April 3, 2008

If you had asked me about my future as an athlete at the beginning of my senior year in high school, I probably would have laughed in your face. Me? A Division I varsity athlete? You've got to be kidding. I had inquired about collegiate rowing the summer before my senior year, and the responses were all the same: "You're not tall enough." "You're not fast enough." "You're not strong enough." If they could only see me now...

Fast forward one year and months of seemingly endless training and here we are. There is nothing that can match the sheer excitement and adrenaline rush that comes with pushing your body past any and all physical limits. All the hard work we put in was finally becoming a reality. The Murphy Cup had virtually doubled in size from the previous year, and there was something almost more intimidating in competing against rival Navy for the first time than racing the No. 2 team in the country (Virginia) the weekend before. This was an opportunity for a sneak peak at the competition we will surely see again in three weeks when we compete at the Patriot League Championships, and this team, we're all about seizing opportunity.

The varsity eight final was one of the last races of the day, and the excitement of watching all of our other boats dominate on the water just furthered my eagerness to compete. So when the nine of us sat ready at the start, with Navy in the lane to the left and Coach Kish eagerly waiting to follow us down the 2,000-meter race course on his bike, we couldn't have been more ready. Something peculiar happens to a boat during a race. Instead of nine individuals, we become one single entity. Senses are heightened inside the boat's realm of focus. Every position of the body, every catch, every drive must happen as a unit. There is no room for error. The focus became so overwhelming that I literally forgot that there were boats around us. I heard nothing but the sound of water rushing against the side of the boat and Jeweliet's (Yost) voice urging us forward. Then we hit the 1,000-meter mark and the noise from our team's tent was explosive. 750 to go. 500 to go. The meters kept rushing by in a haze of extreme determination and unwavering strength until we crossed the finish line...victorious.

There was something different about receiving my first gold medal as a member of Bucknell Women's Rowing that I had never felt in my last four years as a rower. Standing there with such an amazing and talented group of women, in front of my parents, and two of my previous coaches, who now coach for Duquesne University, was such an unforgettable feeling. And to think, this is only the beginning.

- Carol Schoenecker '11