A Sept. 27 ceremony in the Arena at the Don Taft University Center was the culmination of an impressive, yet, unexpected year for the women’s rowing team.
Triumphant moments are remembered in many ways. The members of the 2012-2013 rowing team can remember their victory by looking up and admiring their National Championship banner.
The banner was revealed after the second set of the NSU women’s volleyball match against Eckerd University. It was the volleyball team’s Shark night and the crowd was encouraged to wear white. The rowing team is comfortable in the water, and they basked in the sea of white in the crowd as they celebrated the past year’s accomplishments.
Taylor Van Horn, senior exercise and sport science major and member of the team, said, “The ceremony was very exciting but now it’s time to keep working towards another championship.”
Head Coach Stephen Frazier-Wong said, “The entire team is on the same page. We want that same feeling from tonight a year from now, because nothing is guaranteed and this was a really difficult one to win. We had a lot of challenges to overcome.”
In his first season as coach, Frazier-Wong, the 2012-1013 Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year and Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Coach of the Year, lead the NSU Rowing team to the NCAA National Championships, held at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis in early June. There, the woman swiftly propelled past their competition on their way to their first national championship, as victors in the varsity-8 and varsity-4 grand finals.
The rowing team received their championship rings Sept. 24 at the Athletic Department’s Annual Champions Luncheon, which was held at the Grande Oaks Country Club. President George Hanbury congratulated each athlete on a successful season and job well done.
Frazier-Wong said he hopes and believes that the team has the ability to make their victory one of many.
“I didn’t really think about it until they said that it was the first national championship won for the Sunshine State Conference in rowing as well as the whole south region, so I felt it was really special for NSU to be able to do that,” Frazier-Wong.
Van Horn said, “It’s the start to a long tradition, and I look forward to seeing many more national championships.”
The Sharks want to repeat their success from last year, but it’s hard being at the top of the mountain. Van Horn said there is more pressure on the team now that they have a national title.
“Other teams will be gunning for you. We have to do what we do best and make smart decisions and ultimately make smart decisions,” she said.
Frazier-Wong said, “We talk about growth, how we can grow as people, and that puts it into perspective. Pressure only comes when expectations outside are less than your own, and our expectations have stayed the same.”
The coach and the team are looking forward to some of this season’s games.
“We always look forward to Barry University, because they are our in-state and conference rival. We look forward to seeing them because they are really good competition.”
