MSOE Rowing fall short in semifinals; places second in Petite Final
| Published: 06/04/2012 |
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Camden, NJ --In only their fifth year of the program the MSOE Raider rowing team made their first ever trip to the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, but came up short in the first heat of the Lightweight fours event, finishing behind rowing powerhouses Navy, Harvard and MIT. Despite the Saturday early morning loss, the Raiders battled back to a second place finish in the Petite Finals, finishing behind Columbia University and ahead of third place Georgetown University. In the Grand Final, Navy placed first with a 6:18 finish, followed by Cornell College (6:20) and the University of Wisconsin (6:21) in third place.
The Raiders were represented in the lightweight fours competition by Jon Allen (stroke), Ben Lang (3 seat), Erik Winer (2 seat), Luke Engebretson (bow) and Rachel Connon (coxswain). MSOE rowing is coached by Chuck Stollenwerk in his third year at the helm. They will return three of four rowers next season.
Despite not qualifying for the Grand Finals, The Raider’s crew made waves of their own as they were recognized nationally in an article written for row2k. The Article can be found here.
The experience gained from the trip could only be expressed by the hard working MSOE student-athletes.
“It is an honor for me to be here and to be able to participate in this prestigious competition, said Ben Lang, 3 seat of the lightweight four boat. “Not very many people on campus know that we started training for this competition during welcome week all the way back before classes even started. Although we had to get up at 5:00 AM every morning throughout the school year I believed that it will all be worth it. …Coach Stollenwerk has done an outstanding job in getting us into the position that we are in. I would also like to thank the athletic department for allowing us to participate in this competition. “
Allen’s sentiments mirrored his teammates:
“The IRA’s is one of the most respected races in the US, and we have worked extremely hard this past year to get there,” said Allen. “Even though we are a division 3 team, we don’t go un-noticed. We raced in Boston earlier this year and finished in eighth place beating schools like Harvard and Dartmouth. That was an absolutely thrilling race that we are very proud of. Then we trained even harder to get second at the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia and now we have raced in the biggest race of our lives. It is truly and honor getting invited to the IRA’s, and even more of an honor to represent our outstanding school against the best universities in the country. To be invited to race against all the Ivy League schools will literally mean history for MSOE and every member on the team. Setting standards such as competing at the Head of the Charles, placing at Vails, and now heading off to defend our school’s name is an incredible feeling. I would not trade this opportunity for anything because we deserve a fighting chance at being one of the fastest boats in the country. “
Eric Winer, a senior electrical engineering student, believes that MSOE has elevated their rowing program to a higher standard than year’s past. “When people think of rowing, their thoughts automatically link to prestigious crews such as Yale, Harvard and similar east-coast giants who have been molding teams for over a century. MSOE has the opportunity of a lifetime having been accepted to the IRA’s Regatta and having been acclaimed as one of the top crews in the nation; an astounding achievement not only for myself and the members of the boat, but also for the rest of the team who has pushed us and helped to make us faster each and every day. I feel blessed and honored with the task of representing MSOE in showing the high-level of dedication and perseverance by our oarsmen, coxswains, and coaches alike who have made our 5-year-old program a national highlight.”
2012 has been a banner year for the five year old MSOE rowing program. Along with the second place finish at the Dad Vail, the nation’s largest collegiate rowing event, the IRA National Championships is considered to be the most prestigious and elite collegiate varsity race in the country.
