It was a moment that the Fairfield University men's rowing program had waited for many years. It was a moment that spoke not only to the present, but also to the future. And, it was a moment that satisfied a goal that was on the minds of these Fairfield student-athletes since they first took to the water last fall when this crew began training for this very opportunity.

                The Stags will be sending their varsity 4 to the 2016 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) championships this weekend, an event which is considered the sport's national championship. This year's IRA event will include a Fairfield University entry for the first time.

                The crew will include senior Travis Day as well as sophomores Jack Santoro, Casey Fuller, and William Quentin. These four rowers, along with coxswain Kara Reese  captured the gold medal at the 2016 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championships, sending the unit into the weekend with a championship already on board. Reese will not compete this weekend but veteran coxswain Olivia Vita will step in with the experience to keep this boat in the running.

                Fairfield captured the MAAC title by beating out runner up Canisius College by more than 18 seconds. Iona College (7:20.82), Marist (7:22.16), and Manhattan (8:17.91) finished out the race. It was the first MAAC gold medal in the current MAAC regatta format which started in 2014, a team championship consisting of just two eights and a four with no doubling up of athletes.

                “That race (MAAC) meant everything this season,” said Santoro. “We all wanted that race more than anything. We were not going to settle for anything but a victory.”

                Day, the varsity 4's lone senior at the MAACs, waited for four years for the opportunity and took full advantage when the moment was available.

                “The water and wind conditions were especially rough, so we knew we had to have a strong start and stay relaxed,” Day said. “We aimed to lead by the time we got to 500 meters and simply handled the water better than this other crews. We had an open-water lead by the 1,000-meter mark and remained composed all the way to the finish.”

                That composure may have lasted throughout the race, but a feeling of euphoria took hold when it was time for the winning crew to step onto the podium for the gold medal.

                “I was in awe of what we'd done,” Day continued. “I knew we had to put in the work and were prepared to win, but we made it happen. It was an amazing feeling. Winning a MAAC championship is always on the agenda from fall to spring. Although we weren't able to take the overall gold title as a team, coming away with a program-first gold medal over Marist was a long-time goal that we achieved.”

                But like anything else, winning the MAAC race was not accomplished on that day, but rather in the weeks and even months prior through the program's dedication and discipline when it came to training.

                “We knew the race was won through the last nine months of training,” William Quentin said. “We overcame a lot of physical and mental barriers for that moment.”

                Now the crew turns its attention to the prestigious IRAs which takes place at Mercer Lake in central New Jersey, the same body of water that hosted the 2016 MAAC championships.  With the spring semester finished, the Fairfield varsity 4 crew has had more time to concentrate on preparing for the IRAs and feels confident that it will put its best effort forward as it competes against the best rowing programs in the nation.

                “Being able to stay together and continue the rhythm this boat has established is all part of the effort towards IRA,” Vita said. “With our coach Lucy McCarron being able to give us her undivided attention, we are fine tuning our strokes and gaining speed everywhere we can.”

                In addition to Coach McCarron's attention, the teammates also know that they need to continue the same work ethic that has led them to this point.

                “We just need to keep working hard,” Fuller said. “We know we've already done something that no Fairfield crew has done before so now it's just about not letting the training wear us down for the weekend.”

                For many crews, competing in the national spotlight can be overwhelming or even intimidating. That doesn't seem to be the case for the Stags, especially with the senior leadership from Day and Vita.

                “The IRA regatta is the top of the line for men's rowing,” Day said. “The men's four field is among the largest it has ever been with a wide range of schools competing.” We simply have to stay composed, confident, and lay down the best race possible. Nothing but our absolute best will do.”

                “We have to go for it,” Vita said. “We have nothing to lose but a lot to gain. Just having our name there is impressive but we want to create a standard that other Fairfield boats can follow. For myself and Travis as the seniors in the boat, this is a great way to end our rowing careers and it is a way for us to leave our legacy.”