Crew

The newfound success of the crew team

With the success that Temple’s crew team had this season, no one would be able to tell it was ever cut. The team was one of the Division 1 sports cut during the 2013-14 school year, but was reinstated in February 2014. The team used its momentum to deliver a strong season this year.

Coaching since 2010, Brian Perkins is amazed at the results the members had during the fall season and hopes those results continue as the team prepares for the upcoming seasons.

The team competed in five races this fall and will prepare to compete in six races during the spring semester. The fall season was a baseline to prepare for the bigger priority races in spring 2016. The team finished strong with eight first-place finishes in their finale at the Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta this season.

With their newfound confidence, the team is able to be more successful in recruiting new members, and it also does not hurt that the freshman class of recruits are doing very well this season. The amount of members has doubled in size since the reinstallment of the program under the university’s Division 1 sports teams.

Unlike many other sports, crew consists of mini teams within the team that have between four and eight members. These members race together for events in a lineup. The sport requires more than just knowing how to row a boat, and the members practice early in the morning to ensure they are mastering techniques.

The recent winning streak of the team has led to advancements for the program.

 “We have a full staff now. In the past 30 or 40 years of the program, we have never had a full staff,” Perkins said.

With a full staff, a good amount of members and support from the university, Temple has funded the program again.

By participating in two seasons of racing a year, there is never time to take their eye off the prize for the team. Perkins said he looks forward to the Dad Vail Regatta, the largest collegiate regatta in the United States, which is held at the Schuylkill River every spring.

 “Temple has won the Dad Vail Regatta more than any other school,” Perkins said. “It would be great to see the team pull another win in the biggest rowing competition in the country.”

written by courtney idasetima

photographed by geneva hefferman