The Rowing Club finished another fall season relying on the strength of its returning members and drawing on the talents of novice hopefuls. The fall season for rowers stresses stamina and longevity with a  focus on head races, or 5000 meter races compared to spring season’s 2000 meter races.

With the help of coaches Theresa Osborne, Alissa Price, and Jorge Rodriguez, the team improved in technique and overall strength and endurance. The crew team participated in four fall regattas, all with fabulous results.

The crew team stayed relatively local for races competing in Sarasota, along the Hillsborough River, and at Tampa’s Bypass Canal. Each race provided a success not only in terms of the Academy but directing more attention to Academy’s talented and expanding rowing team.

On the weekend of November 6-7, select Academy boats traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to participate in their final fall head race, the Head of the Hooch. The Head of the Hooch is a large, national regatta that includes high school teams, club teams, college teams, and even groups of master rowers.

This year, the Head of the Hooch set a record attendance, proving it to be the largest head race in the nation. The Academy rowing club was able to participate and race against some of the best high school and club teams in the nation.

Each boat set new records and gained valuable rowing insight into competing at such high levels. The double 2x of Garrison Daly and Katie Callahan placing fifth out of 36 and first among schools proved to be Academy’s highest achievers.

The team will have a short off-season of workouts, rowing, and erging before beginning their spring season in early January. The team hopes to have similar success in the spring of 2011 as they had last spring season.

Until then, the Academy of the Holy Names Rowing Club will follow its motto of keeping their head in the stars but their feet on the ground as they dream big and strive for future success.