This past weekend, members of Marianapolis’ Crew Team took to the ergometers to compete in the C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championship.
Raced over a distance of 2,000 meters, the C.R.A.S.H.-B. indoor regatta was started in 1980 by a group of US Olympic and World Team rowers with a passion for the sport and a disdain for the bitter Boston winters that kept them training indoors for months on end.
Enter the Concept2 Model A rowing erg, the first commercial indoor rowing machine of its kind, and Harvard’s Newell Boathouse -- and the dream off-season event for rowers-in-training was born.
Since the inaugural event, the Model A has been replaced by new, state-of-the-art RowErgs and the regatta has outgrown Newell Boathouse (and numerous other venues).
Today, with USRowing as an event partner, the regatta draws rowers and pararowers of all ages from around the world, and presents a fantastic opportunity for secondary school rowers interested in rowing at the next level to attain an official, published benchmark to drive recruitment.
Given the global pandemic, C.R.A.S.H.-B. went virtual this year (as they say, ‘the row must go on…’), with participants wired-in via computer connections and primed to compete.
In a display of sheer drive and self-motivation, five Knights elected to participate in this year’s event and dug deep to proudly represent the maroon and gold.
Kate Melnick ‘23 placed 11th in her heat and beat her personal record with a time of 7:57.9; Declan O'Connor '22 finished 4th in his heat with a time of 7:02.2; Joshua Mobley '23 finished 24th in his heat with a time of 8:08.6; Patrick Martineau '22 finished 26th in his heat with a time of 7:06.7; and Dominic Penny '22 finished 26th in his heat, with a time of 7:47.7.
The Marianapolis community congratulates the Crew Team on its achievements and looks forward to seeing them back on the water one day soon!