The Crimson Blade - Vol 5 (FSJPR)

28
1 Fall Results Powerful & Light Athlete Becomes The Coach Upcoming Events Social Media CRIMSON BLADE THE WINTER 2015

description

Friends of St. Joseph's Prep Rowing (FSJPR) fifth edition of The Crimson Blade

Transcript of The Crimson Blade - Vol 5 (FSJPR)

Page 1: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

1

Fall ResultsPowerful & LightAthlete Becomes The CoachUpcoming EventsSocial Media

CRIMSONBLADE

THE

WINTER 2015

Page 2: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

A LETTER FROM JOE KIEFFERPREsIdEnT – FRIEnds OF sT. JOsEPh PREP ROwIng

honoring the Past ....Investing in the FutureIt has been 88 years since the Prep took its first stroke on the Schuylkill River. Along with count-less Flick wins, as a program we have amassed more Stotesbury and National Scholastics victories than any other high school program. The Prep have generated nearly 100 US National Team members, winning over 60 medals, including Olympic gold. As alums, we remain proud to be part of a program that has been continuously recognized as the leader in high school rowing. More important than the wins, Prep rowing has produced men with character, determination, leadership and fortitude that has translated to success in life. Prep Crew has produced Olym-pians, coaches, doctor, lawyers, engineers, priests, military leaders, teachers, artists, business and community leaders, politicians, and fathers. Undoubtedly, the time spent training and competing for the Prep has influenced every one of our successes.

Continuing the tradition, the Prep has produced solid results this Fall with strong finishes at Phila-delphia and Boston regattas. We are the strongest crew in the Philadelphia metro area and well placed nationally amongst other high school crews. Now the focus turns to ergs, weights and running. The boys are counting the days until they hear the cry of ‘hands on’ and they will be able to dip a blade in the chilly waters of the Schuylkill in mid-February. Winter training builds the mental toughness to win races in the spring. A special thanks to Coach Jim Glavin ’65 and his entire coaching staff for their time, energy in teaching the team the values of hard work, disciple, respect, humility and a winning drive.

Friends of St. Joseph’s Prep Rowing (FSJPR) continues to make an impact on Prep crew and poise our boys for success. Over the past year with have been involved in fundraising that has generated over $50,000 for equipment and supporting out lightweight eight in a trip to compete at USRowing Junior Nationals in California. Special recognition to the Class of 1984 and Mace Thompson ’57 for their financial support on equipment purchases.

The FSJPR mission is to create a formal social network which engages Prep rowing alumni/friends and encourages further interaction, in¬evolvement with the Prep, Prep rowing and fellow rowing alumni. Throughout the year we will provide communication via social media, emails and newsletters, and social events. We will also undertake preserving the legacy of Prep rowing and support and motivate current Prep rowers. For many of us, Prep rowing was some of the best experiences of our lives and provided a foundation for success in college and in life.

The FSJPR continues to grow and continue deliver upon its mission. On Saturday, November 29th, we gathered for our annual Alumni / Class Day regatta at the Prep boathouse, sponsored by FSJPR and the Parents of Prep Crew. Congratulations to the Class of 2012 and senior class (2015) for winning the Vince Dougherty ’49 trophy and mugs. There we over 200 people in at-tendance were we also recognized six Prep alumni / current rowers which represented the United States at world championships this past summer. Mike Gennaro ’07, Andrew Hakanson ’07, Lou Lombardi ’11, Matt O’Donoghue ‘10, Andrew Greubel ‘15 and Coach Colin Farrell ’01. All have been added to the Prep rowing honor board. At this year’s Alumni / Class Day regatta we

" Your loyal support is one of the reasons our boys go fast"

Page 3: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

3

also christen two double racing shells – the Gretchen & Joe McHale and the Joe & Harrison Kief-fer ’84 ’11. Both families have dedicated their talents and treasures over the past several years in supporting Prep Crew. A big thank you to Shawn Duff ’04 and the Prep parents group for help organized the event and keeping everyone well fed.

We continue to get our name recognized with FSJPR alumni entries at the Head of the Schuylkill with two entries. FSJPR alumni boats will entering various 2015 regattas, including the Phila-delphia Catholic League Championship (Saturday, April 26, 2015) and the Head of the Charles (Saturday, October 17, 2015-pending acceptance) and the Head of the Schuylkill (Saturday, Oc-tober 24, 2015). Please contact me directly if you are interest in competing or organizing any of these events. Our social media campaign has grown expediently over the last year with increased numbers in Linked-in, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter followers. This has allowed us to give everyone close to real time updates of results of Prep Crew and our alumni at the collegiate and national team level. A special thanks to Matt Glaeser ’02 and Harrison Kieffer ’11 for leading the charge in social media and Shawn Duff ’04 and Chris McElroy ’84 in leading the publishing the Crimson Blade. Being an organization that is only a few years old, we need your talents and treasure to help us continue on our mission. Please consider becoming a member of FSJPR, as we will launch our annual membership campaign in January. Your annual membership fee of $25 will help fund many of these events and initiatives. We have lots of ideas and we need more people to step up and take the lead. If you would like to become involved in FSJPR, please contact me at [email protected] or 267-228-1341.

Joe Kieffer ‘84President – Friends of St. Joseph Prep Rowing

Page 4: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

Inside The Issue

06 Powerful & Light

12 Fall Results

18 Athlete Becomes the Coach

The Crimson Blade caught up with two former Prep lightweights, Andrew Hakanson ’07 and Matt O’Donoghue ’10. Both went on to row lightweight at Yale University and both have also competed for the Unite States National Team.

This is the story of one impressive alum who was the first, and young-est Prep Crew alum, to become an Olympian. FSJPR caught up with Jim recently.

The Crimson Blade wanted to profile a Prep Crew alum who is currently coaching at the collegiate level. FSJPR was able to catch up with Colin Farrell ’01, recently to see what he has been up to and to understand his journey from Girard Avenue back to University City.

The Newsletter for Alumni & Friends of St. Joseph's Prep Rowing

Published 3 times a year

PresidentJoe Kieffer '84

TreasurerRick Wegryn '82

Membership ChairBob Protesto '04

SecretaryMatthew Glaeser '02

Crimson BladeChief EditorsChris McElroy '84Shawn Duff '04

FSJPR Governance BoardJoe Kieffer '94Rick Wegryn '82Matthew Glaeser '02Shawn Duff '04Kevin Kelly '72Harrison Kieffer '11Dan Kilpartrick '94Chris McElroy '84Nick Morinigo '82Jim Glavin '65Bob Protesto '04Tim Cullen '92Rob Giuntoli '86Matt Washlick '81

Page 5: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

5

Become a part of Prep crew legacy by providing a tax deductible leadership gift. In turn you will have the naming rights of one of our new racing shells. If you want to make a difference and for details of the giving levels, please contact the Coach Jim Glavin ‘66 ([email protected] ), Joe Kieffer ’84, FSJPR President([email protected] / 267-228-1341) or the Prep Alumni Office.

Create your Legacyand name a PrepRacing shell

Page 6: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

Page 7: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

7

POWERFUL& LIGHT

The Crimson Blade caught up with two former Prep lightweights, Andrew Hakanson ’07 and Matt O’Donoghue ’10. Both went on to row lightweight at Yale University and both have also competed for the Unite States National Team, Matt as an Under-23 Lightweight – Coached by Colin Farrell ’01, and An-drew as a Senior Team Lightweight in the Lightweight 8+. While Andrew has recently retired from rowing at moved back to the East Coast, Matt is training full-time with the USA Lightweight squad in Oklahoma City, OK.

Matt O’donoghue ’10

What is it like training and competing for the USA Lightweight squad?

MO: Training with the group in Oklahoma City is awesome. The facilities are great and we are lucky to have awesome coaches and support from the commu-nity. And being able to represent the United States is truly and honor.

Page 8: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

What are the goals you have set out to achieve?

MO: My ultimate goal is to represent the United States at the Olympic Games. In the short term, my goal is to make a boat on the senior national team and have another opportunity to race for the US.

When and how did you decide to make the com-mitment to training and competing for the USA?

MO: I decided to go for the national team while watching the London Olympics in 2012. My first step was to go for the Under-23 team in 2013 to see if I could compete at the international level.

Who are your greatest influences in rowing and why?

MO: I have been incredibly lucky to have such amazing people along the way in my rowing career. It started with Bill Lamb believing in me my soph-omore year, despite having the slowest erg score on the team. Then Colin Farrell '01 took a huge risk bringing me to Yale, again despite a slow erg score at the time. He also really helped me develop as a rower and show me what was possible with the right amount of focus and dedication. I was very lucky that he was my coach on the Under-23 team the past two years.

What is your most memorable rowing experience?

MO: My most memorable moment had to be when I raced internationally for the first time. When the polled the crews and I heard "United

States of America," it was a really proud moment for me.

How well did SJP prepare you for your collegiate and post-collegiate National team career?

MO: The Prep is the reason my rowing career has come this far. At the Prep I learned the mental toughness it takes to be successful in rowing. Also, the great rowers that had come from the Prep before me paved the way both at Yale and on the national team. There is a standard of excellence instilled in each Prep rower, and that is an idea that stayed with me long after graduating.

What are your fondest memories from SJP, rowing and/or non rowing?

MO: I had an amazing experience at the Prep. One of my fondest memories was winning Stotesbury my senior year, as I felt like that was a culmination of four years of hard work. But in general, my fa-vorite memories are of all the great times I had with my friends, guys that I still see every time I'm home.

Page 9: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

9

Andrew hakanson ’07

Page 10: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

Andrew hakanson ’07

What was it like representing the United States this summer in the Lightweight 8+?

AH: Going to the World Championships was a tremendous experience! It goes without saying that representing the USA is very exciting and an honor. I also came away with a newfound respect for the competitive landscape in the Olympic boat classes. Medaling in those events is absolutely ruth-less and unforgiving. Seeing it in person gives you a lot more perspective I think.

What was the commitment like training and com-peting for the USA Lightweight squad this past year?

AH: Training full time in the camp system is a big commitment, both physically and mentally. The volume is high and there are always expectations to perform at your best on a consistent basis. In 2014 we had a great group of guys with great coaching. From my understanding the group was a bit larger than previous years, which I think helps the cama-raderie and morale.

Who are your greatest influences in rowing and why?

AH: This is a hard question in my opinion. For me I don't think there is one or two people who have influenced my rowing career. Rather, it's all of the guys I've rowed with throughout the years. Sometimes your fellow peers are the ones that mo-tivate you the most. It's a competitive sport, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to throw down with teammates and friends through the years.

What is your most memorable rowing experience?

AH: No doubt, winning the 2011 IRA National Championship my senior year with the Yale Light-weights. It was a pretty epic race. We inched out a previously undefeated Harvard crew by .02 sec-onds. I'm most proud of that race because it was truly the culmination of pure teamwork from the athletes and coaches.

How well did SJP prepare you for your collegiate and post-collegiate National team career?

AH: SJP taught me how to pull really, really hard. And that goes a long way in this sport. If crushing hard erg workouts in the boiler room doesn't get you prepared, then I don't know what will.

What do you plan on doing after retiring from row-ing this summer?

AH: : I'm working for NBC Universal in New York City doing digital research for sports, Olympics and news. After Worlds it was great catching up with some friends and I'm looking to take up cycling soon. I have a lot of former rower friends who do it, and I hear it's a great transitional sport for us skinny lightweights!

Page 11: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

11

Thank you to all that donated to the FSJPR boat-house brick campaign. We raised over $10,000 to help fund equipment purchases for the Prep crew team. Bricks are still available for $350 / brick. Hon-or a coach, team mate, victory or preserve youlegacy at the Prep Boathouse by making a tax de-ductible donation to Prep Crew.

Each personal brick has up to 3 lines of text with 18 characters on each line. Brick are being offered for a donation of $350 / brick. Donations are tax de-ductible. If there are any questions, please contact Joe Kieffer ‘84, FSJPR President, at [email protected] or 267-228-1341.

Personalized BrickAt Robert GillinBoathouse

Name: _____________________________________________Email / Phone: ___________________/___________________Inscription: _____________________________ (18 characters / line) _____________________________ _____________________________Makes Check Payable to: St. Joseph’s Prep - memo: FSJPR Brickmail form and check to 1733 West Girard Ave Philadelphia PA 19130

Eddie Bauer '61Patrick J. Broderick '64

Paul DeVlieger '81Meg& Jeanne Dougherty

Shawn Duff '04Pete Farmer '61James Hill '66Gerry Jones

Joseph Kieffer '84Harrison Kieffer '11

John & Christine Kupcha '06Sean Lamb '92

Tom & Mary Lederer '74Michael Love '88

Donald Mangravite Walter Marter '63

Lynn McGrath P'03 P'07 P'12Edward McIntyre '59

Stefan Politz '91Audrey Schwenger P'16Timothy Sweeney '78Michael A. Walin '99

James Wholey '71

THAnk yOu FOR DOnATinGTO THE FSJPR BOATHOuSE

BRiCk CAMPAiGn.

Page 12: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

navy DayPhiladelphia, PASaturday, October 11th

Junior 8+1st LaSalle A 12:34.452nd LaSalle B 14:08.803rd PNRA/Mercer 14:16.406th St. Joseph’s Prep 14:35.9813th St. Joseph’s Prep 15:38.17 Junior 4+1st Radnor 14:47.702nd Eustace 14:58.293rd St. Joseph’s Prep 14:59.307th St. Joseph’s Prep 15:28.5611th St. Joseph’s Prep 16:00.38 29th St. Joseph’s Prep 19:11.42 Junior 4x:1st Navesink A 14:22.032nd Haddon Twp A 14:26.983rd Haverford School 14:33.5510th St. Joseph’s Prep 15:42.48

Varsity 8+1st PNRA/Mercer 12:56.882nd St. Joseph’s Prep A 13:22.663rd LaSalle A 13:27.2911th St. Joseph’s Prep B 14:38.98

50th Head of the CharlesBoston-Cambridge, MASunday, October 19th

Junior 4+ (85 entries)1st Sarasota Crew 17:26.252nd Old Lyme Rowing 17:33.693rd Radley College Boat Club 17:36.3931st St. Joseph’s Prep 18:40.26

Junior 8+1st Oakland Strokes 15:38.652nd Marin 15:39.933rd St. Paul’s School 15:40.5120th St. Joseph’s Prep 16:27.64 Directors Quad (36 entries)1st Narragansett 16:19.272nd OA Centers for Orthopaedics 16:27.443rd Cambridge Boat Club 16:38.4933rd St. Joseph’s Prep 20.02.30(Composite with Royal Shrewsbury Boat Club)

Fall Results

Page 13: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

13

50th Head of the CharlesBoston-Cambridge, MASunday, October 19th

Junior 4+ (85 entries)1st Sarasota Crew 17:26.252nd Old Lyme Rowing 17:33.693rd Radley College Boat Club 17:36.3931st St. Joseph’s Prep 18:40.26

Junior 8+1st Oakland Strokes 15:38.652nd Marin 15:39.933rd St. Paul’s School 15:40.5120th St. Joseph’s Prep 16:27.64 Directors Quad (36 entries)1st Narragansett 16:19.272nd OA Centers for Orthopaedics 16:27.443rd Cambridge Boat Club 16:38.4933rd St. Joseph’s Prep 20.02.30(Composite with Royal Shrewsbury Boat Club)

Head of the Schuylkill Philadelphia, PASunday, October 26th

Junior 4+1st Haverford School 15:31.912nd Montclair 15:41.333rd Norwalk River 15:51.517th St. Joseph’s Prep 16:12.6231st St. Joseph’s Prep 19.16.98

Junior 8+1st LaSalle 13:41.432nd St. Augustine 13:47.093rd Fordham Prep 13.50.6517th St. Joseph’s Prep 14:30.34

Varsity 8+1st New Brunswick 12:57.492nd St. Joseph’s Prep A 13:05.503rd Saugatuck A 13:16.469th St. Joseph’s Prep 13:30.8223rd St. Joseph’s Prep 13:52.60

Junior 2x1st Norwalk River 14:51.082nd Crescent A 14:52.403rd RA Rye 14:55.4043rd St. Joseph’s Prep 18:21.45

Alumni 8+1st First State A 13:13.822nd Ever Green B 13:38.613rd Temple 14:19.196th St. Joseph’s Prep A 14:47.7720th St. Joseph’s Prep B 15:35.10

ALUMNI 8+s Lineups

St. Joe’s Prep A (Class of 2002)(M. Quinn, M. Glaeser, J. kenney, T. Spell,

n. Garfall, M. Oyen, D. Coleman,M. Santoro, [C. koob])

St. Joe's Prep B(C.LaBletta, J.McFadden, P.Press,

B.McPhilemy, S.Lindsay, k.Abbey, M.Schiavo,M.Wachlin, [M.Bersani])

Page 14: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

50th Head of the Charles (Alumni)Boston-Cambridge, MASunday, October 19th Championship 8+:Mike Gennaro '07, USRowing: 4thLou Lombardi '11 Penn Rowing: 20thChris Henderson '12, Drexel University Crew: 22ndSteve Markham '12, Cornell University Rowing: 33rd

Lightweight 8+: Mike Lachant '11 & Colin Dabagian '12, Delaware: 4thEvan Kolodziejczak '11, Navy Crew: 11th

Lightweight 4+: Mark Connolly '13, Fordham Rowing: 14th

Lightweight 1x: Shane Madden '98: 11th

Collegiate 8+: RJ Schilgen '11 & Sean McBride '12, Delaware: 5thDean Hill '11, Xavier Stanish '12, Drexel 2V: 10th

Alumni 8+: Kerry Quinn '06, Cornell Crew: 10thCoach Sean Clark, Marist College Crew 32ndAndrew Hakanson '07, Yale Graduate Crew: 16th

Fall Results continued

Senior Master's 8+Peter Cipollone '89, and Coach Kaehler Coach: Penn. A.C.: 3rd

Senior Masters 2x:Chuck Crawford: Fairmount Rowing Associa-tion: 43rdFather/Son 2x: Joe '84 & Harrison Kieffer '11: Fairmount Rowing Association 8th

st. Joseph’s Prep Rowing2015 Racing Schedule

Page 15: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

15

st. Joseph’s Prep Rowing2015 Racing Schedule

Saturday, February 14 Center City Slam Amory West Philadelphia, PASaturday, February 28 Greenhead Sprints (tenative) Brigantine, NJSaturday, March 14 Jesuit Cup (selective boats) Cooper River, NJSunday, March 15 1st Flick (selective boats) Schuylkill River, PhiladelphiaSunday, March 22 2nd Flick Schuylkill River, PhiladelphiaSunday, March 29 3rd Flick Schuylkill River, PhiladelphiaSunday, April 12 4th Flick Schuylkill River, PhiladelphiaSaturday, April 18 Noxontown Regatta Middletown, DESunday, April 19 5th Flick Schuylkill River, PhiladelphiaSaturday, April 25 Catholic League Championship Schuylkill River, PhiladelphiaSaturday, May 3 Philadelphia City Championship Schuylkill River, PhiladelphiaSat-Sun, May 9-10 USRowing Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships Mercer Lake, West Windsor NJFri-Sat, May 15-16 Stotsbury Regatta Schuylkill River, PhiladelphiaFri-Sat, May 29-30 SRAA - Scholastic Nationals Mercer Lake, West Windsor NJTBD National Schools' Championship Regatta Occoquan, VA

Page 16: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

Although November 29, 2014 opened cloudy and as some may describe brisk, the rowing conditions were nothing short of perfect for the annual alumni/class day re-gatta. The festivities opened with a warm prayer from Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. '59 asking for God's grace and blessing for the team and our families. Coach Jim Glavin '65 then provided an update as to the status and recent successes of the Prep crew team. Through the generosity of our supporters, we had the pleasure of christening two new doubles; the Joe & Harrison Kieffer '84 '11, and the Gretchen & Joe McHale. The shells received a traditional baptism with "natu-

C L A s s d A Yrally" chilled champagne and we expect the boats to bring championship medals to many a Prep rower.

Joe Kieffer ’84, FSJPR President, lauded the accomplishments of five Prep alumni and one current student, who represented the United States in World Championships this past summer. The rowers, Mike Gennaro '07, Andrew Hakanson '07, Lou Lombardi '11, Matt O'Donoghue '10, Andrew Greu-bel '15 and Coach Colin Farrell '01, were presented with a bottle of with water from the finish line of the 2016 Olympics Row-ing Course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Joe

sEVEnTh AnnUAL

Page 17: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

17

acquired these during his recent round the world journey) and a desk plaque with miniature USA and Prep oars. Additionally, these rowers have had their names added to the Prep rowing honor board.

With the ceremonial aspects of the day concluded, the class day regatta began. The competitors for the 500 meter championship were determined by a series of heats. Although 500 meters is not con-sidered much of a distance, several of the older alumni (your correspondent included) appreciated Father Bur's appeal for grace and blessing as only a miracle prevented a major medical emergency. There were six current class boats vying for the right to race the alumni boat. The current senior class of 2015 earned that right. There were six alumni boat that raced. In the end, the finals pit-ted the Class of 2011, Class of 2012 against the Class of 2015. The race was tight but the Class of 2012 achieved victory and bragging rights for the coming year. Additionally, they were awarded the Vince Dougherty '48 trophy and commemorative mugs. Both the class of 2012 and 2015 received mugs and their class years emblazed on the trophy. Earlier in the day, the father / son double event was won by the Kieffer ’84 ’11 double over the We-gyrn ’82 ’13 and Villanueva ’83 ’12 crews. The day concluded with these awards and we look forward to the spring of 2015 and yet another successful year for Prep rowing.

Rob Giuntoli, '86

Page 18: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

Page 19: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

19

The Crimson Blade wanted to profile a Prep Crew alum who is currently coaching at the collegiate level. FSJPR was able to catch up with Colin Farrell ’01, re-cently to see what he has been up to and to understand his journey from Girard Avenue back to University City.

Colin Farrell ’01, who has been operating out of Penn’s boathouse for the past three years, took the reigns of the Men’s Lightweight program this past summer after guiding the U23 LM4- to a seventh place finish at the World Championships in Trakai, Lithuania.

Colin returned Philadelphia after a successful three-year stint as freshmen coach at Yale. Prior to that, he served as the Heavyweight Men's Rowing Intern at his alma mater, Cornell, during the 2008-09 season.

Colin was a three-time U.S. National team rower, win-ning a Gold Medal at the 2008 World Championships

in the LM8 after two previous trips to Worlds in 2006 and 2007 in LM4-.

Colin was a three-time letter-winner and two-time captain for the Big Red and graduated in 2005 with a degree in Psychology.

FSJPR: What was your student-athlete experience like at the Prep?

CF: I had a great student-athlete experience at the Prep. As a freshmen, everything felt so new as many of the classes were different, the lay-out of the days was different, and I had never rowed before high school, so that was a big change. I had always been an ath-lete and a student growing up, but the way things are done at the Prep is what sets it apart. I think that the program the Bill Lamb ran at the time was extremely competitive internally and I loved that. You never re-ally knew what to expect at a practice, but you knew that you'd be asked to focus, row hard, listen to the coaching, and compete. I certainly saw pretty quickly with Chuck Crawford, our freshmen coach, that if you didn't show up ready to go, that wouldn't be tolerated. I think both coaches wanted us to be at our best all the time, and by coming to practice each day, you start learning how to do that.

As I went through the four years, rowing really became a place for me to push myself and pursue excellence. I think that my teammates during that time felt the same way. The class of 2001 developed a special bond through all the work we did. As you go through the years, you start to see more and more that it is your team and that you can really shape things for yourself and your teammates. I don't exactly know when this happened for all of us, but things shift from you show-ing up and doing what the coach tells you, to the team internally driving itself where teammates are holding each other accountable for what the standard of the crew is.

Page 20: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

FSJPR: Please describe your path to your current po-sition and what you have learned along the way?

CF: After graduating from The Prep, I was recruited to row lightweight at Cornell. I spent four years there, then went to the National Team after graduation in 2005. While rowing on the National Team, I started coaching at Mercer Juniors rowing club in 2006. Af-ter completing my own rowing career in 2008, I spent one year at Cornell as the Heavyweight Intern. In the fall of 2009, I was hired by Andy Card to be the assistant coach of the Yale Lightweight Crew. I spent three years at Yale, then moved back to Philadelphia and became the Assistant Coach here at Penn. Af-ter 2 years as the assistant, I was promoted to Head Coach this past summer.

The things you learn along the way are too many to count. One great thing about the sport is that I haven't stopped learning since I started rowing at the Prep in 1998. It's just been a continual process where each year you pick up more and more. It does seem that everything always comes back to working hard, being a great teammate, and believing in yourself and others.

FSJPR: Can you inform our readers as to how many times you made appearances on the national team, and what were your results as a national team athlete?

CF: I was on the US National Team in 2006, 2007, and 2008. In 2006, I was in the Lightweight 4- and raced in Eton, England. That crew finished 9th. In 2007, I was in the Lightweight 4- which finished 11th

in Munich, Germany. We had also raced World Cups that year, in Linz, Austria, and Lucerne, Switzerland. In 2008, I was in the Lightweight 8+ which won gold in Linz, Austria.

FSJPR: Can you tell us of your journey during the training, selection/trials processes and experiences dur-ing world championships events and what you have learned during that time?

CF: The National Team process was a chance for me to see if I could pursue the sport at its highest level. The difference between the National Team and high school or college is mostly that there are fewer seats and the competition is even higher. The training process takes things to a whole new level coming from college. You really are a professional athlete where your training be-comes your life. Rowing is hard work and the coaches want to push you to the absolute limit of what you can handle. It's not that much different that what Coach Lamb was trying to achieve with us, but you are no lon-ger in school, so you're free to put the entire day towards your training.

Again, there are some moments that stand out over my time on the National Team. But I think what comes through more than any specific instant is just the feeling of being at the boathouse day in and day out, pursuing a goal with a small, motivated group, and working very hard for goals that are far away.

Page 21: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

21

FSJPR: How did your time at the Prep prepare you for your collegiate coaching, national team experiences and your other life's endeavors?

CF: For me, The Prep was a place where I really started to see what it takes to have a passion, pursue it, and suc-ceed in it. You find that through the daily life there. Not only do you need to find things that you love and ac-tively want to pursue, but you also need to work at them. It takes a lot of effort behind the scenes before you can have those special moments on race day. Because Prep has so many great students and so many great athletes, just putting in a mediocre effort doesn't really cut it. You learn that if you're going to keep up and eventually excel, you'll have to work

FSJPR: What memorable experiences do you care to share?

CF: In my senior year at The Prep, I was in the Light-weight 8+ and we won Youth Nationals in Cincinnati. Normally, when a race ends, you just come right back to shore and collect your medals and the trophy and all that. After that race though, we didn't come right back to the dock. We stayed on the water for just a few minutes and rowed off to a quiet spot to just sit. We just took a moment and said a few words to each other as a group that we really had something special and appreci-ated each other. It was a nice moment where a group of young men could just appreciate everything that had gone into a process and recognize not only their effort, but the effort of others around them. If there is one thing The Prep helped me find, it was the understand-ing of how to work to live your life to the fullest.

Page 22: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

National TeamAthlete ofthe Year

MIKE GENNARO

Page 23: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

23

MIKE GENNARO

Become A Member

DEAR St. JOSEph’S pREp ROwING AluMNI,

Friends of St. Joseph’s Prep Rowing (FSJPR) was born three years ago with the mission supporting Prep crew and to estab-lish a formal social network which engages the Prep Rowing alumni, parents, and friends. We provide communication via the newsletter and social media, organize social events, and preserve the legacy of Prep Rowing. The publications of the Crimson Blade, running of the social media pages, creation and updates to the National Team Honor Board, and running of the Annual Class Day Regatta (among others) are all tasked to FSJPR and funded largely through your Membership Dues.

Over its storied 88 year existence, Prep Rowing has become synonymous with success and has profoundly touched the lives of thousands. Please help continue to keep the Prep Rowing family moving forward. FSJPR has a very robust agenda for 2015, and beyond. Take the time today to establish or renew your FSJPR Membership for 2015.

BECOME A MEMBER

Page 24: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

Page 25: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

25

2014 FIsA ChampionshipAmsterdam, netherlands

2014 Under 23 ChampionshipVarese, Italy

2013 Junior ChampionshipTrakai, Lithuania

Senior 4- (2nd)

LTWT 8+ (5th)

Senior 8+ (3rd)

LTWT 4- (7th)

Coach

M. Gennaro '07

A. Hakanson '07

L. Lombardi '11

M. O'Donoghue '10

C. Farrell '01

Junior 4+ (11th) A. Greubel '15

Page 26: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

WINTER 2015

Search on: “Friends of St. Joseph’s

Prep Rowing” to join group

Olga AdeLeo Andreoli '63

Jeff Barker '75 P'01 P'05Nick Benetatos '96Kevin C. Beugless

Joe BraigJohn Bracken '83Dorothy Brown

Adelbert Campbell '59Brian Carter P'15

Henry Carroll '86 P'18Peter M. Cipollone '89Drew Coates '65 P'17

Kristin ConnellJere Crean '68

Edmund M. DelGuercio '01Joe Dever '86

Angela DiPrinzio P'15Joe Downs '92

John Edelman Sr.John Edleman Jr P'14

Joe Fallon '02Dan Fitzpartick '03

ThAnK YOUFSJPR would like to extend a SPecial thankS to thoSe who contRibuted

Financial SuPPoRt FoR the PReP'S lightweight entRy at the uSRowing JunioR national chamPionShiP in SacRamento, caliFoRnia. with youR helP, $10,000 waS

RaiSed to deFeR a maJoRity oF the tRiP'S coSt.

William Fox '03Dan Gallagher '90Rosemary HadlandMatt Harrison '14Bill Henderson '50

Jay Hill '66John Jaeger '82 P'17Jimmy Johnson P'15

Kevin Kelly '72Joe Kieffer '84 P'11Harrison Kieffer '11Dan Kilpatrick '94

Owen King '82Bob Madden '66Ron Madden '67

Courtney Malcarney '80Pat McDonald '01Chris McElroy '84

Paul & Michele McGuigan '83 P'11 P'13Jim & Mary McGinnis P'17

Lynn McGrath '03Charles McManus P'17

David Mulvery P'11 P'14

Mike Murphy '91Pat O'Brien P'16

Michelle O'Connell P'16Ted O'Connor '87Morgan Pape '57Zac Perlick P'17Sophia PryszlakJoe Quaid P'14Francis J. Raffa

Andrew Rice '03Brett Ryan '98

Audrey Schwenger P'16Karen Schaal P'17Tom Scwenger P'16

George Sigel '58Eric Sinclair '01

Brendan Stallard '03Jerome Stewart '59

Charles Sweeney '78Tim Sweeney '78Tom Welsh '95

Charmaine Williams

Page 27: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)

www.facebook.com/StJoesPrepCrewSearch on:

“Friends of St. Joseph’s Prep Rowing” to join group

get ConnectedThROUgh sOCIAL MEdIA wITh PREP ROwIng ALUMnI

In Memoriam

Over 440 visitors to our Facebook pages!

 

 

 

 

http://www.facebook.com/StJoesPrepCrew  

 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  

 

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-­‐of-­‐St-­‐Josephs-­‐Prep-­‐Rowing/298031736908147  www.instagram.com/SJPrep_Rowing www.twitter.com/SJPrep_Rowing

ARDMORE, Pa. - Ron lost his brave, year-long fight with prostate cancer on Nov. 2, 2014. Ron was born May 6, 1953. He graduated from St. Joe's Prep in 1971 and from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, in 1975.He moved to NH in 1980 and spent most of his career in the banking indus-try working for United Savers Bank and New Dartmouth Bank. Ron could be described as a Renaissance Man in that he had eclectic interests and was passionate about photography, gardening, reading, cooking

and child rearing. He was devoted to his daughters, reading to them nightly not just stories, but whole series beginning with Thornton Burgess' Animal Story Series through the Harry Potter series over the years.

Ron had a wide circle of friends that he met in high school and college. These same friends were there for him throughout his illness, taking him to medical appointments, bringing him food, visiting and in the end, nursing. Their support and love contributed to his quality of life immeasurably. His big personality will be sorely missed. He is survived by his daughter Katie, former spouse, Vivian, stepson, Michael, and is prede-

ceased by his daughter, Maggie.

Ron Pilot ' 71

Page 28: The Crimson Blade - Vol 5  (FSJPR)