Right around the beginning of March every year, the women’s crew feels the itch to get back on the water. After months of training indoors on a rowing machine, the rowers prepare to see how their conditioning translates to actual competition.

This season, Head Coach Becky Robinson ’88 said this year’s crew is in far better shape than others she’s had in recent history.

“The group is very fit and comparatively ahead of other teams we’ve had at this point in the season,” she said.

In 2008, the Bombers made national headlines tying for third at the national championship race. Though finishing third was an incredible achievement for the Blue and Gold, senior co-captain Katie O’Driscoll said it left the crew hungry for more.

“We want to get a bid to nationals, and we want to kick butt there,” she said. “It’s really early in the season, but that’s not to say that every single one of us doesn’t have that taste for nationals and competitive racing in our mouths already.”

With the team’s first race of the season still more than three weeks away, the South Hill squad has its sights set high. Robinson said in order to reach those goals she sits down with the crew prior to the season for a goal-making session.

She said some of the team’s performance goals were to improve on race performance each week, for all women’s boats to medal at the state championship, all women’s boats to medal at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship and to finish in the top three at the NCAA Championship. Robinson said the team’s strengths will help get the crew to where it needs to be.

“Their [strengths are their] ability to work hard at a training program consistently throughout the year,” she said. “Not only when we’re practicing but even when they were on their independent training.”

The first step in achieving these lofty goals is performing well at the crew’s spring training trip to Gainesville, Ga. While the Bombers are down south, they will be rowing on the same racecourse used in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.

“It’s really cool being down there because it’s warm,” senior co-captain Alden Hall said. “We get to see the sun for the first time in a while.”

After the crew returns from its spring training trip, the team will start its first practices on Cayuga Lake in preparation for its first race. The Bombers will take on Marist College and William Smith College on March 28 at the Cayuga Inlet.   

With competition approaching quickly, O’Driscoll said she can’t wait to return to the water.

“We saw some actual liquid in the lake yesterday and not just solid blocks of ice,” she said. “When we get back from spring break we’re going to be back on the water and back up for 5:30 a.m. practices. I know it sounds crazy, but we’re so excited for it.”