Exonians Compete in the Head of the Charles

10 students represented Exeter at the 52nd Head of the Charles Regatta last weekend. Uppers Francis Baviera Maloney and JP Kim and seniors Stone Sulley, Jack Telman and Bennett Levy represented the Exeter crew team in the youth men’s club fours race while seniors Maya Blake, Honor Clements, Zoe Marshall, upper Marie Leighton McCall and lower Christine Baker did so in the youth women’s counterpart. The boys placed 24th in a race of 84 teams, while the girls placed 43rd in a race of 85.

“I’m pretty excited about this four because they row together really really well; they have excellent connection, and they enjoy each other’s company a lot and have fun while they’re rowing.”

Over 11,000 athletes compete in the Head of the Charles each year, with hundreds of thousands of people coming to the banks of the river to watch. The regatta features rowers and boats of all types with divisions for youth, collegiate, elite, masters and paralympic crews. Teams travel from all over the world to compete. The course is three miles long, from Boston University’s DeWolfe boathouse to just before Northeastern University’s Henderson boathouse. 

Going into the competition, both teams were excited and looking forward to strong finishes. Only the girls’ team had competed last year, as the boys had failed to earn a guaranteed entry the year before. “We want to improve on last year’s finish,” head girl’s coach and classical languages instructor Sally Morris said. The girls hoped to place in the top 30, which would allow them to have a higher bow number, which is indicative of a crew’s seeding, in next year’s competition. “Our bow marker is 51, and we want to get into the twenties,” Morris added.

Both crews prepared extensively to ensure that Exeter was sending its best crews to the competition. Team members on both teams underwent extensive seat racing, in which two rowers are switched in lineups to determine who makes a certain boat go faster, during the selection process. The boys varied their practices, doing a mix of shorter and longer pieces, to help the rowers shift from the shorter, 1500 meter races of the spring season, to the longer “head” style of crew racing. “The race is going to take over 17 minutes which is very different from 1500 meters in the spring,” the boys’ team head coach and instructor in chemistry Albert Leger said. The girls had double training sessions twice a week, outside of the club crew meeting schedule, and employed a workout regimen that graduated in toughness as the regatta date approached. The girls were optimistic going into the race, due to the strong connection between the four rowers. “I’m pretty excited about this four because they row together really really well; they have excellent connection, and they enjoy each other’s company a lot and have fun while they’re rowing,” Morris said.

While the boys faced some setbacks during the race, they were pleased with their finish. Although their raw time would have placed them at 17th, they incurred a five second penalty after going over the buoy lines used to mark the course. In addition, one of the crews they started behind, St. Peter’s, refused to yield and allow them to pass, which slowed the boys down.

Kim was frustrated because he felt that the boys could have finished with a higher ranking. “We could've done better ... The conditions we rowed in were not ideal, and other crews did not follow the rules, causing our boat to slow down.”

Nevertheless, the boys enjoyed the regatta. “Today was a day full of adrenaline and anxiety as we prepared for the race, and just hectic all around, and we as a boat loved every minute of it,” Telman said.

Leger expressed pride in the boys and all the hard work they had put in. “The guys have put in a lot of work, they’ve improved a lot, and I’m really proud of them,” he said.

Telman said that carrying Exeter’s banner at such a prestigious event was especially significant to him, as he had worked his way up to the top four over his years at Exeter. “As a senior in the boat it was a very meaningful experience for me to represent Exeter at such an amazing event,” he said.

The girls battled difficult conditions, racing early in the morning on Sunday in water topped with white caps. Marshall emphasized the importance of maintaining focus despite the tough weather and any other distractions that may come up. “Don't become frantic when the boat is off set...The key is to stay with your boat, even when you pass bridges with people screaming, stay calm, and get your blade in the water,” Marshall said.

The girls were pleased with their overall finish, having moved up to 43rd from 51st in the rankings, but would like to have placed higher. They exhibited tenacity and fortitude as they battled the weather during the race which lasted over 22 minutes. “We nailed the turns and passed two boats. We definitely wanted to have placed a little better, but we raced hard and came together as a boat through the bad conditions,” Baker said.

Members of the crews were excited to attend a regatta of such a scope as the Charles, not just to compete in but also to watch and experience the event as a whole.

Baker was glad that she reunited with friends from across the country who were also competing in or watching the Charles. “I got to see a lot of friends from around the country that I met in different crew programs over the summer,” she said.

Kim was excited to be around so many others who were involved in the world of rowing. He had not realized the scope of people who did crew prior to the regatta. “The fact that so many people shared the same interest in rowing was eye-opening,” he said.

Telman too enjoyed being fully immersed himself in the world of rowing and surrounding himself with rowers of all different kinds who share his love for the sport. “It is really humbling to watch the Head of the Charles as a rower because I realize how many people also love the sport, from novices to Olympians,” he said. “There are over 250,000 spectators and over 15,000 rowers [at the Charles] all celebrating a unique and similar part of our lives that we share a passion and love for. What more can you ask for than that?”