus on Alec’s instructions of when to row and when to break.
But what the outside observer sees as fluid motion, Spitzer sees as slight inconsistency.
“John, back your blade down as you’re coming into the catch, you’re missing water,” she yells. “Roberto, slow down your knees and sit up tall. Make sure you’re not lunging.”
As they pass the lights of the Third Street Pier, John Hawks Pub and Milwaukee Public Market, it is clear Hurley is the one doing most of the talking.
“Just like that, every stroke, boys,” he says over his microphone headset.
In the eight-man boat, it is also Hurley’s job to call the numbers of the men telling them when to paddle. “Five, six, eight, on the feather,” he exclaims, telling his rowers to bring their oars back parallel to the water, or, the “feather.”
“You should be as square as you can… back that blade down,” he yells as the splash of the oars tries to drown out his voice. “Two, one, straighten ‘er out…reach out all the way as far back as you can.”
When they approach the spot where theywll be turning around, Hurley turns on the heat.
“Pick it up, all in unison! Finish together, under control gentlemen! Slow, don’t rush, slow, DRIVE!”
It is 5:45 a.m. and there is still no sign of the sun. Both of the teams have reached the very wide inner harbor just south of downtown. It is time to go back, but the pace is only about to increase.
Heading back up the river, the two teams prepare for what are known as “Power 10’s,” or 10 extra hard consecutive strokes that resemble a pace for the Regatta.
“Race it like a race,” yells out Spitzer from her boat. “Find what’s gonna work for you in your race and find that rate. Start it like you’re in the chute.”
The two boats line up side by side, but the openweights: captain Mike DeWilde, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, Marc Khatchadourian, a senior in the College of Communications, John Modrzynski, a sophomore in the College of Engineering and John Westfall, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences will be taking off first.
“You guys ready in back?,” yells Spitzer. “ROW!”
With a burst of speed, the four openweights zoom back up the river like men on a mission. They start so fast, Spitzer needs to floor her motorboat to catch up.
They continuously paddle back under all the bridges and the lights of the Milwaukee skyscrapers. With a fourman boat, there are no periods of rest for this group, but they are making it look easy.
The openweights are so steady that Garrett, their coxswain, is lying on her back in the stern like they have done this a million times.
“Keep it together, there we go, just like that,” she says through her headset. However, she is not completely happy with them.
“C’mon guys stop splashing,” she says. “If you guys splash me one more time…”
When the openweights start to approach the boathouse at 6:30 a.m., they will have already finished while both the Marquette women’s team and the Milwaukee Masters are still on the river. The sun is now completely out, providing a glimpse of what a beautiful day it will turn out to be.
Spitzer gets the group to convene. “I know Boston’s a big race and some of you might be nervous,” she says. “But you looked good today.”
But tomorrow is Thursday, so maybe then they can finally get some sleep.
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