Andover Boys Crew rowed its way to victory over first-seeded Exeter and Tabor this past weekend. The victories were impressive representations of the progress that the boats have made in regards to speed and unity during the season. B2 beat Exeter by three seconds and Tabor by a few boat lengths, claiming its first win since it beat Exeter several weeks earlier. “The race was a good ending to our week and an important mark of the improvements we have made in regards to our boat speed,” said Chandler Washburn ’16. Nonetheless, B2 has set goals for this week’s practices and is still looking to improve and get stronger. “We need to work on aggressiveness. We all thought that we had rowed a clean race that felt good, but we need to go out next time with the mentality that, yes these other crews are fast, but we can beat them,” said Aaron Finder ’13. “We need to start trusting in each other with confidence that we can prevail, not going out there being afraid to lose.” The boys are determined to improve and continue to work hard to end the season on a high note. “We have been working on getting more power into our stroke. We are improving every day as a boat as we learn to row together,” said B2 coxswain Jacob Rauh ’14. B1 suffered the only loss of the day for Andover, losing to Exeter by seven seconds. Similarly to B2, B1 is looking to improve on its aggressiveness and overall team camaraderie. Andover wasn’t as successful in its races on May 4th as six of the seven boats raced, with every boat losing to Community Rowing (CRI). The team, however, was significantly faster than St Paul’s, whom it also raced that weekend. CRI is a strong club program outside of Boston that trains all year long. CRI was tough competition and tested Andover’s abilities. B1 lost by a little under two seconds, making an exciting comeback in the final 500 meters of the race. It is looking to continue getting lighter as a boat by establishing tighter unity. B2 lost to CRI by about seven seconds, as the race proved to be difficult. “We will focus on getting our stroke ratings up, and will work on developing a sprint in the final 500 meters,” said Head Coach Peter Washburn. Overall, the season has been challenging for both B1 and B2. “This has been a rocky season for both boats. We have had a hard time finding team chemistry given the immense individual talent we possess,” said Finder. “Our season has had some ups and downs, but we are working hard and getting better each day. At this point we need to make sure we don’t become frantic, but stay calm and relaxed,” said Greer Sallick ’14. This past weekend’s wins against Exeter and Tabor provided a boost of confidence to the team as it prepares to race against NMH this coming weekend for the final time before Interscholastics.
