Oct. 19, 2007
 
The Dayton Flyers women's rowing team will send its Varsity Eight shell to the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass. this weekend. UD is scheduled to compete in the collegiate eights on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET.

The Head of the Charles is the largest fall regatta in the country, attracting international teams as well as teams from across the nation. Last year the Flyers placed 22nd out of 57 in the collegiate event. For complete results of each race at the 43rd Head of the Charles Regatta, log on to www.hocr.org.

First-year head coach Derek Copeland will send out a mix of veterans and newcomers to the event. Seniors Nicki Bianco, Melissa Brandfass, Susan Leopold, Maria Otte, Lisa Pedevillano, and team captain Marcie Shockey mlead the way while freshmen Grace Doepker and Clare Hubbard complete the boat as UD looks to improve on last year's finish.

Freshman Caitlin Tencate will fill the coxswain seat and steer the tricky course for her first time ever.

"At first I was kind of nervous about the course, and about being one of the youngest girls in the boat," said Tencate. "But over fall break the other two freshmen and I really bonded with the seniors. I feel that we all get along so well and that the girls really respect me as a coxswain, despite me being so young. Their trust will make my job a lot easier this weekend."

The biggest challenge in such a high profile race will be generating team chemistry and a rhythm on the water. For the seniors, it's a matter of trust with a freshman coxswain.

"I think Caitlin is doing amazingly well for a freshman cox," said Pedevillano. "She gets along very well with the boat. She's also really into the whole race. She told me she has pictures of the course all over her room to study, and one she takes with her to class. She's really working on turns during practice, and I think she's going to do very well for us this weekend."

Luckily, Tencate already has some experience with turns. In high school Tencate coxed on the winding Chicago River with the Lincoln Park Juniors.

"It had it few turns...but not as much as the Charles does," Tencate said. "The Charles will definitely be the toughest course I've ever steered. I'm really excited."

Tencate, Doepker and Hubbard are just three of the eleven athletes recruited this year. Twelve new athletes have joined the novice team as well this year.

Head of Charles, now in its 43rd year, is the world's largest two-day rowing event. The race was established by the Cambridge Boat Club on Oct. 16, 1965 with influence of Harvard sculling instructor Earnest Arlett. Arlett proposed that a "head of the river" race similar in tradition to races held in his native England, be held on the Charles River.