The N.C. State rowing club will look to build on its success from a controversial fall season with a strong outing in spring competition.

The 2013 fall semester brought coaching changes for both the men’s and women’s teams. These changes led to a divide in the men’s side, causing many members of the varsity team to quit the club altogether.

The rowing club is separated into two divisions: novice and varsity. Once a rower spends three seasons as a novice, he or she is moved up to varsity competition. However, due to the loss of many members, the club was unable to put together a men’s varsity squad this year. Josh Ewy, a freshman in chemical engineering, explained that there were many differences among the philosophies of the members and new coaches.

“In the past, the coaches hadn’t held the team to a certain standard that our new coaches are holding us to,” Ewy said. “The team used to be much more relaxed. The older rowers didn’t like a lot of the things that [the new coaches] were trying to implement. It’s really sad that we lost all those members.”

Ewy said he is hopes the varsity team can rebuild over the course of the next year.

“[The coaches] have a great vision for the team,” Ewy said. “I believe with them coaching us, we can do great things. I could see how [their coaching style] could rub people the wrong way. They’re very passionate about what they want for the team, and some people take that as them being a little too forceful. They just have high hopes for the team, and they hold us to a high standard.”

The novice crew made quite a splash in its biggest competition of the year, traveling to Augusta, Ga., for the Head of the South Regatta. The novice men claimed a first place finish in the 26-boat competition, despite being without key members.

The women’s side also saw success under the new coaching staff. The varsity women’s team earned a bid to the largest regatta of the year: the Head of the Charles in Boston. The women’s team finished the event with its best 5k time on record at just over 22 minutes. The novice and varsity teams both finished in the top 11 in the Head of the South as well.

Club president Kristin Fossett, a senior in women’s and gender studies, said joint practices between the novice and varsity women’s teams have helped bring more competition to workouts.

“[The coaches] are doing a lot to mold the two teams together,” Fossett said. “It doesn’t really matter if you just joined the team or if you’ve been on the team for four years. If you’re the fastest, you’re going to earn a spot in the boat.”

The club will jump back into action on Monday to start training for competition in the spring. During winter break, the team used a point system to stay in shape.

“Everyone was on their own for winter training,” Fossett said. “If you do a flight of stairs 12 times, then you get a point. [Running] a mile is a point.”

Shorter 2k events, including the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship Regatta in April and Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta in May, make the spring schedule for the club.

Fossett said the club is always looking for new members and will have information sessions in Carmichael 2306 on Thursday from 7-8 p.m. and Friday from 3-4 p.m.

Ewy said even though the workouts were time consuming (the club works out up to 12 hours per week) they were worth it in the end.

“To be a rower, it requires an extreme amount of dedication,” Ewy said. “It’s a lot more than I thought it would be when I first started out. The camaraderie you get on the team is something that’s really hard to find any place else.”