From Fitness Test to the First Week: Meet the Novice Class!

Over the past month, UConn Men’s Crew has searched every corner of the Storrs Campus in order to find the best possible prospective athletes. Between pasting flyers and QR Codes around campus, to standing by at every Involvement Fair, to even walking around campus with oars during the opening weekend, this is possibly the most fun UCMC has had recruiting in decades.

After storing every name and email the team could possibly muster up, UCMC invited absolutely everyone to come test their mettle at the annual Fall Fitness Test! On September 7, A total of 24 new Novice rowers showed up, prepared to take on a gauntlet of erging, jumpies, and a full run around Horsebarn Hill.

On September 9, athletes were able to get a long, technical workout on ergs, just to help them understand the different parts of the stroke. On September 10 through 13, those same athletes were able to hop on a boat for the first time, and row in lineups with Nov and Varsity rowers.

We are so grateful that so many Novices showed up and gave it their all! Of them, we decided to interview a few, after each practice, just to gauge how pumped each one is to start up their journey with the team.

Incoming Freshman, Kyijong "Kiwi” Tenzin

Kyijong “Kiwi” Tenzin is an incoming Freshman and Chem Major looking to be a coxswain.

“Honestly, I was a little nervous coming to the Fitness Test, having to meet completely new people, but it was really fun while it lasted! It might've been scarier with another sports team, but this team really made me feel welcomed.”

Kiwi, like almost every Novice rower we had, had never been in a rowing shell or on an erg before. There are many aspects to the team dynamic at UCMC. Among them is pushing every athlete out of their comfort zone, but another important aspect is the ability to be hospitable.

“I actually erged and ran during the Fitness Test, so I feel really tired, actually. But I liked talking with the coxswains during the off time. They help so much with understanding what each role on the team is like.”

When asked if she was ready to finally get on the water to start coxing, she replied without hesitation:

“Yes, I am absolutely ready. Ready to start yelling at people using the mic!”

Lola McMahon is also a freshman, thinking about becoming a coxswain. It’s important to note that Lola was taking multiple phone calls during this interview. A few minutes after we asked her about her Pre-Practice routine, she finally responded with:

“…Hey can I call you back, the Social Media Manager is taking my interview... Okay, thanks. Bye! I actually woke up before my two alarms. The anticipation got to me. I was just so excited and just internally hyped.”

“I also make my coffee without getting out of bed! I’ve got the Keurig right next to bed, so I prepare it and drink it all without stepping a foot on the floor.”

After another phone call, she tells us about her expectations for the water practices:

“I’m personally looking to get on the water. I already saw a sunset while on the launch, I really want to see those sunrises too!”

Novices at Breakfast: Cage Witham, Lucien Piazza, Kaden Thompson (left to right)

Another Novice we interviewed was Kaden Thompson, a Junior Mechanical Engineer

“The Test started at 8, but I had a really slow wake up. 7:20. I had a quick microwave breakfast, quietly of course, to not wake up my roommate, and then some Pre Workout for a little more fuel.”

And his thoughts on the team:

“More people than I thought. A lot of muscular guys, but a wide variety of backgrounds and athletic abilities. From the moment I got to the team, I knew this was a friendly environment. Immediately.”

It's important to know that Kaden himself is a Weightlifter.

“Yeah, as for me and my athletic background, I lift weights every day. But I’m sure rowing won't be a big departure from my regular schedule, since I’m waking up really early to lift at the Rec anyways. I think it’ll be a cool way to apply the physical strength I’ve built up over the years into something a bit more practical, and not just for aesthetics.”

And of course, his thoughts on the upcoming water practices:

“I feel like I might flip the boat. They’re supposed to be really thin right? I mean, I also have barebones, casual erging experience, but I'm a quick learner.”

Next, we have Lucien Piazza, a Freshman Mechanical Engineer.

“Not gonna lie, it was a tough wake up. I’m not used to 7:15 am for sports practice, but this particular wake up felt refreshing. I’m a slow morning person, so I took my sweet time getting out of bed, and then I ran to practice.”

He also had some strong thoughts on the workouts he had to endure

“My least favorite part was the Horsebarn Hill run. Absolutely brutal. Every single incline on that Hill felt like a little fake out as soon as you were done with one bump, there was another one coming.”

“My favorite moment had to be meeting new people and seeing some familiar faces from classes and stuff.”

And as for Lucien’s eagerness for boat practices:

Absolutely. It’s a struggle at first, trying to get the rowing form down on the erg. To be honest I’ve only ever kayaked before. No idea how applicable it all is, but either way, I’m looking forward to it!

Lastly, we have Cage Witham, a Freshman Biology Science Major, who’s also really happy to be on the team.

“My wake up was at 6 am sharp. I had way too much time on my hands, so I fell back asleep. I grabbed a little bit of food after that. A protein bar and two fruit snacks.”

“Like two individual fruit snacks?” Joked Kaden Thomspon, listening in on the interview. “My man’s really counting his calories.”

“No, no, like, two bags of fruit snacks,” Cage laughed back.

“Yeah, I walked around campus to wake up a little. But once I arrived, I knew that the team was welcoming, and I was really excited to be there. I had a great time meeting people and making connections that I wouldn’t have made otherwise.”

“I’m really excited to get out on the water. I agree with Kaden, though, I feel like we might flip an eight.”

And, almost a week later, with a few practices under their belts (and a grant total of zero flipped boats) our Novices are still going strong, showing up to practices early in the morning. Cage Witham wanted to share his thoughts now that he’s much more experienced.

“I also didn’t expect the boats to be so large. They’re so thin and light, but they take up so much space that you wouldn’t notice if you just saw them on the water. They’re really nice too, although they’re really hard to balance.”

“As for the stroke motion itself, it’s really tough, especially because your eyes are forward, and the blade ends up behind you. I have a hard time knowing what my oar is doing at any given time.”

“In general, the sport is great, its a new experience, and I just can’t wait to get back onto the water!”

Interviews conducted and curated by Donald Dinkins III