West Springfield Crew has done it again; the girls first boat has won states, outperforming all schools on the Occoquan River with a time of 6 minutes and 5 seconds over a distance of 1500 meters to secure their championship title.
The girls were ranked second coming into the state meet, behind West Potomac HS. The team has been training since November for their state appearance, and with their training schedule exceeding 18 hours a week, it’s clear that the girls earned their victory.
However, not everything went smoothly at first for WS, and progress came more slowly than expected. The rough start made the win at states so much more satisfying.
“Considering that we’ve had a rough season overall, this win made up for it,” said sophomore Elizabeth Cashman. “West Potomac was so close to us the entire race so that made it anticipating.”
Another important part of crew is the teamwork and friendship that is required among the athletes to ensure that they are working at peak performance because it is a team race.
“Crew is such a team sport,” said junior Britton Brindle. “You are literally put in a boat with others and you have to figure out how to make it work. You all have to want it.”
Junior Kristen Rupinen competed in WS’s second varsity boat, and she was aware of not only of the environment of the race, but of how competitive and nervous it was.
“It was super competitive and nerve-wracking,” said Rupinen. “My girls went up against some other girls who were taller than 6 foot, but we stayed focused and did the best we could in the situation we were in.”
For senior Caroline Tyler, the win at states meant everything for her and has benefited her in more ways than just crew. The team helped her to become a better person, and it helped forge bonds that went beyond the team.
“Crew means everything to me. It was my last race on the Occoquan so it meant something really special for us to win,” said Tyler. “Even though I’m leaving this year, I’ll always have a network of people I love who support me.”