Rowing teams push past competition

Buying in and believing — that’s what it takes to win, according to varsity eight coxswain Kylee Wooten.

And that’s what the North Carolina women’s rowing team did this weekend at the Knecht Cup in West Windsor Township, N.J. Every single boat, for the first time this season, bought in and believed its way to the finals.

“This race was really, really fast,” Coach Sarah Haney said.

“It was championship style, which is a lot of pressure on a team. But everyone handled each stage really well without getting too far ahead. They all took care of business one race at a time.”

North Carolina’s second varsity four finished sixth in the petite final with a time of 8:17.00, while the second varsity eight also went to the petite final in its category, finishing fourth with a time of 7:08.67.

The women’s varsity four finished fifth in the third level final with a time of 8:09.39, and the women’s varsity eight finished sixth in the third level final with a time of 7:11.09 — solidifying North Carolina varsity’s presence in every final event.

“We just really had good morale this weekend, which we haven’t seen the past couple years,” Wooten said.

“So much of this sport is about chemistry, and I don’t think people realize how much of it is just being in sync.

“People adapted really well this weekend and didn’t let those outside factors affect our bubble.”

Not to be outdone by the varsity’s impressive teamwork, the novice teams stood out this weekend as well.

In the women’s novice four, UNC placed third in grand final — third overall — with a time of 8:08.39, and the novice eight also finished third overall with a time of 7:10.59.

“The novice teams have really focused on just attacking every single race and building more and more confidence,” Haney said. “They’re trying to create a culture of fighting and not losing, and those guys have just really grabbed on to that mentality.”

For the novice teams, the goal continues to be not only to win but also to foster the same teamwork and chemistry that the varsity team has spent years establishing.

And this weekend, in their first real regatta, the novice teams proved that they are on their way.

“I think we really got that competitive atmosphere, and we were able to handle it really well,” said freshman rower Nina Luker.

“I think we’re going to be able to bring that into the following competitions and especially the ACC 
championships.”

And with the ACC championships only a month away, teamwork — especially buying in and believing — will only become more important.

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