Weekday
The weekly feature page of the University Daily Kansan
April 5, 1978
Struggle to maintain a fast pace in practice, Mark Mosier, Herrington sophomore, John Mason, Wichita sophomore, and Lance tennant, Wichita freshman, quickly found out how demanding rowing is. In KU's rowing program there are three classes and the competition is keen. (Right) After his first race, Allen Pickett, Overland Park senior, took time to collect his breath and his thoughts.
Rowing a scull is not easy. Great strength is required and the oarmen must maintain even tempo. Even so, about 25 persons will try to make the rowing team, the "Crew." Although the team is only 14 days old, one man, Don Rose, has great hopes for it.
Are you ready? Ready all . . . row.
As the race begins, muscles tense and ease in rhythm to propel long, slender boats on the waters of Lone Star Lake.
Bodies strain as the oars dip into the cold, clear water, foraging a path toward
Crew, one of the oldest intercollegiate sports, has come to the University of Kansas.
The sport made its competitive debut at KU Saturday, even though the team had only practiced eight times on the water and had no experienced oarsmen.
Despite losses by the four-man and eight-man crews to Kansas State University and the four-women crew to Washington, the two teams raced the races that he was satisfied for the start.
Rose is a Lawrence resident who is not affiliated with KU.
"You just can't take away the practice time that the other schools have had," Rose said.
"Everyone was nervous, not knowing what to expect for the first time," he said, "but we gained a lot of confidence."
Cindy McGuire, another member of the crew, said the races went as well as any practice.
Steve Reynolds, a member of the team, said the losses were disappointing, but he said he had learned a lot.
Reynolds, McGuire and Pickett are part of a group of 13 men and 8 women who began conditioning for the sport at the University, where he semester after being recruited by Rose.
Rose, who brought the sport to Kansas at KState in 1983, began recruiting students to start a kU crew team during enrollment this spring.
"It're really not as easy as it looks," Allen Pickett, another member of the team, said. "It's not as easy as we thought it would be."
The organization is registered with the University but has no connection to the Student Senate or the athletic department.
McGuire, Overland Park sophomore, said she was nabbed by Rose at Robinson Gym during enrollment.
"At first I thought he (Hose) was on his knees and out and saw the learn and thought it would be better."
Rose said he recruited on a low-key individual basis because he was able to visit with people and ask them to come out for the team, instead of the "general hoopla" that usually goes along with public recruiting.
Rose brings to Kansas a 30-year dedication to the sport of rowing, including coaching the Princeton prince lightweight two national championships in 1986 and 1987.
He said he decided to start a KU crew team because rowing needed KU and because KU could become one of the foundation blocks for rowing in the region. KU will race against area schools this spring at Washouga, Washauga and Wichita State University.
"I love the sport," he said. "I also want to give young men and women work motives and principles that they can't get out of books."
"The coach sets the pattern of how people react," he said. "It is the coach that can make guidelines to establish an atmosphere on the team that is excellent."
Rowing builds character. Rose said, building the interaction people get by participating.
The coach said the group of people he was now working with had progressed and were well trained.
"They're a smart group of people," he said. "It's a marvelous thing to see he has a great sense of humor."
Rose said it must be made clear that he was dealing directly with the students for their benefit and the group was supporting itself internally and through contributions.
"We're certainly interested in official and unofficial help, but we're really interested in those that want to support the program they want the program to succeed." he said.
Rose said he thought there were advantages in having students finance part of the project.
He said athletes who are given total scholarships may never learn to contribute.
"If they have never given a cent to the University themselves, why should they give to the University as alumni?" Rose asks.
He said the University needs alumni that will contribute to sports or to any program he sponsors.
Rose said that after the equipment was secured, rowing was really a financially difficult task.
The remaining schedule for the team includes races every weekend in April and the Big Eight championship at Manhattan, the first weekend in May.
The crew team's present equipment includes gifts from K-State and the University of Missouri.
Chris Raffio, a member of the team, said
that he will develop its strokes and getting symmetrical.
Rose said the team would prepare for its next races by improving their technique and by using the experience of the first race.
Raffo said he enjoyed the people that he had met on the team and expressed respect for the coach's work.
he (rose) really knows what he's doin-
g; laufo" he "He is most definitely a deter-
mining case."
Rose said, "KU is the biggest university in the state with a good sports tradition. It's a prestigious place and my hopes are that it will be an important unit of credit in another old, but new, area."
Story by Mary Hoenk
Photos by Eli Reichman
E
Although the fundamentals require constant repetition, the hard work is eased by the quiet spent by team members as they row their cray through the glistening water.