The Ohio University Crew is a co-ed rowing team, offering students a unique and welcoming competitive environment optimized around a college schedule. This year marks 31 years for OU Crew, as the team began at OU in 1995.
OU Crew practices at Strouds Run State Park, offering both morning and evening practices every week in order to ensure each member has an opportunity to get out on the water at least a few times.
Emma Shircliff, a sophomore studying environmental and plant biology, serves as the Crew treasurer.
“It’s a great way to get outside,” Shircliff said. “You get to go out to Strouds Run three times a week, if not more, that's brilliant. Spending more time out in the Athens community.”
Amelia Elting, a sophomore studying nutrition science pre-med and Spanish, is the secretary of Crew. Elting said venues for regattas, which is a rowing, sailing or speedboat race, change frequently, but OU Crew does not host any, due to the size of Dow Lake at Strouds Run State Park.
“We enter regattas, we race against collegiate divisions and open divisions, we race in both of them,” Elting said. “We race against Case, OSU, Cleveland State. Miami's been there before.”
Elting said high school teams also get placed in their division. The OU Crew has multiple trips and scheduled regatta competitions coming up.
“We went up to the Cuyahoga River two weeks ago, we're going to the Muskingum River this weekend actually, in Marietta for the head of the Muskingum race,” Elting said. “There’s a Speakmon Regatta around Columbus. It’s the Sunday before Halloween.”
Isabel Baxter, a junior studying community and public health, political science and environmental health, is serving as the vice president of OU Crew. She said this fall brings a heavy competition schedule for Crew, in comparison to last year.
“Last year was my first year even having the opportunity to compete in a regatta, and it’s the same one that’s coming up this weekend,” Baxter said. “And then I think we only did one regatta in the spring and one in the fall. This year, we have three planned for the fall, pretty much all in October.”
Baxter said along with OU Crew filling up their regatta and competition schedule, the team has changed their practice structure.
“We've only done outdoor practices this year, getting people immediately in the boats, that is completely new to me,” Baxter said. “Not so much about being competitive, but getting people on the water is like number one priority, and actually competing for once.”
The fall schedule thus far has been focused on teaching rowing basics and getting new members feeling as comfortable as possible.
“The first week or two was a lot of learning to row, here’s the basics.” Elting said. “From what I can tell in the boat, I've noticed a lot of the new people have gotten a lot better. It's really stuck with a lot of people. People are really trying hard. They're working on it. They're really committed.”
Shircliff said the commitment of OU Crew is due to the executives and members’ avid planning and ideas.
“Most of our members on our exec board are new to their positions, so definitely we’re doing a lot of new ideas, new directions,” Shircliff said. “This semester, has been a lot of alumni outreach, making plans on what we need to spend money on and, ‘what we can do right now?’”
OU Crew is also in the market for new gear for the club to continue to advance. In the future, the club hopes to add new, lighter boats to the fleet as well as continuing to update oars. Each semester, club members pay $75 to keep their equipment nice, plan social activities and to pay for regatta entrance fees.
Baxter said OU Crew’s alumni network has been vital to the club's revitalization. Throughout the semester, they have been working to obtain alumni donations and fundraising. Baxter said OU Crew alumni are helpful for any questions students have.
“My mom was actually on it in 1997,” Baxter said. “She's an alumni, so kind of was always in the periphery. So when I came to OU, it was something I wanted to look into.”
Shircliff said Crew has been integral in making friends on campus and encourages anyone who may be interested to show up.
“Joining Crew is how I’ve made my best friends here,” Shircliff said. “I don't know if it lucked out or we've just built a really good culture on the team, but everyone's so friendly and wants to get to know you, and we just try to have a lot of fun together. So it's a really nice place to make friends.”
Shircliff said while rowing is an individual sport, building a connection with teammates is important.
“It's a lot building yourself endurance-wise, strength-wise, cardio-wise, technique and form-wise,” Shircliff said. “But then you're also working in a boat with eight to four other people, and you're one part of that one unit trying to make that work and be the best it is.”
While the season has already begun, those interested in joining Crew should not hesitate to reach out through the team’s website, Instagram or Bobcat Connect. Practices will be held all school year at Strouds Run State Park or the Charles J. Ping Recreation Center.
