Becoming the best means competing with the best. This year, the UB crew team is putting that philosophy in action.
"We are a competitive program within the crews that we race and what's happened this year is we are starting to row in championship races and not in collegiate-level races," head coach Rudy Wieler said. "The difference between the two is we are running against the best crews in the United States, instead of running against the lower end Division-II and III schools."
The Bulls' first test this season comes this weekend at the Head of Ohio race in Pennsylvania. Buffalo hopes to repeat the hot start the team had last year when both the lightweight and club teams took first place finishes. In order to be successful the team just needs to keep doing what it does well.
"We row well and we train hard and with our experience at the collegiate level last year I think that's all we need to become successful," Wieler said.
However, this year's team is much different from last year's. Just like with every collegiate team, a new season means a loss of a number of seniors from the previous year, and an emphasis on the freshmen's performance.
"Our program lost a lot of seniors last year," Wieler said. "We have a large incoming class of 18 novice and recruited heavyweight rowers. We are excited about it because it is a big turn-around in the program and we are moving ahead."
Wieler hopes that last year's rookies can recreate the success of last season's end, when the freshman class, Wieler's first recruiting class, topped off its year with an April win at the Dad Vail Regatta over 36 teams.
"That was the first time that our freshman eight, or any of our eights, won any of these races and it was a nice way to finish the season," Wieler said.
This year's incoming class of nine new rowers can use last season's finish as an example as they transition to the new challenge of rowing on the collegiate level. Wieler said that for this to happen, there has to be a commitment to the program and some of them have to step up and be on the varsity team.
The team has strong veteran leadership in Caitlin Loque, Tara Celstine, Kasey Hansen, Alexis Grates, Deanna Knightington, Michelle Schwach and Kalie Spoto.
Even with good leadership and solid up-and-comers, Wieler puts great value on the success of the team as a unit, not depending on any one athlete.
"There is a greater emphasis on the team as a whole and that's very important because there has been a real concentrated effort on the part of the coaching staff and the student-athletes to become more of a team and not be so individualistic," Wieler said. "There are no key players. There are only crews."
The team certainly has the ingredients and mental attitude it takes to become one of the elite on the collegiate level.
The Bulls look to showcase their ability this weekend and in five other fall tournaments before traveling to Miami, Fla. for winter training.
