“ Nearly 300 people packed the MAC to cheer on all the rowers to the fnish – including Allan Belovarac, Ph.D., Mercyhurst history professor and a member and coach of the rowing team in its early years. Back in the 1970s, faces in the regatta crowds were mainly parents and girlfriends, he recalls. The EnduROWthon introduced hundreds of folks to the sport. ”
’ But a rower doesn t count faces in the stands. He looks within himself. He looks to his team.
“ ’ You re kind of a part of this brotherhood of the river – it s almost like being in a fraternity, Belovarac said. All of these guys for the rest of their lives cross a bridge or come to a body of water, and one of the frst things to come to their mind will be, That would be a great place to row. It gets in your blood. You never get out of it. ‘ ’ ’ ” “ ‘ ” Through donations, sponsorships and rafes, the EnduROWthon helped raise $5,300 for Project Kenya, the John C. Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation and the rowing team, as they travel nationally and internationally to compete.
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’ With a schedule that includes Penn, Columbia, Cornell and MIT, Mercyhurst mens rowing has achieved considerable success in recent years. In 2012, the mens varsity lightweight eight team fnished the campaign ranked 10th in the U.S. Rowing Collegiate Poll, and for the third consecutive year captured gold at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta. ’ ’ Achieving world record status at the EnduROWthon set the tone for this teams commitment to each other and to the sport of rowing at Mercyhurst. “It feels almost euphoric, said coach Adrian Spracklen ‘90. “I didn t know how I d feel when we fnished, because it s not a race. It s not a competition. But … I feel very proud. I feel proud for the rowers. I feel proud for the school – because we ve done something that no one else has done, and we did it at Mercyhurst. ” ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ”
EnduROWthon Team: Kevon Bridges Jake Schuppe Xavier Alexander Ivan Palikuca Sam Rouse Milos Veres Gary Loo Jonathan Blazevic
Marcin Osajda Dave Cullmer
So how far is 451,879 meters , anyway? Here are a few comparisons to help you put it in perspective: • More than 280 miles
• Nearly 5 times the width of Lake Erie • More than 21 trips around Presque Isle • More than 7 times the length of the Panama Canal • 4,118 football fields
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