Lessons overrode losses at the Pac-12 championships.
“We had a lot of quality wins against opponents from around the country,” said coach Previn Chandraratna. “Ultimately, we need to see more consistency and put it all together on the most important days.”
UCLA rowing’s (1-1) return to Dexter Lake in Lowell, Oregon, didn’t fare as well as its performance there two weeks prior, as the Bruins registered a seventh-place finish out of seven teams at the Pac-12 championships Sunday morning.
Senior port Jane DiLauro said it was difficult to push past history to earn a better finish than the program has in recent years.
“The biggest obstacle is believing that you can do something that you haven’t really seen done or occur in our program in a little while,” DiLauro said.
UCLA rowing hasn’t secured a top-three finish at the Pac-12 championships since 2012.
Chandraratna said the Bruins were up against strong competition this time around.
“The Pac-12 is the most competitive conference in the entire country, so it can be tough to crack the ceiling on it,” Chandraratna said. “But in addition to that, I think we didn’t have our best day.”
The Bruins’ varsity eight and varsity four both landed seventh in their races, while the second varsity eight finished marginally better at sixth.
According to DiLauro, the challenges she has experienced this season have shaped her perception of life.
“It will take years to even try to understand how grateful I am to have had this experience,” DiLauro said.
With an underclassman-heavy roster, the team’s main focus this season has been improvement.
“We had a lot of growth and development particularly out of a large group of younger rowers,” Chandraratna said.
The third varsity eight and novice eight both secured a fourth-place finish at the conference championships.
Chandraratna said the two boats stepped up to the plate Saturday.
“The third varsity eight and fourth varsity eight were certainly representative of the depth we’re building on this team, and it’s only going to improve in the coming years,” Chandraratna said.
DiLauro added that one thing the younger rowers should focus on in future seasons is the present.
“Set goals and plans, but always listen to yourself in the present moment,” DiLauro said.
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