By Jessica Bach
Daily Bruin Contributor
It will be a day of firsts for the women’s rowing team.
Their first race of the season. Their first season as a varsity
sport in over a decade. It is even the first time the novice women
have raced competitively.
After a winter’s worth of training, Saturday morning will
be the beginning of a new era for these Bruins when they face Long
Beach State.
“We are all really excited to see the season begin,”
varsity rower Michelle Adams said. “We will see where all our
hard work has put us at.”
The team preempted their season opener with last weekend’s
race against the Alumni but now they must face, for the first time,
a true opponent in the 49ers.
In reality, the women are not sure about the depth of their
strengths and look to Long Beach as a chance for a good
assessment.
“It’s a good starting opponent,” head coach
Amy Fuller said. “They are definitely not the strongest team
in the West but it’s a good measure as we have kept in the
race with them in the past years.
“The first meet of the season is always interesting,
because it gives you a true idea of we have and what they
have.”
The novice women have been working all fall and winter for this
weekend ““ a chance to showcase their talents.
“I am extremely nervous and excited,” freshman
Elizabeth Felter said. “We have all worked so long and so
hard and I have nothing but confidence in my teammates.”
Though excited for the novice squad, Fuller said the aim for the
weekend is to set up a game strategy for the rest of the
season.
“We are going to focus internally on ourselves,” she
said. “I just want to put together our 2000 meter race
plan.”
For the experienced rowers, they feel there is no added pressure
now that they are a varsity sport.
“Its not like an added pressure, just more support,”
Adams said. “There is so much support behind us we want to do
well for UCLA and the Athletic Department.”