Cathedral Catholic has an extensive list of sports offered to students. From football to equestrian, no sport is left behind here. Crew is one of the newer additions to this list, and this year will mark the third year of the CCHS crew team.

After three years of hard work and dedication, the team is hoping that they will have enough experience to be a success this season.

“We’re going to do a lot better because we have a lot more experience,” said senior Conrad Staser, a coxswain for the boys team. “We’re getting a hang of things.”

Unlike other teams at Cathedral, the crew team is not always able to practice on the same area as they compete. The team doesn’t go out on the water every day to row in their boats. Instead, they use something called an erg, which is basically a machine that allows the team members to simulate the movements of rowing. The team typically goes out on the water three or four times a week.

As for competitions, called regattas, the team races on the water. In the fall, they race five kilometer distances, and in the spring, they race two kilometers. Senior Alex Vignau, a rower for the girls team, hopes to PR this season with a sub 7:40 minutes in a two-kilometer race.

In previous years, the teams biggest competitor was the San Diego Rowing Club (SDRC). Vignau anticipates that their regional competitor, the Oakland Strokes, will be big competition as well.

“Their programs pull from the whole country, not just one school,” said Vignau. “There’s about 500 kids per team competing for four spots in one boat, so it’s a lot more competitive.”

In general, coaches look for taller kids because they have longer strokes without having to use as much energy.

This year, the crew team has a new coach: Jenn Helssen, graduate of UC Berkley, home to one of the top rowing programs in the nation. “This season, our team is growing. The new coach brings a fresh perspective and focuses more on steady state and core strength. They are also focusing more on small boats rather than big boats,” said Vignau.

Vignau is an example that crew is a year-round sport. This past summer, she traveled over 7,000 miles to New Zealand to participate in the Sparks International Rowing Program.

“We worked out three times a day seven days a week. It was a combination of water training, weight training, and erging,” Vignau said. She said that she hopes all of the team’s hard work in the off season will pay off during regattas this year.

This season, the team plans on focusing their efforts toward endurance. “We’re focusing more on technique, getting better blade work and working up aerobic endurance and core strength,” said Vignau.

Just as in any other sport, crew is all about the team spirit.

“It’s as much independent as it is about the team. If one person is out of rhythm, it messes up the entire boat,” said Vignau.

The crew team eager is to win this season and, as Staser said, ready to, “crush the competition.”