WBC TAKES IT TO A NEW LEVEL DURING HEAD RACE SEASON IN THIS ISSUE: Head Race Season Results…………1 WBC News……………………………..9 Rower Profile: Jane & Jack Voss...12 Events Coverage……………………16 Welcome New Members……...…....20 Whitemarsh Boat Club followed up its impressive performances of the summer sprint race season with equally solid showings in the five fall head race regattas in which WBC Masters and Juniors com- peted. The 2012 Head Race Season coverage is pre- sented in detail on pages 2-8 of this issue of The Whitemarsh Wake. While the high number of qual- ity performances was impressive, a few are worthy of mention. At the Kings Head Regatta (September 30), the club recorded four 1st Place finishes: Mens Masters 4+ (A), Womens Open 4x, Womens Masters 1x and Mens Recreational 1x. Second Place showings for WBC came in five races: Womens Club 1x, Mens Masters 4+ (B), Womens Masters 2x, Womens Novice 1x and Mens Masters 4x. The Navy Day Regatta (October 13) found WBC recording 1st Place finishes in both the Mens Mas- ters 2x (Matt Ryan, Ryan Laudermilch) and the Womens Masters 4x (Liz Miller, Megan Roe, An- gelique Hrycko & Lauren Lehane). On October 20-21, Whitemarsh entered a total of four boats at the prestigious Head Of The Charles Regatta, the largest two-day regatta in the world. The Mens Masters 4+ (Steve West, Steve McChes- ney, John Monaghan, Steve Whalen, & Caitlin Meehan, Cox) finished in a very respectable 13th place in 19:39.9. At the historic Head Of The Schuylkill Regatta (October 27-28), the club earned 2nd Place medals in the Womens HS Training 1x (Isabelle Moser), the Womens Masters 1x (Lauren Lehane) and the Womens Masters 4x (Julie Waterbury, Dale Par- enti, Gina Ricci & Jane Voss). Finally, at the Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta (November 11), WBC came in first in the Mens Masters 8+, the Womens Junior 2x (Rachael Dev- lin, Meredith Graff) and the Mens Junior 2x (Eric Blood, Zach Ross). For the head race regattas, WBC rowers or crews finished either first or second a total of 21 times! Under the leadership of WBC Head Coach Susan Hermann, the hard work and systematic training put in by the WBC Racing Team have elevated the club’s reputation in our part of the rowing world. The fact that we have all had a fun and rewarding time in the process is a real bonus! No doubt, the 2012 Race Seasons were substantial achieve- ments for the Whitemarsh Boat Club. Rick Schwarz Editor & Content Manager The Whitemarsh Wake The Whitemarsh Wake A Publication of the Whitemarsh Boat Club Volume 7, Issue 4 Winter, 2012-2013
Transcript
WBC TAKES IT TO A NEW LEVEL DURING HEAD RACE SEASON
IN THIS ISSUE:
Head Race Season Results…………1
WBC News……………………………..9
Rower Profile: Jane & Jack Voss...12
Events Coverage……………………16
Welcome New Members……...…....20
Whitemarsh Boat Club followed up its impressive performances of the summer sprint race season with equally solid showings in the five fall head race regattas in which WBC Masters and Juniors com-peted.
The 2012 Head Race Season coverage is pre-sented in detail on pages 2-8 of this issue of The Whitemarsh Wake. While the high number of qual-ity performances was impressive, a few are worthy of mention.
At the Kings Head Regatta (September 30), the club recorded four 1st Place finishes: Mens Masters 4+ (A), Womens Open 4x, Womens Masters 1x and Mens Recreational 1x. Second Place showings for WBC came in five races: Womens Club 1x, Mens Masters 4+ (B), Womens Masters 2x, Womens Novice 1x and Mens Masters 4x.
The Navy Day Regatta (October 13) found WBC recording 1st Place finishes in both the Mens Mas-ters 2x (Matt Ryan, Ryan Laudermilch) and the Womens Masters 4x (Liz Miller, Megan Roe, An-gelique Hrycko & Lauren Lehane).
On October 20-21, Whitemarsh entered a total of four boats at the prestigious Head Of The Charles Regatta, the largest two-day regatta in the world. The Mens Masters 4+ (Steve West, Steve McChes-ney, John Monaghan, Steve Whalen, & Caitlin Meehan, Cox) finished in a very respectable 13th place in 19:39.9.
At the historic Head Of The Schuylkill Regatta (October 27-28), the club earned 2nd Place medals in the Womens HS Training 1x (Isabelle Moser), the Womens Masters 1x (Lauren Lehane) and the
Finally, at the Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta (November 11), WBC came in first in the Mens Masters 8+, the Womens Junior 2x (Rachael Dev-lin, Meredith Graff) and the Mens Junior 2x (Eric Blood, Zach Ross).
For the head race regattas, WBC rowers or crews finished either first or second a total of 21 times!
Under the leadership of WBC Head Coach Susan Hermann, the hard work and systematic training put in by the WBC Racing Team have elevated the club’s reputation in our part of the rowing world. The fact that we have all had a fun and rewarding time in the process is a real bonus! No doubt, the 2012 Race Seasons were substantial achieve-ments for the Whitemarsh Boat Club.
Rick Schwarz Editor & Content Manager The Whitemarsh Wake
The Whitemarsh Wake A Publication of the Whitemarsh Boat Club
Volume 7, Issue 4 Winter, 2012-2013
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Kings Head Regatta September 30, 2012 Bridgeport, PA
Next Page, Clockwise From Top: The WBC Mixed Masters 8+ Men’s Eight opowers through the finish line; De-rigging
and loading at the WBC trailer; Michele Morris and Alix Markee after their race.
Photographs supplied by Michele Morris
Kings Head Regatta: Key Results
Womens Club 1x: Angelique Hrycko. 2nd Place, 21:43.1
Mens Masters 4+ (A): Steve West, Steve McChesney, John Monaghan, Steve Whalen. 1st Place, 16:15.5
Mens Masters 4+ (B): Alex Plache, Bill Scher, Rick Schwarz, Jack Voss. 2nd Place, 16:52.9
Mens Masters 8+: Matt Ryan, John Monaghan, Gavin Krumenacker, Greg Dupee, Bill Scher, Rick Schwarz, Jeff Grogan, Steve McChesney, Kathleen Nieman (Cox). 1st Place, 3:29.8.
Mens Junior 2x: Eric Blood, Zach Ross. 1st Place, 5:20.7
Other Fall, 2012 Regattas Key Results
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Club Row & Race Practice Schedule
(Effective through March 9, 2013)
Sunday, 7:00 AM: Coached Club Row Wednesday, 5:45 AM: Coached Club Row
(Sculling only) Saturday, 7:00 AM: Non-coached Race Practice
Saturday, 8:30 AM: Coached TnT (“Technique/ Transition”) Club Row
All sessions have both sweep rowing and sculling (except Wednesday morning—Sculling only).
During the Race Practices, priority for boat seating is given to those who have signed up to compete in regattas under WBC
colors, and as assigned by the WBC Head Coach.
At all on-water sessions, priority for boat seating is given to those who have signed up for the session, in advance, via the
WBC "Members Only" web site.
VERY IMPORTANT: During the winter season, rowers need to sign-up for weekend rows no later that 6:00 pm Thursday, as coxswains for those rows will be assigned shortly thereafter.
Those who have signed-up to row by this deadline will be given preference for sweep boat seating over those who sign-up later.
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Important: HRC Campus Security
On occasion, WBC members are the last to depart the HRC Campus. If you (and others) find yourselves in this position, it is absolutely essential that you do your
part to “close down” the property before leaving (See the gate sign below).
How do I know that I (or others) will be the last to depart?
Use these tips:
Make sure that no one is outstanding in the WBC Log Book (i.e., still on the water).
Check the Red Building (including the Erg Room and Locker Rooms), as well as the Mount House next door.
Check for cars in the parking lot not belonging to those who are last to depart. By HRC regulations, cars left overnight are required to have a note inside the windshield stating such.
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Jane and Jack, how and when did you get started in the sport of rowing? Jane: Our daughter, Rachel, rowed at The Mount and we spent many weekends on the river. After she graduated in 2004, I suffered “withdrawal” from rowing events! Luckily, the Mount’s coach, Mike McKenna, offered to teach some of the “Mount Moms” how to row. I don’t think he knew what he was getting into, but I started rowing the fall of 2004 and haven’t stopped. I absolutely love it! I am also happy that Jack got hooked, because now I don’t feel guilty spending so much time at the river. Jack: Initially, I was a spectator. Along with Jane, we watched our daughter Rachel (and her teammate An-gelique Hrycko!) row for the Mount between 2001 and 2004. Very exciting stuff! I also recall several Mount parent work days during this period, in which we helped build a boat dock and ramp. Following Rachel’s graduation, Jane and the other “Founding Mothers” received rowing instruction by Mike McKenna and, in time, they established the Club. I recall Jane leaving home at what seemed un-godly early hours on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and then coming home a few hours later with nasty blisters on her hands and track bites on her legs. But she was extremely enthused about the rowing skills she was developing and the people she was meeting at WBC, and she was also becoming noticeably more physically fit as the months passed. When in 2005 I had the opportunity to take an erging class at the new WBC, I jumped at the chance (I remember meeting this really funny guy in the class.... Pat DiCicco!). I immediately sensed that I, too would get hooked on rowing. U nfortunately, I was really busy with work and felt I wouldn’t be able to find the time needed to develop satisfactory skills, so I put rowing on hold. Finally, in 2007, with retirement just a few years away and Jane continuing to love the sport and the friend-ships she was forming, I joined a learn-to-row class that was co-taught by Mike McKenna and Lauren Le-hane (Lee Bogart was also in this class). Soon there-after, I became a WBC member.
How did you learn about WBC? Jane: I am a Founding Mother of Whitemarsh Boat Club. We started rowing with borrowed equipment from The Mount and some days had a hard time get-ting eight women to show up to row. Mike McKenna requested help from the young Mount coxswains and rowers and they were kind enough to help us out (I expect he twisted a few arms). I’m sure it was not fun for those Mount rowers to set the boat for us. After a year of informal “Mount Mom” rowing, Whitemarsh Boat Club was formally established. Jack: There were very few, if any, days following the establishment of the club in 2005, that I didn’t hear Jane talking on the phone with fellow officers about some aspect of WBC, or she was on the river rowing.
Have you participated in other sports? Jane: There was no Title IX when I was growing up, so there were no teams for girls in high school. I played some intramural sports but nothing formal. I do like downhill skiing and hope to do more bike rid-ing when I have more time. I think I have always been fairly athletic but never had a real chance at a sport until I started rowing. Jack: I’ve always enjoyed sports. During my elemen-tary school years back in Belleville, IL (i.e., about 15 miles east of downtown St. Louis, MO….therefore my love of the Cardinals), I played organized baseball and, during my junior high years, also played on the school basketball and football teams. During my high school years, I focused on basketball and, during my senior year, also threw the discus on the track team. I also played a lot of tennis, but unfortunately, my high school didn’t have a team, even though a fellow stu-dent named Jimmy Connors would later become the number one ranked tennis player in world! As a freshman at St. Edwards University in Austin, TX, I played on the basketball and track teams, but by the end of that year it had become abundantly clear that my thoughts of playing in the NBA were, in fact, mere hallucinations. Having “read the writing on the wall”, I returned to IL, focused on my studies, and eventu-ally attended Illinois State University, where I com-pleted my bachelor and master degrees, and met
PROFILE OF A ROWING COUPLE: Jane & Jack Voss
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Jane & Jack Voss with daughters Lauren and Rachel during their October, 2012 trip to the U.K.
Jane is a “Founding Mother” of WBC, having been a member since the club was formed in 2005. She
also served as club officer for several years.
Jack joined two years after Jane, and currently serves in the role of
WBC Captain.
Both are active rowers, members of the Racing Team, and very popular and respected by their fellow club members. Most noteworthy, both
are always at the forefront when it’s time to step up and work for the
advancement of WBC.
Jane (that seems to have worked out pretty well)! Doug Collins was the star of the ISU basketball teams during those years, and later became an Olympic hero and the # 1 pick in the NBA draft by the 76ers. During my adult years, I’ve enjoyed bike riding, kay-aking and learning to snow ski. And now, perhaps best of all, rowing!
Do you have any specific rowing goals or competitive aspirations, particularly for the next year? Jane: At my age, I just want to be able to continue to row regularly and not hurt myself! I’m not a fan of sprint racing, so I plan to stick with head races this year. I also plan to start going to the Wednesday morning rows this winter so I can row 3 times a week. Jack: Not really. I just want to develop further my rowing technique, stay healthy and in shape. If/when I participate in the geezer events during regattas, I hope to perform as well as I can, but I primarily enjoy participating with and having a “good row” with my fellow members, then having an enjoyable breakfast at the 401 Diner, or coffee and a breakfast burrito at WaWa!
Do you have a favorite, amusing, rowing-related story to tell? Jane: I have a few favorite memories. My very first race was a women’s 8+ on Navy Day 2005. We won a gold medal….because we were the only boat in our category! We were so excited! Several years ago at Kings Head Regatta, we had just rowed up to the top of the course when the skies opened up with the hard-est rain you can imagine. They ended up cancelling the rest of the races for the day but we had to row the 3 miles back down to the dock! There was so much water in the boat that it took all 8 women and about 6 men to pick it up! We were soaked! I also remember the Hutchinson Cup Regatta of last year when I was two seat in a mixed 8+. It was so windy and choppy that the waves were breaking over Steve McChes-ney’s back, who was bow seat. Bad weather rowing is very memorable, but there have also been great early morning rows with the sun coming up, champagne toasts on New Year’s Day and rows when everything just clicks. Sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed on a cold February morning, but I can honestly say that once I am on the water, I never regret it. Jack: An experience that wasn’t particularly amusing, but was quite instructive, occurred my first year of rowing when the WBC coach conducted essentially a
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seat race involving two quads. I was in 3 seat of one quad, while the rower in 3 seat of the second boat was a woman at least a foot shorter and 100 lbs. lighter than me. When it became the 3 seat rowers’ turn, I tried to muscle my boat forward, but dug far too deep on the port side, which resulted in a huge crab. In my panicked effort to regain use of that oar, I nearly flipped the boat, while the other quad slowly “walked” past us. I was very annoyed with myself, but with Jane’s help following that practice (i.e., as I re-call, she threatened to smack me upside the head if I didn’t calm down and listen to reason), I learned the lesson that good technique is equally, if not more im-portant than strength in rowing.
What type of job/profession do you have? Jane: I am a paralegal in the Private Client Services Group at Cozen O’Connor. That’s a fancy name for Estates and Trusts Administration. Jack: I worked as a school psychologist for 10 years at the PA School for the Deaf (PSD), and during this period I also coached the girls basketball team at the school. For the next 25 years, I served as the Director of Admissions, Clinical Services and Transportation at the school. Following a year of retirement, I returned to PSD on a part-time basis to assist with Psychoedu-cational evaluations, and also worked part-time as the interim psychologist at a school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Clarks Summit, PA. I’m currently working on an interim basis as the transportation co-ordinator back at PSD, but am hopeful this job will end by early 2013, so I can then resume my retired life.
What do you like best about WBC? Jane: I love the members! I love the socializing…going to breakfast after practice, Thirsty Thursdays, hanging out at the trailer on race days. Having been here from the very beginning of WBC, it is amazing to me to see how it has grown. We have such interest-
ing members from all professions and with such var-ied rowing experience. I think WBC is a very welcom-ing place. The Founding Mothers all started as brand new rowers and we all encouraged one another. I think that atmosphere remains today even though we have many more experienced rowers. I hope that welcoming atmosphere never changes. Jack: There are so very many things that I like about WBC, but the camaraderie with fellow members, en-joying a good workout while out on the river, and the positive affect rowing has on my arthritic and cartilage-damaged knees, rank towards the top.
ABOVE, RIGHT:
Jane & Jack in their younger days…...Or, as Jane says, “a long, long time ago!”
(Very “70’s” for sure!)
Photograph supplied by Jane & Jack Voss
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ABOVE: Jane (in stroke seat) at the 2009 Quaker City Masters Regatta.
BELOW: Jane, along with WBC teammates Sharon Collins, Dale Parenti and Liz Bradley, won a silver medal at the 2010 Kings Head Regatta.
Photographs supplied by Jane & Jack Voss
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WBC Holiday Party December 9, 2012 Nancy & Ken Warren’s Home
On Sunday afternoon, December 9th, Nancy and Ken Warren graciously opened their home in Haverford as hosts for the annual WBC Holiday Party.
Conducted in a “pot luck” format, with WBC members providing the food and drink, the event was attended by over 80 WBC members, family and friends. It was a hit in
the opinion of all who participated!
Many thanks to Nancy and Ken for their generous hospitality. Special recognition and thanks to Events Committee Chair Gina Ricci
for the outstanding job of planning and coordinating the event.
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WBC Holiday Party December 9, 2012 Nancy & Ken Warren’s Home
ABOVE: Dale Parenti, Steve McChesney & Ed McIlvaine
BELOW: Gavin Kerr, Jane & Jack Voss, Linda Chisholm & Linda’s daughter, Carolyn Chisholm
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WBC Holiday Party December 9, 2012 Nancy & Ken Warren’s Home
ABOVE: Keith Wobeser, Susan Hermann & Erik Mens
BELOW: Christopher Blackwall, Hosts Ken & Nancy Warren, & WBC Events Committee Chair Gina Ricci
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WBC Holiday Party December 9, 2012 Nancy & Ken Warren’s Home
ABOVE: Steve Murphy, John O’Brien, Jean Frissora & Kathy Murphy
BELOW: Mike McKenna, Alex Plache & Bonnie Mueller
ERIN HORVAT is a self-described “native Californian,”
who “started rowing when my hall mate at Penn intro-duced me to the novice coach because I was tired of play-ing on Penn's losing club soccer team and she thought the coach would appreciate my height. I quickly realized I had found "my people" and a new sport I loved. I rowed all four years at Penn, served as Captain my senior year, and went to a national team development camp along the way. I met Paul Horvat my senior year and married into a rowing family.” After a few years in grad school at UCLA she returned to Philly, and got back on the river after her second daughter Margaret was born. She rowed at Ves-per in the Masters women's 8 with none other than WBC’s own Susan Hermann in the boat as well! Erin says that, “Now that my daughters are older, I am ready to come back again. I discovered Whitemarsh through my older girl, Kate, who rows for GA, as well as the the timely and welcome intervention of Bonnie Mueller. I am thrilled to be back on the water and am especially interested in be-coming a good sculler. I am taken with the open and gen-erous spirit I have found at the club.” By day, in addition to “endlessly driving my daughters around,” Erin is a pro-fessor at Temple in the Urban Education Program.
ERIK MENS started with rowing as a walk-on to the Rut-
gers lightweight crew team. He reports that he “was a lit-tle hesitant at first, thinking that it would interfere with my studies, but after attending a practice I did whatever it took to be able to squeeze in the sessions. I was hooked!” Af-ter college, Erik rowed briefly out of Undine, but living and working in the suburbs made for a long commute into the city which prevented him “from taking full advantage of the clubhouse.” He ran into Susan Herman at a party back in June, and says that “she told me a little more about the WBC program, and I decided to come as a guest rower. I am really impressed with the facilities and the members of the club, and have really enjoyed getting out on the water again.”
Welcome To Our New Members!
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GERRY PAULSON says that he had “no previous rowing
experience except for two Indoor Rowing classes a week at the Rocky Run YMCA that I started with my daughter over the summer as part of her training program.” His in-terest in rowing started last winter when his daughter, Leah, walked onto the rowing team at Lehigh. “We went to our first regatta, The Murphy Cup, on the Cooper River last March and we were hooked! We knew nothing about crew, but quickly found out what a great team sport it is. Gerry got interested in WBC through his friendship with veteran WBC member Lee Bogart, with whom he has played ice hockey together for almost ten years. “Lee mentioned how much he enjoyed rowing at WBC, so I de-cided to give it a try. The people at WBC have been great. The Discover Rowing Day and the Learn-To-Row programs are fantastic.” Gerry lives in Media, works at ChemLogix in Blue Bell, and am married with two children: A son, Tim, who is finishing his MBA at Ithaca College; and a daughter, Leah, a junior at Lehigh University.
DONNA FORD “became interested in rowing during a silly
girl’s weekend at the shore discussing our “bucket lists”. One of my friends shared with me that she had always wanted to row on Boathouse Row. I loved the idea and since I had been doing indoor row for cardiovascular fit-ness for about a year, I thought the transition would be easy (which it has not been).” She performed an internet search for a Learn-To-Row” class that involved “a club ea-ger for new learners, and a staff that would help me achieve my goals. That was Whitemarsh! So here I am. A few of my friends are envious and itching to join me. The club is great, the people are wonderful and I am en-joying it tremendously. Scratch one off my bucket list.” Donna is an RN working in Health Information Technology with an emphasis on information exchange with long term care. She is married with three grown children (no rowers, but all played water polo) two grandchildren and three dogs. She says that “My hobbies include knitting, Zumba, Piloxing and flower gardening.”
Welcome To Our New Members!
Volume 7, Issue 4 Winter, 2012-2013
Welcome To Our New Members!
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CAROLINE BEEBE started rowing during her freshman
year at Upper Merion High School, and continued rowing throughout high school, and a bit in college. She says that “During college, I also started coaching the sport. I coached the Boys Team at Upper Merion for four years, which I absolutely loved.” She also started working at Bryn Mawr Veterinary Hospital, where she met WBC member Steve West. “He was the one who introduced me to Whitemarsh Boat Club! I am now continuing my education at Penn Vet, and look forward to rowing with you all in the future!”
Make sure to introduce yourself and extend a
warm welcome to all of our new WBC members!
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Whitemarsh Boat Club 801 Washington Street Conshohocken, PA 19428 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 944 Conshohocken, PA 19428
The Whitemarsh Boat Club (WBC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Corporation formed in 2005 to promote the sport of rowing to a broad base of
existing and potential enthusiasts.
The Club leases a substantial portion of the main boathouse at the Hines Rowing Center (HRC) at 801 Washington Street in Conshohocken, PA,
along with several college and high school rowing programs.
The rapid growth of the sport of rowing has created a need for access to the upper
Schuylkill River, in addition to the historic clubs on Boathouse Row in Philadelphia.
The Schuylkill River, in front of the HRC, is wide, deep, and very beautiful, with two long and straight sections. One straightaway, near the HRC, is 1,500 meters long; the other, around
the corner, is almost three miles long. Four boats can race side by side along either stretch. The upper Schuylkill River is generally calm, being protected from winds by the tall hills of
Gladwyne and Lower Merion, even when the lower Schuylkill is covered with whitecaps.
WBC is a club where rowers of diverse backgrounds in the sport and a wide range of abilities inspire each other through sportsmanship and friendship. The club welcomes new-
comers to rowing, and encourages all to join in the excitement and traditions of the sport. WBC offers Learn-to-Row and Learn-to-Scull rowing programs to enable all to gain confi-
dence and proficiency in a low-key learning environment.
