Rowing team brimming with potential

Rebuilding  a program and changing the culture in the locker room is usually a long process, but for head coach Andrew Carter and the University of Miami rowing team, the first year already brought signs of promise.

Coming in with over 20 years of coaching experience from both collegiate and international fields of competition, Carter set his main goal as creating a “first-rate rowing program through team-building and recruiting.”

After completing the fall season with three top-10 finishes at the annual Rivanna Romp in Virginia, the team kicked off the spring season in early March, taking on teams such as Connecticut, Indiana and North Carolina.

The Hurricanes would make it to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, where they finished sixth.

Rising senior Sarah Medland was named to the All-ACC Rowing Team for the first time.

“I’m pretty proud of the work put in this year,” Carter said. “In a transition year, there’s bound to be a few bumpy roads. But those who have dedicated to it this year have really come out on the other end of the tunnel.”

The team ended its season at the Aramark South/Central Regional Championships, earning a second-place finish on the final day of competition.

Since Miami fielded just two boats in the ACC Championships, one of the challenges going into next season will be to expand the roster and add depth on all positions of the boat.

It’s a challenge that Carter is ready to take.

“There are some good recruits coming in, but one of our main focuses this coming year is a harder recruiting push on campus,” he said.

“A lot of rowers are walk-ons, some row their way into scholarships, and in successful programs such as (’09 National Champion) Stanford, they do a good deal of their recruiting on campus.”

Ask any of the rowers on the team and one might hear a similar message: Next year is brimming with potential.

Anyone interested in joining the team can e-mail Mary Quinn at m.quinn@miami.edu.

No rowing experience is necessary, though having a sporting background is a huge advantage.

Ernesto Suarez may be contacted at esuarez@themiamihurricane.com.