This year’s difference: trust, camaraderie, and “embracing the suck.”
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Texas repeated as champion in the three top collegiate women’s events at the 51st San Diego Crew Classic, in early April, including the Jessop-Whittier Cup Invitational, the premier event of the regatta.
“I’m well aware of where we started last year and how we finished,” said Texas coach Dave O’Neil, referring to the Longhorns’ sweep of last year’s Crew Classic over a field that included Stanford and Washington and subsequent fourth-place NCAA finish, behind both, at the end of the season.
“This year’s team is a lot different from last year’s team. I feel like the work that we put in this past year in terms of developing the bonds, the trust, and the camaraderie among the team has really paid off.”
O’Neil said that this year’s Texas crew has “embraced the suck,” leaning in to hard work.
“We talked about ‘It doesn’t have to be fun to be fun,’ and they’re like, ‘Yeah, we want this to be hard.’”
Cal finished seven seconds back in second, with Washington a further eight seconds back in third. Washington State, Notre Dame, San Diego, and SMU rounded out the seven-boat final.
On the men’s side, the Copley Cup Invitational was a truly international event with Club Nautico de San Juan defeating the UK Armed Forces.
Newport Aquatic Center distinguished itself with a victory in the women’s youth eight, with Marin second and Saugatuck a distant third. Oakland Strokes, Capital Crew, Connecticut Boat Club, Norcal Crew, and Holy Names Academy competed in the A final.
In the men’s youth-eight San Diego Rowing Club Cup, Marin beat northern California rivals Oakland Strokes, with Saugatuck third again, Newport Sea Base Rowing, Norcal Crew, Belen Jesuit, Newport Aquatic Center, and San Deigo Rowing Club were the other A finalists, in order.
The weekend racing at Mission Bay began with the ACRA collegiate invitationals. UC Santa Barbara won the women’s event, and defending ACRA club national champions UCLA took the men’s.
“This year’s crew, we have a little more length in the middle of the boat,” said UCLA coach Marcel Stiffey. “There are some guys that we have developed throughout the season who have done really well.”
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