Category Archives: Crew

Crew competes in Princeton Chase

Posted on by

For the second time this weekend, the men’s crew team took to the river, this time to race in the Princeton Chase in Princeton, New Jersey on Sunday.

The top rowers on the team raced against some of the country’s top rowing programs as the men’s heavyweight varsity eight boats and the heavyweight varsity four boats rowed on Lake Carnegie’s three-mile race course.

On a crowded race course two varsity heavyweight eight boats were a part of 63 boats. Coxswained by junior Truman Levine, the “A” boat finished in 37th place with a time of 14 minutes, 4 seconds. While the “B”  boat led by coxswain  junior Julia Wolanski finished 53th in a time of 14:38 seconds.

Two heavyweight varsity 4 boats competed against the likes of Boston, Cornell, Wisconsin  Navy and much more as the “A” boat finished in 28th place in a time of 15:37 seconds. Temple’s “B” boat led by coxswain Samuel Vecchione finished 47th out of a field of 52 boats.

The Princeton Chase was hosted by Princeton University and Carnegie Lake Rowing Association.

Last Saturday, the Owls also competed in the Head of the Schuylkill as the freshman four boat won its race on the Schuylkill.

Now with two weeks until  the Owls next competitive race, assistant coach Brian Perkins said the team will work on lineups and they continue to make switches in boats to see the improvements each boat makes.

The Owls will return to the river in November as they compete in the Frostbite Regatta.

Boathouse sublease agreement reached

Posted on by

Temple will enter into a 20-year sublease agreement with the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development to renovate the East Park Canoe House, where the crew and rowing teams store boats.

The Board of Trustees’ general body approved the decision at a Tuesday meeting in Sullivan Hall on Main Campus.

The university expects the project to cost $5.5 million, $2.5 million of which will come from the City of Philadelphia. H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest donated the remaining $3 million in February, which coincided with the city’s initial announcement of the renovation.

The expense report for the project, a part of the public agenda from the meeting, was signed by President Theobald on Sept. 17.

The lease for the Boathouse Row property includes two 10-year renewal options and would require Temple to provide and maintain public restrooms on the property.

-Joe Brandt

Crew adds new coach before new season

Posted on by

With the season just a few weeks away, the crew team has added a new member to its coaching staff.

Temple crew alum, Patrick Curran, will join the program as its new graduate assistant. Curran will be working with the novice group, rowers who have just joined the team, as he looks to fine tune their rowing skills.

Curran rowed with the program from 2006-10 with the varsity eight boat throughout his four-year collegiate career. While he did not win the Dad Vail Regatta during his athletic tenure, Curran rowed in the boat that won the Knecht Cup and Murray Cup among others.

Four years later, Curran said he returns to Temple in hopes of getting the program “back on top where it usually was.”

While working out with the team, Curran will be studying physical therapy.

Temple boathouse lease nearing approval

Posted on by

A little more than five months passed since the crew and rowing teams were set to get the ax this summer along with five additional university varsity sports, the two squads are close to settling into a new home.

The City Planning Commission unanimously approved a February plan to invest $5.5 million for renovations on the East Park Canoe House on Tuesday, and have the Temple crew and rowing teams lease out the site, per an NBC 10 report.

Philadelphia is infusing $2.5 million into the renovation, while Temple trustee and new Philadelphia Inquirer owner Gerry Lenfest donated the remaining $3 million.

February’s unprecedented reversal of the decision to cut the crew and rowing teams turned around a series of trying events for both squads, which included the city’s decision to condemn the Canoe House in 2008 and culminated in December’s initial decision to cut both programs.

Tuesday’s approval brought the process one step closer to finalization, as the plan will go to City Council for final approval.

White says he will return next season

Posted on by

Gavin White said on Monday night that he will return for another season this fall, his 35th with the program.

The longtime coach, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease and has been plagued by knee problems this year, is scheduled to have his deep brain stimulator adjusted on on May 13.

The brain stimulator was last adjusted three years ago, when it was installed in his brain. This time around, the adjustment will increase the amount of electrodes that enters his brain.

“It may improve things, my walk, my attitude, a lot of things so we will see,” White said.

Danielle Nelson can be reached at danielle.nelson@temple.edu or on Twitter @Dan_Nels.

Rowing to open season on the Schuylkill

Posted on by

The women’s rowing team is set to kick off its spring season Saturday on the Schuylkill.

Temple will race against Drexel, Delaware and Lehigh. Beginning at 2 p.m., the women’s novice eight “B” will go head to head against Delaware “B.” Drexel and Delaware’s women’s novice eight “A” will square off against the Owls 12 minutes later. The varsity four “B” will compete with Delaware and Drexel followed by the varsity four “A” slated for 2:36 p.m. versus Lehigh, Delaware and Drexel. The race will conclude with both varsity eights competing against Drexel, Lehigh and Delaware starting at 2:48 p.m.

The men’s crew team will scrimmage against Rutgers at 7 a.m.

Crew heads to Florida

Posted on by

The men’s crew team is heading to Florida on Friday ahead of its first race of the season in the Stetson Invitational on March 8.

With the exception of two juniors, all the sophomores, juniors and seniors will be heading to Delanco, Fla. to row on a lake during spring break. The men will row twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening. The freshmen will be staying behind to train with an assistant coach.

The men will row for the first time this year on water in Florida because the Schuylkill River has been frozen for much of the winter.

Crew begins training

Posted on by

Although the men’s crew team cannot go out on the water just yet, the team began its winter training on Monday for what is set to be the final season for the historic program.

The team will spend much of the next few weeks indoors, lifting, perfecting its rowing techniques on erg machines and doing towers in Wachman Hall.

“Towers, you run up 14 flights of stairs and back,” senior co-captain Zephyr Dippel said. “That is one tower and we do that over and over until you pretty much throw up.”

The team will begin practicing on the water a few weeks before spring break.

 

Crew begins practicing

Posted on by

Although the men’s crew team cannot go out on the water just yet, the team began its winter training on Monday for what is set to be the final season for the program.

The team will spend much of the next few weeks indoors, lifting, perfecting its rowing techniques on erg machines, and doing towers in Wachman Hall.

“Towers, you run up 14 flights of stairs and back, senior co-captain Zephyr Dippel said. “That is one tower and we do that over and over until you pretty much throw up.”

The team will begin practicing on the water a couple weeks before spring break.

Schuylkill Navy responds to cuts

Posted on by

Margaret Meigs of the Schuylkill Navy has penned an open letter on Temple’s recent cuts to the sports department that included the men’s crew and women’s rowing teams:

We are shocked and saddened by Temple University’s decision to drop rowing from its sports programs. Temple men’s and women’s crew have an illustrious competitive history with the men winning an unprecedented 20 championship titles at the Dad Vail Regatta here on the Schuylkill.

We stand in support of Coach Gavin White and Coach Rebecca Grzybowski and, especially, the student athletes whose very last season may suddenly and unexpectedly be upon them.

Announced in 2012, Temple’s initiative to build a new boathouse on the east bank of the Schuylkill and, as part of the proposal, to fund a substantial portion of the renovation of the Canoe House, was a hopeful and welcome sign to the rowing community that Temple’s program continued to be a strong one.

The Schuylkill Navy supports all efforts to work with the University to reconsider this decision and to ensure that Temple boats continue their presence on the Schuylkill and rowing venues everywhere.