By Nick Gasparro
Chula Vista, CA – The University of Washington Women’s Rowing Team (UW Crew) held a training camp at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center (CVEATC) from December 27 – January 1, 2023. During their stay, UW Crew will have access to our boathouse and lake, strength & conditioning center, dining services (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and our dormitories. A total of 31 athletes will be participating in the training camp, accompanied by five staff members. This is the second consecutive year UW Crew has spent their off season at the CVEATC, and we are excited to have them here.
Head Coach Yasmin Farooq will be spearheading the winter training camp. The 2023 season will be coach Farooq’s seventh season in charge of the UW Women’s Crew program. During her time at UW, coach Farooq has led the team to two NCAA National Championships (2017 and 2019) and was named the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association’s National Coach of the Year (CRCA) in the same seasons. Prior to taking the job at UW, Yasmin Farooq was the Head Coach at Stanford University for ten years. At Stanford, coach Farooq won the 2009 NCAA National Championship, the programs first, and went on to win the CRCA Coach of the Year award. The University of Wisconsin graduate is a two-time Olympian (92’ and 96’) and was inducted into the National Rowing Foundation Hall of Fame in 2014.
Head Coach Yasmin Farooq will be joined by four staff members:
- Gordon Getsinger – Assistant Coach / Lead Recruiter
- Allie Lohrenz – Head Novice Coach / Hometown Husky Recruiter
- Sam Greenblatt – Assistant Coach / Recruit First Contact
- Steve Mosher-Stockinger – Athletic Trainer
1969 was the first year of UW Women’s Crew in the modern era. It was initially a club sport, but became a varsity sport in 1975, improving the programs budgeting, travel, equipment, the ability to hire a full-time head coach, and were officially allowed to call UW’s boathouse, Conibear Shellhouse, home. UW Women’s Crew won the first ever NCAA Rowing Championship in 1997 and have reached the top of the mountain on four other occasions (1998, 2001, 2017 and 2019).
The 2021-2022 season was another successful campaign for UW, as they made it to the NCAA Championship and finished in fourth. Since the NCAA sanctioned the sport of women’s rowing in 1997, UW Crew has competed at all 25 NCAA Rowing Championships, has never finished outside the top ten, and has finished in the top five on 17 different occasions.
UW Crew recently competed in the Head of the Lake Regatta, winning the Women’s 8+ event, in November. The NCAA rowing season is in the Spring, however, during the Fall programs focus on team building, and improving physical strength and endurance. Fall is also the season of “Head Races” which are typically between three and six kilometers. Head Races are part of the foundation for the Spring season, building the rower’s endurance and mental toughness.
The CVEATC would like to wish The University of Washington Women’s Rowing Team the best of luck as they continue their preparations for the 2023 NCAA Rowing season and hope to see them for another winter training camp in the future.
To learn more about UW Women’s Crew, follow the link bellow:
(Pictures provided by UW’s social media)