Several times a week, the club rowing team piles into a few cars and drives out to Lake Wheeler to practice for three hard hours on the water. The team runs and rows to prepare for regattas — races — in places like Clemson, S.C., Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Philadelphia.
Justin Chete, a sophomore in nutrition science, said he works hard because of the team mentality the practice and competitions builds.
“I really enjoy the team atmosphere, and it’s a really fun sport to play,” Chete said. “I like the camaraderie, and I enjoy the practices. Another thing I enjoy about it is the competition. We get to meet and go up against other teams. It’s not all about winning. It’s about the competition.”
The team has competed in two regattas so far this year. The club has enjoyed some success in those races, with the men’s novice team winning a pair of gold medals in the team’s first meet. Duran Pardue, a sophomore in chemistry, said the team’s success is the best part for him.
“I just love being out in the water with the team,” Pardue said. “When you’re with a team, you really have to learn to work together. This is the first time in a while that our men’s team has been able to win some races.”
According to Pardue, the next few races for the club are much bigger events than the first two.
“The first two were relatively small regattas compared to the ones coming up,” Pardue said. “We have a big one this weekend in Oak Ridge, Tenn. We have Sierras, which is the regional championship, and the national championship in Philadelphia coming up as well.”
The team practices hard every week in preparation for the regattas. Nick Wendehorst, a freshman in industrial design, said the work is well worth it and that races are the best part.
“I like the racing in general. The down time is fun, and it’s great cheering on your teammates. But once you’re out in the water and you have to line up the boats, the adrenaline starts pumping through you,” Wendehorst said. “You’re trying to set yourselves up so that you’re ready to take off. It’s a lot of tension, so once you actually start the race, it’s really amazing.”
The team has enjoyed a good turnout this spring, and Wendehorst said that should translate into a more successful team in the fall.
“Next year we should have a strong team because of the turnout we have had this spring,” Wendehorst said. “As far as improving goes, we are looking forward to going to bigger tournaments. It’s more or less having everybody keep up over the summer so that we aren’t behind in the fall.”
As the team members work with each other and compete, the team continues to have fun. Chete said he enjoys the experience he gets from the rowing team.
“I like club rowing because it’s a very interesting sport to learn,” Chete said. “I wanted to try something different, and it offered that to me. It’s a really good group of guys. At the end of the day, we all have a good time.”