With the temperature hovering between the 30s and 40s and wind causing whitecaps on the Cayuga Inlet, the women’s crew’s nine seniors took the plunge off the dock into the water in an annual tradition honoring the seniors at their last home regatta Saturday.

“You read those stories about people falling through thin ice, and they have that feeling of ‘this is what death is,’” senior co-captain Katie O’Driscoll said. “It’s very akin to that.”

Even as they stood together back onshore huddled together and freezing, smiles and laughter broke through the sound of chattering teeth visible between blue lips. No one cared about the temperature though as this was a day of celebration.

The seniors were being honored and four out five Ithaca women’s boats competing won their races. For this closely knit group of nine, it was an honor that was a long time coming.

The last home race of the spring season is traditionally the seniors’ chance to shine. Each member of the class of 2009 had her name taped to the wall of the boathouse and prior to the race, the seniors were given the privilege of taking the team’s newest boat for its maiden voyage.

“Any time where they have an opportunity to have their name posted on the boathouse door, do something special, earn kind words from a coach or have their name spoken out loud in front of the crowd is really special because it’s something that’s not inherent in the sport,” Head Coach Becky Robinson said.

Though they were being honored Saturday, these seniors have provided a mentality of unity among the crew. In past years, cliques have developed within the team with rowers only hanging out with members of their class, O’Driscoll said, but not this year.

That mind-set was brought to the forefront during winter training sessions in which the varsity rowers invited novice rowers to train with them in order to increase familiarity among the squad and decrease the separation between varsity and novice.

“We got to know them and learned a lot of their names, and they got to know us,” O’Driscoll said. “They’re not as scared of us as my class was of the seniors our freshman year.”

Another reason that the team is so interconnected this season as opposed to others is the dispersal of different classes among the boats. By having senior rowers in all of the varsity boats, it helps spread the leadership to each of the classes.

“We’re definitely one of the most connected, close classes that have come through the program in the last several years,” senior co-captain Alden Hall said. “A lot of that camaraderie has transferred down to the classes below us. We make a point to train with the freshmen, sophomores and have everyone train together.”

Though this year’s seniors have been impressive in their efforts on the water, they have not always been the fastest class. However, the attitude and dedication they put into the sport has made them one of the strongest that Robinson has coached.

“This group wasn’t necessarily the best freshman group on the water as far as boat speed, but they definitely had all the ground covered as far as sportsmanship, dedication and teamwork,” she said.

With the Blue and Gold’s home regattas over and championship season approaching, the seniors are developing goals for the end of the season and a legacy to leave on the crew program. Hall and O’Driscoll said they are striving for a top finish at the NCAA championships.

“We have one of the fastest teams we’ve had in the last several years,” Hall said. “We’ve talked about depth of the team and how well everyone works together and how fast we are.”

A national championship is in sight for the South Hill squad, and even though it is an accomplishment the crew would like to achieve, O’Driscoll said one of her biggest goals is to pass on her leadership skills to the underclass.

“I want this crew exactly like we have now — without any personal problems and without any petty drama off the water,” she said. “I want the underclassmen to look at us and say, ‘That’s the kind of senior class I want to be.’”