Rowers “Power 10” for Junior Worlds

Four Deerfield students ventured to Lithuania and Spain this past summer to train and compete as members of the junior national and worlds development team. Four Deerfield students ventured to Lithuania and Spain this past summer to train and compete as members of the junior national and worlds development team.

After two weeks at the U.S. rowing selection camp, Claire Collins ’15, Rich Caputo ’14 and Grant Louis ’14 were selected to join the junior national team that competed in Trakai, Lithuania against other teams from around the world.

Collins was in the women’s 8+ boat, which finished 5th at the Junior Rowing World Championships. Louis was the coxswain for the men’s 4+ and Caputo was in the men’s spare 2- boat; however, neither of these two boats qualified for the finals.

Libby Murray ’14 also went to the training camp and made the world development team. She trained in Banyoles, Spain for ten days on the 1992 Olympics Course.

Rowing as a part of the junior national team was much more intense than rowing as a part of Deerfield’s team, according to the three rowers. “For example,” Caputo explained, “We had the time to practice twice daily seven days a week as opposed to once daily five days a week,”

In addition, “almost all of the girls at the camp were from club teams that row all year long. They basically live and breathe crew, so being around these girls you learn so much,” Murray said of her teammates.

Collins added that a drastic difference was rowing in a new boat with new coaches and teammates. “It was challenging yet interesting,” she explained, “to blend styles of many different rowers with all different experiences into one boat.”

Looking forward to this year’s crew season, Caputo, Murray and Collins said they will bring their new skills to Deerfield. Caputo said, “I will bring back the amount of speed it takes to compete at the worlds level in contrast to a national or regional level. Also, I hope our experience encourages other Deerfield rowers to compete for these spots next year.”

Meanwhile, Murray’s athleticism was shaped both physically and mentally. “My determination and maturity as an athlete have developed more than I could’ve imagined,” Murray said. “I’ve formed a bigger drive and focus from this camp that will keep me pushing for golds at New Englands.”

Upon reflecting on the experience, Collins said, “I met so many amazing people that I now look up to and admire. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”