Rowing's Ten Eyck Leads Blossoming Squad
Team captain helps Irish stroke toward goals.
Dec. 20, 1999
by Gene Brtalik
By definition, a captain is one who showcases both leadership and
experience. Most teams have their captain selected through the democratic
process of voting. Teammates look for the person who will lead them in the
right direction and also one who has showed the ability to lead during
previous years. Last spring when it came time for the women's rowing team
to select the captains to lead them into their season one odd choice
appeared on a majority of the ballots - Katrina Ten Eyck. What made Ten
Eyck the right choice to lead Coach Martin Stone's blossoming program?
Was it the fact that she had vast experience? Well, not exactly,
Ten Eyck only started rowing as a junior in college when she finally had
enough time to compete in Notre Dame's newest varsity sport.
Maybe it had to do with the rowing tradition surrounding her family
and that she comes from a long line of great rowers and scullers who were
instrumental in putting the sport of rowing on the map? Once again this
was not a primary reason behind the selection, because as Stone put it,
"I am not sure if her family history is well known amongst the team."
Maybe while growing up she learned about the sport and was
intrigued by it? Ten Eyck is actually from Keystone, S.D., while rowing is
still sculling through the Midwest.
Well then it must be that she is the coxswain or leader of her
individual boat? Nope, Ten Eyck is just one of eight rowers in Notre
Dame's Open Eight boat.
So then why did the team choose Ten Eyck as its captain?
"I think it was because I reach out to all the girls," stated Ten
Eyck. "I unify all the personalities, and I tend to be neutral on team
decisions."
"The team elected her as captain because they have an all around
respect for her," Stone added.
Now that we know why Ten Eyck was elected captain we need to figure
out how she got to that spot. She started rowing at the beginning of her
junior year at Notre Dame. Ten Eyck was a natural when she sat in the boat
for the first time, she knew what to do and how to do it.
"I think it was my body type and structure that attributed to the
fact that I was able to pick it up quick," said the 6-foot senior.
"She is a natural rower with good size and power," Stone added.
Contrary to popular belief, rowing teams look for taller rowers who
will be able to muscle the boat as opposed to the smaller rowers who will
help the boat glide easily on the water. Look at any of the top-ranked
teams and you will find the smallest rower is the coxswain, and that is
because they are the guiding force and their size and power does not mean
much. On Notre Dame's rowing team, you will find Ten Eyck situated in the
top Open Eight boat with her oar held tightly in her hands.
Ten Eyck will be the first to admit that her technique may not be
the best, but that is mainly ddue to inexperience. After spending most of
the fall of 1998 with the novice or junior varsity team, Ten Eyck powered
herself to the top proving that her technique wasn't as rusty as she
thought it was. One reason for the improvement in her technique was the
practices Stone ran throughout the year. Stone would put the girls through
a rigorous practice each day often sending them home tired and wondering
why they choose to participate in this sport.
"The practices helped develop our mental strengths, it made us feel
that we could deal with anything," stated Ten Eyck, "Coach demanded high
performance out of us at every practice, and those practices helped toughen
us."
The practices did pay off though as the Lighweight Eight boat was
ranked amongst the top 15 last year, and the fact that many of this year's
practices have been technically better than all of last year's combined in
the eyes of Stone.
Ten Eyck, who is one of seven siblings, isn't the only member of
her family to row. Her great grandfather was a highly regarded coach who
is cited as helping organize rowing on the collegiate level while he was at
Syracuse University. When her great grandfather wasn't organizing rowing
events, he was busy instructing Katrina's grandfather, Edward, who is
viewed as the greatest sculler in history as he went undefeated. Today,
there is an award named after him given to the best men's rowing team in
the land.
Although, neither one of her descendants played a big role in her
decision to row, one person who does is Jesus. Walk past her room and one
will notice the vivid Catholic imagery displayed on her door and bulletin
board. Ten Eyck contemplates daily a life serving God as a nun, although
she has not made a final decision on that but her personal goals revolve
around serving God and the church.
"I row for the glory of God and that everything I do is out of love
for God," Ten Eyck proudly states.
Aside from having her goals, Ten Eyck has team goals as well.
"I want the team to succeed," Ten Eyck said. "I also want so see
the novices enjoy rowing and continue to improve and the varsity to grow
stronger." Above all personal and desired team goals, the entire rowing
team selected as their number one goal to represent Notre Dame in
everything they do."
To represent Notre Dame to the fullest maybe the number one goal of
all team members, but Ten Eyck also agrees that the team wants to see the
sport grow as a whole. Early on, the sport was featured throughout schools
on the East Coast, but recently the sport has spread to the Midwest, the
South, and some Western schools adopting the sport as their own. The BIG
EAST Conference boasts nine school that host varsity teams, while Midwest
schools such as Purdue, Minnesota and Iowa all have rowing programs as well,
For now though, the sport is new to Notre Dame and one of its
captains may not have a lot of experience or perfect techinque, but they do
have someone to reach out to and unify their personalities and continue to
lead them to the next level. That person is Katrina Ten Eyck.
