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Lure of scholarships fuels rowing clubs

Opportunities for female rowers abound in an uncommon sport.

Northmont valedictorian Ashley Trick (second from front) practices with her Greater Dayton Rowing Association mates for upcoming national competition.

Jan Underwood Northmont valedictorian Ashley Trick (second from front) practices with her Greater Dayton Rowing Association mates for upcoming national competition.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Swollen river hampers training for rowers

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By Marc F. Pendleton, Staff Writer Updated 11:33 PM Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Competitive rowing is playing catchup to all the major high school and collegiate sports. But it has one big-time advantage: If you’re female and you envision landing a college athletic scholarship, take a seat and grab an oar, because this sport could be for you.

“Because of Title IX, universities use rowing to cancel out football scholarships,” said recent Vandalia Butler graduate Lauren Tharp, who’ll attend the University of Notre Dame on a rowing scholarship this fall.

“There is a lot available for girls, but because it’s not that notable of a sport. If you can get in the sport and you’re fairly good at it, the opportunities are there.”

Tharp will be part of three Greater Dayton Rowing Association boats that will join two Dayton Boat Club entries in the spring season-ending U.S. Rowing Youth National Championship at Oak Ridge, Tenn., this weekend.

The event annually draws the nation’s best clubs for boys and girls in grades 7-12 — about 1,500 participants — who’ll compete for national titles in 18 classes.

The two local rowing clubs draw students from throughout the area and compete year-round in spring, summer, fall and winter seasons. Racing distances vary — depending on season — from 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) to the Olympic distance of 2,000 meters.

Both the local clubs train on the Great Miami River. Races — called regattas — often are held on lakes.

All the area national qualifying boats advanced by placing among the top three in their divisions at the Midwest Junior Rowing Championships near Cincinnati last month.

Interest by default

Few athletes grow up wanting to be a rower, at least in the Midwest. Traditionally, the best rowers and clubs are located on the coasts, simply because of the abundance of available water that lends itself to events and stirs visual interest.

“Definitely, they’re the ones up in front at the end of the day,” DBC coach Matt Szozda said.

Tharp and DBC standout Maggie Switzer, a senior at Chaminade Julienne, are like a lot of converted rowers. Each envisioned excelling in another sport.

An ankle injury derailed Tharp for basketball and cross country. Switzer’s volleyball career “didn’t really work out. I grew up playing soccer and volleyball. I didn’t even know what rowing was.”

Steered to rowing by a physical therapist, Tharp immediately took to the grueling workouts and excelled at pushing her body to its 6- to 8-minute limit. With the start staggered, racing often is against the clock as much as against a rival boat. And the faster the better.

“We always joke that the pain really hits in as soon as you cross the finish line and your mind has a chance to catch up on what just happened,” Tharp said.

Said GDRA coach Alex Walters: “There’s not a word to describe that.”

Switzer was enticed as a freshman after overhearing talk about the two clubs. But it took some adjusting.

“I’d been canoeing before, but everything was way different,” she recalled. “I thought, ‘Why am I so bad at this?’ I just had to learn. By that spring I was totally hooked.”

The endless regiment of upper-body exertion is noticeable.

Said Switzer: “People have made comments to me about my Michelle Obama arms.”

Recruiting draw

Although not a glamour sport, the available college scholarships have helped spark interest in rowing. Four of Tharp’s GDRA teammates also have landed NCAA Division I athletic scholarships. Uncommitted, Switzer likely will go D-I, too.

Because its participation numbers are low compared to other sports such as basketball, volleyball and soccer, it’s easier to land a scholarship.

“That does a lot of the recruiting for you, so to speak,” Walters said.

Said Switzer, “Even if you’re not good at rowing, you still can get recruited because it’s so uncommon.”

At 5 feet, 10 inches, Tharp is at the short end of an ideal female rower. College programs favor women from 5-10 to 6-2. Stamina and strength are musts. Plus, it helps to “be a bit of a perfectionist,” Tharp said.

“I wish I would have gotten started in it sooner, but you gotta take life with the punches and I’m just fortunate that I got in it at all.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.