The Princeton Crew Experience

"Guts. You can talk all you want about what it takes to row at Princeton — break the stroke down into multiple drills, count the banners and trophies of each squad, trace back every beloved tradition, you can dissect it down to a perfect science. But more than anything, being a member of Princeton crew takes guts. Guts to come to practice each day, demanding just a bit more than yesterday. Guts to perform not only on Lake Carnegie but also in orgo lab or your politics seminar. Guts to accept that being a team means everything you do affects everyone else and that your boat is only as fast as "its weakest link". And it takes guts to cross that line, the entire race a complete blur, having no regrets only pride. As a Princeton rower, you leave with more than a diploma. You face the world with relentless drive, unwavering dedication and life-long lasting friendships. And of course, invincible, rock-solid guts." - Kristin Bartges '00, co-captain, Women's Open Crew

"During these past four years as a member of the heavyweight team, I have learned more on Lake Carnegie than in any classroom or building. The nature of the sport requires total dedication, discipline and determination. The Princeton Crew experience is unique in that because we have the best coaches, facilities and rowers in the country, each member of the team can succeed by simply working as hard as possible. The exciting and competitive environment of Princeton rowing drives each rower beyond their personal goals. In the spring, the intense, personal competitiveness of each rower yields national championship caliber crews. This process, which happens each season, has made my entire Princeton experience more rewarding than I ever imagined it would be." - Dave Bordeau '00, captain, Men's Heavyweight Crew

"The best decision I've made in recent memory, other than saying "YES!" to Princeton, was joining the crew team. As a high school cross country runner, I was looking for a new athletic experience my freshman year of college. What I found in the Princeton rowing program was far beyond anything I'd ever imagined. Training under the leadership of world-class coaches and with the inspiration of the Princeton Crew legacy, I've met and conquered both mental and physical challenges through dedication, determination, and hard work of the rawest nature. This individual effort, fostered by and combined with the effort of each teammate and the effort of the team as a whole, has led me to the most intense and the most rewarding moments of my life. After graduation, I'll miss racing as a Princeton crew because of these very moments, but will cherish the memories and friendships forged with my teammates and coaches as we strove together for something faster, something stronger, something greater than any one of us could have ever achieved on our own." - Joe DiNorcia '00, co-captain, Men's Lightweight Crew

"I came down to the boathouse in the fall of my freshman year, with no rowing and little athletic experience. Now, in my fourth year on the Princeton crew, I consider my hours spent on Lake Carnegie as some of the most important of my Princeton career. I have learned, and been taught how to be a better rower, friend, team-member and athlete with the help of my coaches and teammates. The strength and guidance that the boathouse community has provided me are reflected in the close relationship I have with not only the people, but also the values of Princeton Crew. Among these values I would include dedication, teamwork, tenacity and drive. Today, these ideals have become an integral part of who I am, and promise to stay with me at Lake Carnegie and beyond." - Sarah Cook '00, co-captain, Women's Open Crew

Additional Notes

I didn't plan on rowing when I arrived on campus three years ago. My roommate, Topher Bordeau, said I might make a good lightweight. Since then, rowing has taken me to places that I had never expected to go: From the shipping channel in Tampa Bay to the awards dock at Sprints to Henley-on-Thames. All of this has led me to believe that rowing at Princeton is about opportunity. We are provided with every opportunity to excel. There is truly nothing standing between a Princeton rower and success other than how hard he or she is willing to train. We are provided with the best facilities, equipment and coaching in the league. Every rower is given the choice of whether or not they wish to succeed; for me, that choice is not hard. -- Simon Carcagno '98 Lightweight Co-Captain

Without a doubt, rowing has been the most challenging undertaking of my entire life. Nothing else has demanded so much effort, so much pain, and so much determination. Perhaps, it is for these reasons that nothing else has ever been so rewarding. Rowing at Princeton has given me the greatest and most proud moments of my life, and it has revealed to me exactly what type of person I am. There as a limited number of times in a person's life when the line between failure and success is so clear cut, when he can learn so much about himself in just six minutes. -- Robert Milam '98 Lightweight Co-Captain

It's pretty hard to put into words the value of rowing for Princeton. You could start by saying that the facilities, equipment, coaches, and teammates are all world-class, but that wouldn't be enough. The training here has been perhaps the most intense and rewarding experience of my life. It's fun to train to be the best; it's inspiring when you and your teammates train to be better than you ever thought you could be. It goes beyond winning and losing. I love the feeling of crossing the line at Sprints or the IRA in first, but not any more than I love the feeling between rowers and coaches alike after an intense and successful speed order or erg test. It's funny: Princeton has some of the best professors in the world, but I've learned more from Curtis, Mike and my teammates than from any one course or teacher. -- Topher Bordeau '98 Heavyweight Captain

For me the attractive force behind crew lies in the heated competition of an agonizingly close race. In no other arena can an athlete so boldly challenge her limits, exceeding them with grace and authority. Added to the thrill of the challenge is the essence of teamwork. Sitting on the starting line, all individual efforts melt into one common goal. Few things can compare to the stretch of a Princeton racing jersey across your back and the comfortable weight of a gold medal hanging about your neck. -- Wendy Levach '98 Women's Open Captain

The atmosphere of camaraderie at the boathouse both within and between the crews, is to me an essential element of the Princeton rowing experience. Both on and off the water, the athletes push one another to their physical limits and beyond, yet the union of each person's strength and dedication in the eight is truly exhilarating. Nothing is more exciting to me than sitting on the starting line and glancing across at my competition in anticipation of the battle that will ensue. -- Sara Gaughan '98 Women's Open Captain

"It is hard to define the true meaning of the phrase 'The Princeton Experience,' as it varies from person to person, dictated by the path each individual follows during their four years here. Those whose path leads to the boathouse experience a Princeton like no other; there are no obstacles or limits; only rewards for those determined to face the challenge. The moment when personal ambition meets the grace of rowing is one of the most powerful thrills - the feeling of sharing this rush with eight other people goes beyond words. It is easy to see why Princeton crew has created such a following. For me, the daily trip to the boathouse is yet another opportunity to be at my best." -- Ivy Schlesinger '96

"As a novice rower at Princeton my freshman year, I found crew to be an amazing opportunity. It provides an incredible challenge athletically as well as the chance to form close bonds and friendships. Princeton crew has allowed me to reach for the highest accolades this sport can offer from making a varsity eight to earning an Eastern Sprints title. Only my own work ethic and persistence can determine my success, and with a boathouse full of teammates working toward the same goal, nothing could be more exciting. On race day our efforts are placed on the line against the fastest crews in the country. Through confidence in our prepartion as individuals and as a team, we too have the opportunity to be among the nation's elite." -- Matt Lawson '96

"The rowing program at Princeton is the most intense and exhilarating in the country. I feel fortunate to be able to row under the most qualified coaching staff in the nation. To combine the skill of these coaches with eight new friends, the result is a machine devoted to speed and pain, perceived from a distance as an effortless glide. This is the unforgettable thrill of "The Princeton Experience." The mental and physical rewards of rowing cannot be measured, but when you tell another student on campus that you row, there is an unspoken respect that you have earned for your determination and success." --Kevin Cotter '96

"Crew is defined by speed. Princeton crew offers me the chance to taste the rush of speed so critical to making crew exciting and rewarding. Rowing is unlike anything else I have come across at Princeton. Success and respect at the boathouse are derivatives of day-to-day hard work, rather than one shot gambles. At the end of each season I've had with Princeton crew, looking back on the year's achievements leaves me with a feeling of incredible satisfaction. It is a satisfaction which comes from knowing that my hard work helped in creating a strong, fast boat." -- Greg Hughes '96

"My Princeton rowing experience is best reflected in the one rowing photograph that I keep in my room. The picture doesn't capture the graceful rhythm or the effortless glide that are so often associated with rowing. Instead, it shows the team seconds after having crossed the finish line. We are either slumped over the oars or collapsed into the bottom of the boat. For me, this picture captures the commitment and sacrfice which are essential to row successfully. The Princeton rowing program, with its superior coaches, excellent facilities and legacy of success, helps us make the sacrifices necessary to ensure that when we do cross the finish line, we will be collapsing in victorious exhaustion." --Ted Carson '97

"I still consider our freshman year victory at Eastern Sprints to be one of the happiest days of my life. From that moment on, the crew program has defined my Princeton experience. The coaching and facilities are world-class. Combined with the daily dedication and determination of each athlete, the result is a tightly-knit group, all with a common goal--success." --Sarah Ryerson '97

"For me, the appeal of crew comes from the sport's unique blend of individual determination and teamwork. On a personal level, rowing provides the perfect opportunity for me to explore what I am capable of achieving and then to challenge my performance again day after day. Although workouts leave my body physically exhausted, I feel more alive walking back to campus after practice than at any other moment. The exciting part, however, comes when the efforts of nine individuals are fused into a single unit during racing season. The tremendous energy that is focused toward the common goal transform each boat into something greater than the sum of its parts. It forms the foundation that outlasts our time at the boathouse." --Leslie Gewin '97

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