Jan. 5, 2009

Columbia, S.C. - We arrived in Columbia, South Carolina, on December 29th for our annual winter training trip. Hosted by the Columbia Rowing Club on the Broad River, both the varsity and freshman squads made the trip to get some time on the water in the middle of the long winter season. The Broad River is an ideal location; most mornings the water is like glass, and we are the only team on the water. Notwithstanding a few foggy mornings, the weather has been cooperative with mild temperatures. The varsity squad has been doing a lot of work in small boats, including sculling in a quad - a skill not typically practiced but which is proving valuable for technical training. The freshmen meanwhile have been honing their skills in the eights with increasingly competitive practices. Freshman Andy Olsen believes "the team has really begun to come together and develop the skill and discipline needed for success." Hopefully all of our work here will let us hit the ground running, both when we resume winter training in Georgetown and again in the spring when we get back on the water. Decathlete Daley Thompson used to say he trained twice on Christmas Day and made sure those practices were especially productive. It wasn't quite Christmas, but we did all put in a good double session on New Year's, with the knowledge that we were making progress while others were at rest. It's been a very productive trip - sadly the last time for the senior class - and we'll be ready to hit the ergometers when we return to Georgetown on January 6th.

Hoya Saxa and Never Row,

Grant Morrow and Jack Carlson