April 6, 2010

With every new inch of rain that poured into the Merrimack River, the chances that the UMass Lowell rowing team would begin their April home series of races Saturday grew dimmer and dimmer.

By Wednesday afternoon it was apparent from the speed of the current and the massive debris flow pouring downstream and past the boathouse that the racing would have to be cancelled.

But that did not mean that the scheduled opening scrimmage against Massachusetts Maritime Academy would not take place. Instead of packing it in, the River Hawks packed up the trailer with boats and equipment and made the 90-minute trek to Plymouth, and opened the season with a successful series of racing.

The River Hawks split the informal dual, winning three out of six races with wins in the Men's Novice Four, the Women's Novice Four, and the Women's Varsity Four.

"Overall, I was really pleased with our scrimmage," said head coach Veronika Platzer. "The men's and women's fours were particularly solid and with more strokes, and the men's and women's novices will improve dramatically.

"I was especially proud of the super novices (new rowers with little to no time in a boat) and their willingness to line up and race despite less than three outings under their belt," she said.

"And we are especially grateful to Mass Maritime for hosting us on such a short notice."

The dual gave the team the chance to get a race in the books going into the second of the scheduled four home meets, which will take place this Saturday at the UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse. The River Hawks will host teams from the Coast Guard Academy, Colby College, and Massachusetts Maritime.

"We will use the experience from the scrimmage to really gear up for the tough and exciting racing that lies ahead this," Platzer said. "These three programs are consistently in the top ranks among New England programs and Coast Guard women are regular participants at the NCAA Division III championships."

The racing is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and conclude at 1 p.m. The boathouse will be open to the public and spectators will be able to watch the racing from the deck on the water, listen to music, and hear color commentary of the races as they unfold and move past the boathouse.

One event that was not canceled this weekend was a dedication and naming of two boats by the rowing alumni. Former coaches James Polcari '82 and William McGowan, who both served as head coaches for the men's and women's programs were honored.

Each coach had a four-seat shell named after him in recognition of their service to the university in a ceremony held out on the boathouse deck.