Co-Captain Dean Burton ’26 breathes crew. Starting by first stepping into a boat in 2020, after encouragement from his mother, Burton has developed into one of the team’s top lightweight rowers and as one of the team’s Co-Captains.
Burton shared his mindset when approaching rowing, emphasizing consistency and the importance of building strong daily habits especially with teammates.
“I think just making sure that we’re having a better day than yesterday, being a little bit better every day. You don’t have to make the biggest leap every day, but just make sure you’re improving. I think doing everything together helps. Doing extra sessions on the erg or running with teammates makes it a lot more fun, and there’s more camaraderie,” said Burton.
Sebastián Vermut ’27 shed light on how Burton’s presence in the boat impacts his teammates, highlighting both his individual skill and his natural ability to work as a team and elevate those around him.
“Dean has this combination of being really, really good at what he does individually and being really, really good at what he does on his team. He has rowed singles for a long time, which is a boat where you row by yourself, and he understands it really well. The way he has been able to transfer his skill to a boat with seven other guys and a coxswain is really impressive. He also brings everyone else around him up, even if he’s not rowing in the same boat. Even just being in his presence, people can feel the mentality he has to improve,” said Verrmut.
Chris Lee ’27 spoke on Burton’s focused work ethic and composed leadership style, highlighting how his discipline and quiet encouragement set the standard for the rest of the team.
“He’s focused, he’s vigilant, and he’s very driven. When he needs to lock in, he does, and he won’t let anything else distract him. He is very encouraging, but it’s a calm, quiet encouragement. When you have that type of leadership style, especially from someone as respected as Dean, you tend to follow it and look up to it, and you imitate how he acts. I feel like that lifts the team as a whole, especially when everyone understands before a race what’s at stake,” said Lee.
Looking ahead to the season, Burton outlined both his concrete goals and broader priorities. After finishing fourth at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association (NEIRA) Championships last year, the team is aiming to break onto the podium this spring, though Burton places greater importance on pushing his teammates to perform at their full potential.
“I think performing to our maximum ability on the water is the goal. If we’re talking about something concrete, medaling at NEIRAs, the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association championships in late May, would put us in the top three in New England, which has always been a strong goal. Beyond that, we’re looking to compete nationally if we do well enough there,” said Burton.
Looking ahead, Burton plans to continue his rowing career with Cornell University’s Division I lightweight men’s rowing program. He explained how the energy and camaraderie of the team solidified his decision during his visit, hoping to carry his steady mindset and team-first approach into the next level.
“The difference between Cornell and the other schools I saw was the team. The guys were super welcoming, and I could really see myself fitting in there. The entire time I was on my visit, I was just laughing, and the food was really good,” said Burton.
