Expert: Al Pepper - 9/9/2007

Question
QUESTION: I am a 150 lb. junior in high school female. My best 6k is a 2:07.7 per 500m and my best 2k is a 1:59.1 per 500m. What kind of scores to I need to be getting if I am considering college rowing? Also, I tend to lose focus and motivation in the middle of an erg piece and my split goes up. Is there any advice you can give me on how to stay focused?

ANSWER: Hi Mariah: I attrached a link of the results for the Junior Women's results at the CRASH-B Sprints, considered the championship of indoor rowing.  As you can see, a 7:56.4 over 2000 meters puts you in the upper half.  So it seems you have a lot of ability.

As I tell numerous people, college crews do not go solely on erg scores.  You tell me nothing about what boat you row, whether you are stroke, or how successful your crew was.  I would say a college coach weights on-water perfromance far higher than erg scores.  There are a lot of well-conditioned athletes who can pull great erg scores, yet though my erg scores weren't great, I could kill them in a single scull race at any distance simply because I knew how to set up a boat and row cleanly without splashing.  If you are not on a crew team, you should find a local rowing club.

As for your splits, I think it is more than just focus; 99.99% of all ergometer rowers have their worst splits in the middle 500s.  It is in the middle where people fatigue or may have burned themselves after going out too fast at the start.  People tend to pick it up in the final 500 because they put on a sprint at the end.  My advice is to emphasize more endurance type training like hills and steps to gain extra endurance in the middle stage.  You might want to throw in a Power 10 at the 750 and 1250 marks to keep the kick the meter up.

Hope this helped/AP

http://www.crash-b.org/cb2007/results/event06-hwt.html

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I went to the Scholastic National Rowing Championships last May with my team. Competing in the Women's JV 8+, we finished 10th overall. I'm not quite sure if that is good or not because my coach started yelling at us after semis for not making it into the finals. Also, I have a 95% unweighted cumulative high school average. Do any of the above give me a better shot at getting into a rowing program at well-known school like Boston University or University of Miami?

Answer
Hello again, Mariah: Yes that clears things up.  You had some success last season, but you have some goals to attain like making varsity next year.  

You know just about every college crew accepts walk-ons, which is the way I joined.  Now if you are looking for a scholarship to a school like Boston U., now you might be a bit behind.  Most scholarship candidates are identified in their junior year.  Of course, you could demonstrate exceptional progres this year and catch some college coach's eye.

The most important and best thing you have going for you is excellent grades.  You go to college primarily to success in class.  You row as a secondary activity -- aform of release from the grind of schoolwork.  So pick a college with both good academic standing and has a decent women's crew.  

As for the school's you mentioned, BU has the better program.  In fact, I've never heard of Miami doing much of anything in crew; but I do know there is a nice boat house in that city.  My recommendation is to pick a good college in Boston or Philadelphia, as they have clubs you can row with during the off-season.

AP