Boys’ Crew Blows Past Competition
Boys’ crew made its spring racing debut at the Exeter Invitational last Saturday and won both varsity races. Exeter’s boats faced off against St. John’s, Shrewsbury, Simsbury, Boston Latin, Hingham and NMH at Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass. The first boat beat the runner up, St. John’s, by 1.2 seconds, and the second boat beat the runner up in their race, also St. John’s, by 1.4 seconds.
Despite facing off against teams that have been racing for several weeks and had much more time on the water, Exeter’s boys persevered.
“Although we won the Exeter Invitational, as a boat, we didn’t perform to our best ability. We had a strong start, but our settle wasn’t great, and St. John’s made up some ground. Our sprint is hard to judge as we were ahead and didn’t really feel pushed,” co-captain and senior Francis Baviera Maloney said.
The Squamscott River has been freely flowing since the start of spring term, but the docks at the Saltonstall Boathouse could not be set until several weeks in to the term due to scheduling issues, keeping the boys off the water. Big Red made the most of this time on land, putting in hours on the ergometers and in the weight room to keep up their fitness and build strength.
The first boat got off to a rough start in their race, starting off point and veering out of their lane. Conditions were tough throughout all the races, with a strong crosswind making steering difficult. All these setbacks came together to challenge the boys as they made their way down the course.
Regardless, the team’s strength overcame the obstacles and came out on top. Senior Will Soltas commented on this and said, “The ‘first race jitters’ were still there and very prevalent because of our lack of time on the water and the windy conditions on race day… I think it was the combination of all of these race-day variables that slowed us down in the middle of the race as we were trying to find our rhythm.”
Despite their successes in their first racing weekend, the boys are not satisfied and are looking ahead to improve every race. “Although we won the Exeter Invitational, as a boat, we didn’t perform to our best ability. We had a strong start, but our settle wasn’t great, and St. John’s made up some ground. Our sprint is hard to judge as we were ahead and didn’t really feel pushed,” co-captain and senior Francis Baviera Maloney said.
Next Saturday, boys’ crew will drive five hours to face off against Kent, one of the most dominant high school teams in New England. Exeter may have beaten St. John’s, but Kent dominated against St. John’s earlier this season, their first boat winning by 11.6 seconds.
The boys are working hard to prepare for this challenge. “This week we’ve been focusing on maintaining our power in the middle of the race and finding our rhythm and swing as a boat. Additionally, we are getting better—and more comfortable—simply by spending more time on the water and improving with every stroke,” Soltas said.
Despite all the setbacks and difficulties, members of the team are confident that they have what it takes to beat Kent and find speed. “We are a committed group of guys, and we are up for the challenge,” Baviera Maloney said.
Soltas agreed. “We have the power this season; now all it comes down to is controlling that power and applying it together, as a boat, into the blade and water.”