Saturday, February 23
Orlando, FL
All Day
University of Louisville
at
UCF/Tennessee (Scrimmage)
Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics
Cardinals Prepare for Season in Unique Way
February 28, 2019 | Rowing
Louisville rowing uses specialized practicing to overcome Ohio River
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With the regular season quickly approaching, the University of Louisville rowing team headed south for a weekend training trip in Orlando, Fla. The Cardinals practiced on Thursday and Friday, before scrimmaging against Tennessee and host UCF on Lake Pickett at the UCF Intercollegiate Rowing Center on Saturday.
The Cardinals raced a varsity eight boat in multiple 1,500m pieces against the Knights and Volunteers. The trip also provided an opportunity for some of the team's Florida natives to compete in front of their friends and family.
The annual trip to Florida is one of many methods that the Cardinal's use to combat their lack of time spent on the water. With an often-uncooperative Ohio River and the nearest competition lake located over 30 miles away from campus, the Cards have still been able to field successful crews against more seasoned opponents.
"For everyone, the known issue here is the river," said head coach Derek Copeland. "Luckily, we have the resources to beat through those barriers."
The student-athletes train intensively at the G. Garvin Brown III Rowing Center in downtown Louisville, getting in quality meters on the ergometers, utilizing the indoor rowing tanks to improve technical components of their rowing stroke. The rowers also use sliders, a tool that connects the ergometers together and helps simulate rowing together on the water.
While off the water, the rowers enhance their strength and endurance by lifting weights and running the ramps and stairs inside Cardinal Stadium. Yet, despite these inventive routines, it is still important for the Cards to accumulate time on the water.
"This time of year, we always expect the river to be high, so being able to take the group to Orlando for a few days reaps a lot of benefits," said associate head coach Sheila Rinozzi. "It breaks up indoor training a bit and allows us to begin doing some on-the-water selection before our next training trip to Oak Ridge for spring break. It also gives us a chance to scrimmage with UCF and Tennessee. Having such a young team, its great anytime we can line up against another crew and race this early in the season."
Regardless of the challenges brought on by the river, the program has continued to build its reputation in recent years, highlighted by a third-place finish in the varsity eight race at last year's ACC Championships. For Coach Copeland, the unique conditions have bolstered the team and helped bring in similar rowers who buy into the program.
"Whenever there's challenges, you can either be down by them or get excited by them. So, we get excited by them," said Copeland at the team's media day in January. "If you're the grittiest girl you know, come row for us because you might be on the rowing machines for all of April. We've got the recruits we want, and they're resilient and we use it to our advantage."
The Cards will look to ramp up their time on the water before spring break, where the entire team will travel to Oak Ridge, Tenn. for a week of practices that will culminate in the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational on March 15-17.
The Cardinals raced a varsity eight boat in multiple 1,500m pieces against the Knights and Volunteers. The trip also provided an opportunity for some of the team's Florida natives to compete in front of their friends and family.
The annual trip to Florida is one of many methods that the Cardinal's use to combat their lack of time spent on the water. With an often-uncooperative Ohio River and the nearest competition lake located over 30 miles away from campus, the Cards have still been able to field successful crews against more seasoned opponents.
"For everyone, the known issue here is the river," said head coach Derek Copeland. "Luckily, we have the resources to beat through those barriers."
The student-athletes train intensively at the G. Garvin Brown III Rowing Center in downtown Louisville, getting in quality meters on the ergometers, utilizing the indoor rowing tanks to improve technical components of their rowing stroke. The rowers also use sliders, a tool that connects the ergometers together and helps simulate rowing together on the water.
While off the water, the rowers enhance their strength and endurance by lifting weights and running the ramps and stairs inside Cardinal Stadium. Yet, despite these inventive routines, it is still important for the Cards to accumulate time on the water.
"This time of year, we always expect the river to be high, so being able to take the group to Orlando for a few days reaps a lot of benefits," said associate head coach Sheila Rinozzi. "It breaks up indoor training a bit and allows us to begin doing some on-the-water selection before our next training trip to Oak Ridge for spring break. It also gives us a chance to scrimmage with UCF and Tennessee. Having such a young team, its great anytime we can line up against another crew and race this early in the season."
Regardless of the challenges brought on by the river, the program has continued to build its reputation in recent years, highlighted by a third-place finish in the varsity eight race at last year's ACC Championships. For Coach Copeland, the unique conditions have bolstered the team and helped bring in similar rowers who buy into the program.
"Whenever there's challenges, you can either be down by them or get excited by them. So, we get excited by them," said Copeland at the team's media day in January. "If you're the grittiest girl you know, come row for us because you might be on the rowing machines for all of April. We've got the recruits we want, and they're resilient and we use it to our advantage."
The Cards will look to ramp up their time on the water before spring break, where the entire team will travel to Oak Ridge, Tenn. for a week of practices that will culminate in the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational on March 15-17.
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