Robinson Crew to Approach Al Urquia Regatta with "Full Intensity"

When Robinson Crew races in Saturday’s Al Urquia regatta at its home turf at Sandy Run Regional Park on the Occoquan River, it will enter 14 events the most for a regatta in the team's history.  

“The field is wide open on both sides.  A few schools have emerged as contenders, but I like where we stand,” said Jon Barrett, Robinson Head Coach.

 “This will be the first race where we go after it at full intensity,” Barrett said.

Although the team started winter conditioning in mid-November, in some ways, it has been an usually short season.  The unusually long winter with its cold and snow has left much less time on the water than usual to prepare.

“It has been tough, no question,” said Robinson head coach Jon Barrett.  “I like to spend several weeks just developing a 'base' with the rowers, it gives them time to learn and get comfortable, and it gives coaches time to identify strengths and weaknesses.  The challenge has been that this 'base-building' period has included races, and we've approached those races simply as learning experiences.”

Early in the season, the team had two away trips.  In late March, it travelled to St. Andrews in Middletown, Delaware, where many of the novices rowed their first races in driving rain.  The following week, the team raced on the Potomac in Georgetown, in the Arlington Cup, where winds and currents forced the team to scrap the novice races.  Still the upper boats won three out of four races against Yorktown.  “Yorktown is always a tough opponent, so it’s fun to beat them,” said Barrett.

After two weeks away from Sandy Run, the team competed in the Darrell Winslow Regatta on April 12, which Assistant Coach Lauren Griffin called, “the most exciting race for me so far.”

In that regatta, the Women’s first varsity 8 came in first in a petite final with a time of 05:15.70.  The Women’s second varsity 8 came in third with a time of  05:19.70 and the women’s junior eight came in third with a time of 05:43.62. 

“We had been away from the Occoquan for two weekends, and we picked up a lot of speed in that time,” Griffin said. “It was exciting to go up against crews we will see at States and see how we compare.”

In addition to four-hour practices Monday-Wednesday of Spring Break, the team participated in a Tri-Meet with Westfield and Oakton.  Robinson won 10 of the 22 races. 

Looking to Al Urquia, Barrett said the focus for the rest of the season is about increasing speed. 

"It’s a matter of seconds, we are trying to squeeze out just a little bit of speed. The goal is to try to find that final gear and then produce the best possible race at States."