Crew Heads to FSRA Sweep States Championship by Cadie Critchfield
As a final showdown for our Bulldog’s Crew team, the rowers race their boats for the last time in the 2024/2025 season, excluding those who go on to Nationals, at the FSRA Sweep States Championship. This is a chance to prove how much the 5 practices each week pay off. Knowing that this could very well be their last race of the season, it holds a lot of significance. This is what the coaches have been trying to prepare the athletes for since the beginning of school year, and even during the summer.
Elle Curtis, a junior, competed in Sweep States as a coxswain. A coxswain is someone who sits in the boat facing forward, and directs the rowers and steers the boat. A coxswain is responsible for the safety of the rowers, and the equipment. However, Curtis is always ready to rise to the occasion and take on that heavy responsibility gracefully. In the past years, Curtis has been given the opportunity to row a race as well as being a coxswain for a different race; however, Curtis said, “I prefer to cox at states rather than row. I get to use my strengths of focus and organization to support my team, even though I struggle as far as physical strength”.
Doing what she loves, Curtis brings the whole boat together and makes sure that they are proud of what they accomplished once they passed that red buoy- the finish line. “The feeling of working together to cross the finish line is a feeling like no other” said Curtis. Through time and diligence, the entire boat became family, and Curtis acted as the glue to that family. Curtis was ecstatic to be able to have a great showing at States again this year, just like she will strive to have in the years to come.
Caption: Juniors Ryan Erickson, Nick Horn, Liam Porter, and sophomore Owen King, row a 4+ at the FSRA Sweep States with Elle Curtis as their coxswain. Curtis’ job as a coxswain is a very difficult and demanding responsibility. “It’s such a mental challenge to stay focused when you need to be, to make the right calls at the right time, and have everything you need to support your team” said Curtis. As she leads her boat past the finish line, Curtis makes sure to keep her boat energized and in the zone through the very last stroke of their oar.