October 1, 2012

Williams women's crew closed out their last spring season with a huge win. Both the Varsity and the Varsity 2 boat won their Grand Finals at the NCAA Championships giving Williams their 7^th straight NCAA team title.

With the start of classes, fall training has begun and after one month of training it is evident that the Ephs are eager to enter the fall racing season. The team is putting in heavy mileage on the water to get ready for their first race of the season at the Head of the Housatonic on October 6.

 Within the first week of classes the team completed a 6k erg and 1.5-mile run testing. Over the last month it is clear that the fitness of the varsity squad has already improved drastically.

"I can't wait to get on the line at the Head of the Housatonic!" co-captain Kat Amano said, "We've got a young team that's brimming with the energy and desire to test our limits."

Women's crew will open their fall season at the Head of the Housatonic in Indian Wells, Conn. This will be the first opportunity for the Ephs to utilize their off-season training and to test their boat speed against a variety of competitors. This year's crew has a smaller number of returning rowers, due to the size of last year's graduating class and the loss of those who are studying abroad for the fall semester. However, the women's crew team is excited to welcome a strong group of freshman. Several freshmen will have the opportunity to race on the varsity squad this fall.

Each year provides the returning athletes a chance to earn a seat in a different boat. It is always exciting to experiment with new lineups and see how much speed can be generated.

Head coach Kate Maloney is entering a second year at the helm of the Ephs and coach Maloney is just as excited as the athletes to enter the fall season. "Williams Women's Crew is on a mission to find team speed," said Maloney. "This fall is about finding hull speed, getting fit and racing fast. The team is excited to see what they are capable of and are off to a great start."

The team is also looking forward to their second race of the season, the Head of the Charles Regatta. Led by two new senior captains, Kat Amano and Dana Golden, the women recognize that they are training for a battle to defend last year's first place finish in the women's collegiate eight division.

"Our first check point will be the Head of the Housatonic where we will be able to race against some very fast D1 and DIII competition and get a sense of where we stand and what we need to improve on for the Head of the Charles in mid October," Maloney noted. She further added, "The last race of the fall season will be the Head of the Fish where the entire team will race, including the novices, and it will be a great way to finish out the fall and set us up for a good winter of individual training."

Novices are usually freshmen that join the team with little to no rowing experience. These athletes become crucial to the overall success and depth of the Eph program.