Textile River Regatta Official Website

In each of the four years which Veronika Platzer has coached the UMass Lowell rowing team, there has been steady, significant  progression.

Last spring, the UMass Lowell varsity eights advanced to the Grand Final in the most prestigious collegiate regatta of the season – the Aberdeen Dad Vail – and finished the year ranked No. 3 in the final Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) East Region Poll.

Getting to the NCAA Championship – Platzer's goal from the start – is the next step.

So her excitement for the 2012-13 rowing season to begin at home with Sunday's Textile River Regatta is understood.
The first of five regattas on the schedule this fall, the Textile is where preparations for the NCAAs begin.

It is also a chance to showcase the program, the Bellegarde Boathouse and all things UMass Lowell on a huge stage. The Textile is the largest single-day collegiate regatta in the fall.

UMass Lowell will be represented in three events, beginning with the women's open singles (12:20 p.m.) in which sophomore Erinn McLaughlin (Lowell, Mass.) attempts to win the gold medal for the second straight year. Last year, in her first collegiate regatta, McLaughlin cruised to a time of 25:45.78 and established a 58-second cushion on the remainder of the field.

“Erinn has put in time in her single last year and is one of our better boat movers,” Platzer said. “I just want her to have a consistent and solid performance Sunday. I am extremely proud of her racing the single as that is the hardest boat to race, by far.”

Platzer will have a veteran lineup for the women's open four at 2:45, led by junior coxswain Rachel Paquette (Dracut, Mass.) as well as seniors Kim Haskins (East Taunton, Mass.) and Melinda Neale (Plaistow, N.H.) and sophomores Jenna Bueno (Methuen, Mass.) and Rachael Piela (Amherst, Mass.).

“This is a very, very strong field as most have entered this category instead of the eight,” Platzer noted. “If we finish in the top half, that will be good for us.”

Juniors Bridget Mahoney (Dracut, Mass.) and Megan McLaughlin (Haverhill, Mass.) will row in the open pairs race at 2:50.

“Small boats like the pair and single are tremendous learning tools but take a while to master,” said Platzer. “So jumping into a head race in either is tricky and requires courage and a good skill set. Both Bridget and Megan are vastly improving and that's all I'm looking for.”

Following Sunday's race, the River Hawks enter the New Hampshire Championships in Pembroke, N.H. on Oct. 14, where the novice fours – Bueno, Piela and junior Lisa Smith (Uxbridge, Mass.) among them – have won gold three straight years.

UMass Lowell competes in the Head of the Charles Saturday, Oct. 20 and caps the season Oct. 27 at the Head of the Fish in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. while the novices will enter the Quinsigamond Novice Challenge.