Rowing

Minnesota's rowing team is finally getting noticed around the nation.

In competitions spanning from Louisville, Ky., to Los Angeles, the Gophers accumulated a 24-5 record while impressing several established programs.

Freshman novice Rachel Hotkowski tried to put the team's status into words.

"(Other rowers) are scared of you and stuff," Hotkowski said. "Just walking around at races they'll be like, 'oh she's from Minnesota, she must be good.' "

Recruited freshmen rowers Tracey Tallman and Rachel Hotkowski clung together at the beginning of the fall season because they had to adjust to the unfamiliar aspects of college rowing and life in the Midwest.

But in the final stretch of the spring season, the two East Coast natives have yet to adjust to one last unfamiliar aspect - losing.

As Minnesota's rowing team entered an important Big Ten double dual over the weekend, the team looked to benefit from the talent and depth provided by its mix of experienced junior and senior walk-ons and its first group of recruited sophomores and freshmen in program history.

But coach Wendy Davis said she knew it would take more than talent to compete in a conference with "boatloads" of recruited rowers in every class.

"We knew if we wanted to be competitive we had to out-think and out-heart the more established teams," Davis said.

No more tuneups. No more borrowed equipment. No more excuses.

Minnesota's rowing team will be sorting and discarding any unneeded baggage before it departs for Bloomington, Ind., this weekend for a double dual against Big Ten opponents.

The Gophers will face No. 1 Ohio State and unranked Indiana in their second Big Ten outing this season. And if the team wants to earn the respect of the conference, coach Wendy Davis said this is the time to do it.

Coaches will often describe a team captain's role as that of a vocal leader. Although this old cliche seems to make sense, being vocal is definitely not what makes Minnesota rower Heidi Rose a great captain.

Rose was actually kicked out of practice twice for being too loud during the team's first year in 2000-01.

Now, the fifth-year senior leads the Gophers with her solid performance and an ability to quietly unite the team.

Minnesota's rowing team flew its Varsity Eight and Novice Eight rowers to the dual against UCLA over the weekend. But the biggest factor in the races was a part of the team that could not make the trip.

The Gophers left their boats in Minnesota because of the long drive to Marina Del Ray, Calif., to face the Bruins. Instead, the team borrowed equipment from UCLA.

The Gophers never adjusted.

Although it split the two races with the Bruins, Minnesota lost the important Varsity Eight competition, which the improving team had counted on winning.

The name of Minnesota's rowing team's new Varsity Eight boat is not the Mayflower, yet team member Melissa Roche still jokingly referred to herself as a pilgrim.

Although the senior is not quite an English Puritan, she has certainly spent her share of time on a boat.

In four years, Roche has also helped drive a lost first-year team to become a contender in the Big Ten and the NCAA.

Her leadership is evident in her extensive accomplishments.

Poor conditions made Minnesota's rowing team wait an extra day to compete in its first Big Ten dual against Iowa over the weekend. But the extra time did not slow down the Gophers on the water.

Minnesota rode its recent tide of success by capturing four of five events in Iowa City, Iowa.

"I'm very pleased," coach Wendy Davis said. "It's the first time we've done this to Iowa."

The Gophers dominated the Varsity Eight races by sweeping the first- and second-team competitions.

If there was a class to teach Minnesota's student body about the sport of rowing, Gophers senior rowing member Katherine Nelson would be both a student and a teacher's aide.

Nelson's role of coxswain on the Gophers' First Varsity Eight boat not only requires steering and keeping the team together with her voice, but making decisions for a coach who can only watch while the team is on the water.

Minnesota's rowing team is used to being overlooked.

In the fall and spring the Gophers glide beneath the Washington Avenue Bridge almost daily without much notice.

"People probably see us," senior Melissa Roche said. "But they don't realize the physical effort and technical aspects it takes for us to compete."

In only their fourth year of varsity status, the Gophers haven't exactly been viewed seriously by their competition either, coach Wendy Davis said.