Spring is here. The magical time of the year where the earth awakens from its winter slumber is upon Upper St. Clair once again. Most people think of the upcoming Pirates’ baseball season or spring break or even the not too far off summer break. To the USC crew team, however, spring means a return home to the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh.
The rowing team spent its long winter hiatus from the water laboring on rowing simulation machines called ergs. The team has a set of these fan-resistance machines outside of the Weight Lifting room at the High School. In addition to several routine core and cardio workouts, the team ergs 500, 2000, and 5000 meter test pieces and rows varying time length pieces. Practices were conducted throughout the winter on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays by head coach RJ Pisani and novice/girls coach Sierra Pastel.
At the last indoor erg race of the season, three individuals medalled: John Benhart with a silver, Ajinkya Rai with a bronze, and Girls’ Team Captain Helena Zatawski with a gold. Helena also achieved her third North Allegheny Indoor Rowing Championship record. The team has recently upped its practice to 5 days a week in anticipation of the upcoming spring season. The team will be back out on the water by the end of March to prepare for its first races of the season. Spring races are sprint races of 2000 meters where competing boats race head to head and the first boat to cross the line wins.
The team regularly practices out of Three Rivers Rowing Association on Washington’s Landing on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh’s North Side. The Allegheny will also be the site of the team’s second regatta, or race, of the season, the Scholastic Sprints. Other race sites will include Erie, Columbus, and the biggest regatta of the year, Midwests, held for the first time ever in Zanesville, Ohio.
Hopefully, the Crew team will have several boats win at Midwests and qualify for Nationals, where some of the U.S.’s top high school teams go head to head. Boys’ Team Captain Brendan O’Keefe commented, “There is going to be a lot of intense competition, and I hope our hard work pays off.” Good luck USC Crew!