Shaun Stevenson founded the N.C. State rowing club in 1986. Over the past 27 years, the club has experienced its share of ups and downs. The club is rebuilding its team and hoping to have a strong group for many seasons.
The club consists of 42 members divided between two teams, novice and varsity. First-year rowers staff the novice team while members who have participated for a year are moved up to varsity.
Sophomore Matthew Demetrious is the current rowing club president. The economics major is happy with the growth the club is showing.
“There is more enthusiasm than I have seen in the past two years,” Demetrious said. “Everyone is sticking with it and there aren’t many problems. Everybody seems happy.”
There is no previous experience required to join. The club practices six times a week to prepare members for competitions, which are called regattas. The practices consist of early morning land practices and afternoon water practices.
The club participates in several regattas each semester. During the fall semesters the regattas are five kilometers in length and the boats start at separate times. In the spring, races are shortened to two kilometers and the focus is shifted to strength rather than endurance.
Most regattas take place in the southeastern part of the country — the club frequently travels to Georgia to race. The rowing club participated in three regattas this fall, at Falls Lake, Davidson College and Augusta, Ga.
The novice team has had a strong showing this year and has medaled at many events throughout the fall and spring seasons. The varsity team has competed at a higher level but has not had as many positive results.
There is one regatta left in the rowing club’s season. The team will compete in Oak Ridge, Tenn. at the SIRA Championship. The regatta will feature a high level of competition and boats of four rowers instead of the traditional eight.
“On varsity it is a little tougher because you have to go through trials, but we have been growing as a team recently,” Demetrious said. “This year has been a rebuilding year.”
One of the novice members is Josh Condray, a freshman double majoring in business and environmental technology. Condray was introduced to rowing by his older brother who rowed during his four years of college. He said the club is held together by the strong bonds the club has formed.
“The varsity [team] has been together for multiple years,” Condray said. “They have known each other for a very long time and you can tell they hang out all the time beyond rowing. All the novice team seems to be feeding off of is how tight the varsity is and [how it] wants to become part of the big family.”
Demetrious agrees that the club has a strong family atmosphere. Due to the intense practice schedule, the members spend a lot of time around each other.
“There is great unity, we are really just kind of a big family,” Demetrious said. “We all enjoy hanging out together and rowing. We just come out here because we enjoy what we are doing.”
