Ravens rowing team preview
By: Mitch Goldenberg
The Carleton University Ravens rowing team is armed and ready to make a big splash both in and out of the water for the 2011-12 season.
The 18-member varsity team has been training up to two times a day beginning at 5 a.m. for six days a week, and have also formed an executive council for the first time in years to help promote the team.
“We have a lot of growing to do,” says first-year head coach Ed Fournier. “This year, we’ve got some keen and dedicated athletes and there is lots of potential.”
The Ravens are trying to build on a decent 2010 season where Matt Fournier (Ottawa) picked up a gold medal at the Head of the Rideau competition and a silver medal along with teammate Kent Mamen (Chelsea, Que.) at the OUA Championship.
Coach Fournier stressed that with more rowers, the team should make a bigger impact in competitions.
“We can have four times the 18 people that we have now,” he says. “While schools like Queen’s have to compete amongst each other to fill an eight-man boat in some competitions, we can’t get enough.”
Fournier says the goal is to reduce the cost of membership to the Ottawa Rowing Club and for transportation to events, and ideally have a competing Raven in every event and weight category at each tournament.
“We have a good group of athletes this year and hopefully the rowing executive will help,” he says.
The rowers are trained and set for a two month whirlwind season that will see them compete in six events before November.
It all kicked off last weekend at the P.D Ross Memorial Regatta against their cross-town rivals from the University of Ottawa. The Ravens won the alumni race, but the varsity crew was defeated in an eight-man race from the Bank Street to Pretoria bridge.
The Ravens will have their shot at revenge Sept. 25 at the Head of the Rideau competition. The team would also love fans to come out and show their support. Fournier says the best spot to watch is from Mooney’s Bay.
The team will then travel to Peterborough, Ont. and visit St. Catharines, Ont. before the OUA championships on Oct. 29.
As the new coach, Fornier hopes to keep the team organized and training in the off-season.
“Once they’re hooked and interested, they’ll do a lot of training on their own,” he says. “If I’m there, the athletes are more likely to be committed to this team.”
