One of Wellesley’s largest and most successful varsity teams is the crew team, which is made up of 34 athletes who show their dedication to the sport year-round. The workout regimen is strenuous: The team members all complete two workouts a day, one in the early morning on the Charles River, followed by another in the afternoon with cardio, crossfit or the rowing machine.

Wellesley crew finished fourth at the Division III NCAA Championships last season, and having graduated only two seniors on the first varsity eight-peron boat, shows great potential in improving from last year’s run. According to Maggie Dickinson ’16, some of the team’s main goals for the season are to win the upcoming Seven Sisters Championship, NEWMAC championships and nationals in the spring.

Although the crew team is large in comparison to other Wellesley varsity teams, the group bonds on bus rides in the morning to and from the Charles River, which Dickinson describe as “a pretty rockin’ time.” This year, the Blue added six first years to help achieve their ultimate goal of winning a national championship.

Wellesley’s biggest competition this year will be Trinity, Williams, Bates and Wesleyan. So far this season, Wellesley crew has shown two strong finishes. On Oct. 11, Wellesley finished second behind Bates at the Snake Regatta at Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester. This past Sunday, Wellesley crew finished third in its division at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge. Their finish at the regatta was an improvement over last year’s eighth place finish.

According to captain Loren Lock ’16, the team was very satisfied with its performance since it  consisted of a new lineup that had not had much experience this season. Lock told The Wellesley News that the group “did a good job of staying in tune and well focused throughout the race.”

Looking forward, the Blue’s strong performance this weekend excites high expectations for the rest of the season.

“If we can get going earlier than we did today, we have a good chance of achieving our goal of a national championship,” captain Emma Reuder ’15 said.

Blue crew’s next race will be the Seven Sisters Championship held on Oct. 26 at the Charles River. Wellesley will host the regatta and hopes to bring home the Seven Sisters trophy for the sixth consecutive year.

Photo courtesy of Annie Schnitzer ’18