GRP Row heads to Fall Speed Order
The author (left) Natalie Hoefer and teammates training on Big Hosmer in the warmer stages of fall.
GRP Row heads to Fall Speed Order (FSO) this weekend to showcase their speed, the culmination of their last few months of training. They have participated in a few races leading up to this event to gain further racing experience and learn valuable lessons, from proper warm-up length to identifying the parts of the race they feel strongest. The fall race schedule included Green Mountain Head, the Head of the Charles Regatta, and the most recent regatta, Head of the Fish. In the two weeks since Head of the Fish, GRP Row has really honed in on training for FSO, the most important fall event the GRP will tackle. Their training plan has added more pieces to prepare for racing a 2k as opposed to the longer distance head racing.
This race prep is necessary for FSO because it involves two 2k races on one day, Saturday the 15th. It will take place in Princeton, NJ, so most of the athletes will gear up for a seven hour drive in the team van on Thursday. Meanwhile, Natalie Hoefer and Sue Holderness will leave from their current training location in Hanover, NH to meet the team in Princeton. Princeton is an iconic location for USRowing National Team events, as countless Speed Orders and other important qualification events have been occurring there for years.
FSO is particularly important because it is an opportunity for rowers to be noticed by the National Team. The GRP rowers will race current National Team members, along with other aspirants. Additionally, FSO is a good opportunity to measure one’s growth, face challenges in a high stress environment, gain some valuable racing experience, and race against a high level of competition. Ultimately, it’s a great way for rowers to get their name out there and really make a statement.
Racing kicks off on Saturday the 15th, with the time trial that consists of each boat racing down the 2k course solo. It is important to note that only small boats are racing at this regatta, those being the pair (2-) and single (1x). After the time trial, each boat will then be seeded into the finals based on their performance. The top 7 fastest times will advance to the A final, 8-14 will be in the B final, 15-21 in the C final, and so on. The finals will commence the following afternoon due to predicted bad weather on Sunday. This year, the competition is steep and deep with 49 men’s singles, 43 women’s singles, 15 men’s pairs, 8 women’s pairs, and two para events.
GRP row makes a sizable dent in the entries with 4 men’s singles: Kai Hoite, Caleb Nollenberger, Evan Hankins-Hull, Kevin Harvell; 5 women’s singles: Catie Castle, Charlotte Wiley, Paige Wheeler, Anna Jensen, Grace Donabedian; 1 men’s pair: Jesse Ryno and Quin Woods; and 1 women’s pair: Sue Holderness and Natalie Hoefer. As all these rowers have been working towards this race for weeks, it will be exciting to see how their efforts pay off. Follow the racing here.
FSO also marks the end of on-water training for the GRP this season as they head on-land for winter training. This will consist of many hours of erging and skiing, allowing for the athletes to make great fitness gains that will aid them come spring.
