Words like responsibility, leadership, and empowerment are often thrown around these days as a matter of fact without any true understanding of their impact on the subject. Casey Bowler, Nicole Karwashan, and Maria Levano carefully picked those terms to describe their role as captains for the 2015-16 season and chose them with a great deal of thought.
“Regardless of the boat or event that we are placed in or whether someone is a freshman or a senior, the role of the captain is to empower everyone involved,” Bowler said about her selection. “I will communicate that everyone has an important role on the team and it is critical that each rower believe that their contribution is significant.”
Karwashan has a slight advantage since her role as coxswain already demands a sense of leadership in the water.
“Being a coxswain has taught me to take a leadership position both in and out of the boat,” Karwashan said. “I look at this upcoming season as a chance to teach the underclassmen how to do the same. I want to help the team continue to grow this year.”
Levano understands that there must be a blend of so many attributes in order for any individual to succeed as a team captain.
“I see my position as captain as one of great honor that comes with great responsibility,” Levano said. “A captain is an important member to any team. This person must have compassion and courage but also drive and dedication.”
Drive and dedication are at the core of any successful rower, providing the necessary strength and desire to pull deep during those final yards in a race. And teams with those two qualities are often the most successful which is why Fairfield could be in good shape when the MAAC championships roll around next May.
“The main goal for the team is to qualify for the NCAA championships in Sacramento,” Levano said. “In order to that, we must get first place at the MAAC Championship. The last three years I have seen this team come close to winning MAACs way too many times. This year, I don't want to be the team that came close to winning. I want to be the team with the gold medals around our neck, holding up the championship trophy.”
Fairfield does find success pretty much all season long, both in the Fall and the Spring seasons. The 2015 Fall schedule will send the squad to the prestigious Head of the Charles as well as one of the more competitive regional regattas like the Fall Metropolitan championships.
“Our most memorable race last year was the Fall Mets,” Bowler said. “This race was significant to me because it was our only 2k race in the Fall and we race with mixed boats. We always do well at this race regardless of the lineup, and it unifies us as a team.”
By experiencing success throughout 2014-15, the captains know that this is their opportunity to build upon their accomplishments and parlay those victories into even more success this year.
“I know I am not the first when I say that the 2014-15 season was a very rough one for the team,” Karwashan said. “As the spring season came close, I was able to stop and look at how far we had come. We went from individual rowers to a fast, driven, close-knit group of women. I am looking forward to strengthening this bond while gaining speed on the river this year.”
One of the reasons for that early spring frustration was the poor weather and water conditions that plagued all Northeast rowing programs in January, February, and even March last year. Ice seemed to form instantaneously whenever the crews braved the bitter temperatures.
“To be honest, I don't think I could have been more frustrated,” Levano said. “Being able to take that first stroke on the water after months of being on a rowing machine is one of the greatest feelings, but that sensation came very late in the year.”
With little choice but to endure hours indoors, the Stags made the most of those training sessions with the hope that that time would result in winning times during the spring.
“Although training indoors was far from ideal, it did have a large impact on our boat speed,” Karwashan said. “While other teams were able to get on the water and perfect their technique, we were able to stay on the ergs and get stronger. Our first race back on the water was an early, unexpected match up with Marist. We raced two races back-to-back with minimal time in between and won both races. After those races, we realized that if it wasn't for our time indoors, we might not have had the endurance and stamina to win both races.”
This year, it will this trio of seniors that will be responsible for making sure that indoor training and competing on the water will meet the expectations of the coaching staff as well as their teammates. And by working together, this year could be a memorable one for the program and fans alike.
“We have an amazing group of seniors and returning rowers who all want to keep our momentum going,” Bowler said. “Fairfield University will continue to gain strength, success, and achievement in and out of the water. We are truly all in the same boat.”
