Just one year ago, as ninth-graders, Caroline Hart and Olivia Maclean made their debut at the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships in the double event. At that time they had little technical skill, not a lot of fitness, and were completely new to racing at such a high level. Their natural strength and ability to pull hard was enough to qualify for the finals and finish sixth in the nation in 2010. This year, the girls took silver at the 2011 U.S. Rowing Youth National Regatta held in Oak Ridge, Tenn., June 9 to 11.
During the past year, the girls dedicated themselves to earning a return trip to nationals this year. They worked out six days a week, with only rare stretches of time off. As members of a small public high school rowing program with a focus on sweep rowing, Hart and Maclean do not often have an opportunity to scull. Their rowing time during the week is split between rowing in the Varsity Eight (sweep, with eight rowers and four oars on each side) and in the double (sculling, two rowers each with two oars). Time spent on perfecting technique is limited, compared to the girls they compete against at the National Youth Regatta.
The off-season conditioning work paid off. The Bromfield double was not only undefeated but was also unchallenged this spring season. As a result, one element of racing, performing under pressure, was one that the girls did not experience. Hart and Maclean progressed through the heats and semis with ease. In each of these races, they got out ahead as usual and controlled the pace from the front.
Over the first 1,000 meters of the final heat at the Oak Ridge regatta, the race unfolded as planned, with Bromfield in the lead but only by a small margin. Under mounting pressure from the competition, Hart and Maclean had to work hard to hold onto their position. The Y-Quad Cities and Seattle crews, who scull year round, were relentless and coming on strong.
Shortly after the halfway mark, the Bromfield duo faltered momentarily in their steering, shifting to one side of their lane, requiring them to make costly corrections. This was just enough of a window for the other two crews to sneak by. With 500 meters to go, the Bromfield crew found themselves solidly in third. Although they could easily have settled for bronze, their racing instinct kicked in. The girls threw everything they had into the final sprint, taking even the announcers by surprise in an astonishing finish to move past Seattle in the final meters of the race, garnering a hard-earned silver medal.
Coach Holly Hatton can only sing the praises of these two rowers, who were co-recipients of the Bromfield-AB Most Valuable Rower Award at this year’s team banquet. They have accomplished so much in the course of one short year. Coach Hatton says this year’s National Regatta was one of the most valuable learning experiences they could have had. She told the girls after the race, “A big lesson was learned today… performing well under pressure takes a lot of practice and it’ s what you do with disappointment that makes or breaks you as a competitor.”
Hatton will be seeking out faster boats to train and race against in the coming year. Meanwhile, Hart and Maclean have been selected to train at elite rowing camps this summer with the best rowers in the nation and are busy setting their goals for next year.
