Athletes of the Week: Girls' Crew Captains

Thousands of meters conquered, hundreds of blisters bandaged, 60 girls working their hearts out, 10 rival prep schools, nine girls gliding towards the finish line, six regattas, four coaches and just two girls leading this orchestra of talent, strength and dedication. Seniors Karla Beltran, coxswain, and Catherine Denton, rower, are the captains of Exeter’s girls’ crew team, one of the most esteemed and successful groups of athletes on campus.

Beltran began her crew career as a lower at Exeter after first encountering the sport during the Prep Spaz program. She learned the ins and outs and got to know the team members and coaches as a part of club fall crew, joining the crew team that spring as the fourth boat coxswain. Beltran quickly improved and excelled, competing on the third boat by the end of her lower year and winning gold at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships (NEIRAs). Last year, after an undefeated season on second boat, including a win at NEIRAs, Beltran was voted captain.

"At first, I was drawn to the idea of having something to call my own," Beltran said. "While at Exeter, it’s very easy to be lost in all the academics, and everyone seems to have a niche. When it showed that I excelled as a coxswain, it felt even better to know that I was in one of the top positions in what I do while at Exeter."

Beltran is not only a talented coxswain, but has emerged as a strong leader. In the sometimes overwhelming competition at the boathouse, Beltran is a kind face to which all teammates look.

"Karla is the ultimate team player," Denton said. "She’s incredibly competitive and intuitive on the water, which is awesome in a coxswain, but she’s also one of the sweetest and most approachable people I know. She treats her teammates with equal kindness and respect. We’re one of the biggest teams on campus with 60 people, but Karla is great at bringing us together as one, big, fluid squad."

Although Beltran’s skill sets changed as she worked her way up the ranks, learning more about the technicalities of the sport, the essence of her personality as a coxswain has remained steadfast.

"Karla has always had this calming, confidence-inspiring voice," upper Genevieve Medina said.

Upper Millie Dethy agreed. "I had Karla for her first race her lower year, and she has always had that calm, but fire. Controlled, but powerful. Which is what rowing needs to be."

Next year Karla will be continuing her leadership as a coxswain for Duke University.

"As a coxswain, I have a lot of responsibility, and it really taught me how to have others respect me," Beltran said. "To me, rowing is the ultimate team sport, and for a boat to be successful, all nine members have to respect one another. There really is no better feeling than when a boat comes together, and it all just clicks, even for just a few strokes."

Each captain uses her different areas of expertise to the team’s advantage, working to make the season as successful as possible. "Karla and Catherine lead the team by example," assistant crew coach Rebecca Moore said. "They cox and row respectively with competitive skill and experience. Both have added strength and technique in their roles as coxswain and rower."

"I have been good friends with both of them since I came here," upper Kerrick Edwards said. "When I was new to the team last year, they were both very welcoming to me and made the team feel like a family. It is huge to have them as captains this year, because I looked up to them so much last year, as I do this year."

Denton is also an invaluable part of the crew team. She joined the team as a novice her prep year, and has rowed during the spring season for the past four years, in addition to participating in fall crew for two seasons.

"I actually tried out for lacrosse my prep year and didn’t make the team, so I tried out for crew as a last-minute thing," Denton said. "It was probably the best thing that happened to me in my time at Exeter."

"What I like about crew is that it really is a team sport," Denton continued. "Each individual has to work to move the boat along with seven other rowers and a coxswain, so that people are totally together, both physically and mentally. The sport involves a lot of pain, but there is no better feeling than the moment when a boat finally moves together perfectly, and when it moves fast. I couldn’t put myself through this kind of physical activity without such a strong group of girls."

Throughout their time on the crew team, Beltran and Denton have worked together, going to each other for support. This year, as co-captain and partner, Beltran has turned to Denton for a new kind of support: to help guide the team.

"The rowers on the lower boats have a clear teammate to not only look up to, but also to ask for advice," Beltran said. "She’s a great example at the boathouse and leads through her actions. No matter what else might be going on, whether it’s a test or a paper, she really embodies the idea that once you’re at the boathouse, you leave everything else behind."

Beltran and Denton love getting to know everyone on the team and how each athlete pushes the rest to perform at their best. Whether the girl is varsity, JV or novice, the captains always try to reach out to her, fostering a welcoming, close-knit environment in such a large community.

"My biggest goal is to try and make a group of almost 60 girls feel like one united team. We work really hard on that with the coaches," Beltran said. "Another goal is to make the team fast. It seems really simple, but to keep the team working hard, each boat has to keep on pushing the boat above them harder and harder. The second boat pushes the first boat, and the third boat pushes the second boat, and so on."

"The team this year has a number of newer rowers due to many seniors graduating in 2012," crew coach Sally Morris said. "These captains have reached out to the new girls and pulled them into the mix through their communication outside practice and their inclusive attitude at practice."

Both Beltran and Denton, who are in the final term of their Exeter crew careers, closely following in the steps of great Exonian rowers, have tried to emulate past mentors.

"I always looked up to the past captains, and I try to work as hard and have as much integrity as they did," Denton said. "The crew team has been one of the most formative parts of my time at Exeter, so I try to bring the team together and create a positive environment. It feels good to be a leader on the team because it’s been one of the most formative parts of my time at Exeter."

The team is already off to a fantastic start this season, a testament to the skill and vigor of the captains. In last weekend’s race, the first of the season, the first and second boats took gold at their race and all four boats that competed placed.

"Now that the boats know what they are capable of and know what to work on, I believe we’re only going to get faster," Beltran said. "This will keep on happening until the end of the season, when we can hope to be on that medals dock once again."