A Worthy Exchange: Queens Varsity Visits Newport Rowing Club!

by Roxy Capron

During the last weekend of September, the Row New York Queens program hit the road to visit Washington College and take part in their annual exchange with Newport Rowing Club in Wilmington, Delaware.

First stop: Chestertown, Maryland! After a warm welcome from Washington College head coach Mike Davenport and assistant coach Allison Murphy, the girls attended a Q&A session about college athletics and academics. There they gained powerful insight into what it takes to be successful in college, both as a student and as a rower. Then the “Shorewomen” rowers led our ladies on a campus tour culminating in a tasty cafeteria lunch. After such an enlightening and entertaining trip, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a Row New Yorker on the roster one day!

Then the Queens girls headed to Newport Rowing Club in Delaware for a change of scenery and culture. It was so much fun to get away from the buzz of the city for a weekend and soak up the last of the summer rays! First-timers made new friends and program veterans reconnected with ones from past exchanges. For everyone, this was a valuable opportunity to understand and appreciate the similarities and differences of our respective rowing programs – and our respective bodies of water. Unlike here in the city, there’s no need to spin your boat around on the lengthy Christina River!

But you don’t have to take our word for it – let’s hear from the girls…

Emma Parsons:
The visit began inside a classroom, and included a geography test – with a bonus spelling quiz – and the Washington coaches were asking us as many questions as we asked them. It was an information session on both sides, and the coaches did not try to sell Washington College, or college rowing in general, but merely attempted to make our visit as enlightening as possible. After the classroom experience, several rowers from the Washington College women’s team split us off into groups and led us on tours of the campus. The tours met up at the dining hall, where the college provided us with a ridiculously good lunch. Our day at Washington College ended with a trip to the rowing team’s boathouse (and several secrets about rowing that could not leave its doors!) Coach Davenport and Coach Murphy were generous and enlightening, and we are grateful for the knowledge and kindness they shared with us. It is good to know that Washington College has not just two wonderful coaches, but also two amazing hosts.

Nicole Doyle:
We took a campus tour and discussed both the academics and rowing team at Washington College, which was an awesome experience and all of the girls seemed to enjoy the visit. Then we all got back in the vans and drove to Newport! We got into mixed lineups with the girls from the Newport team and got to know each other a bit more. Afterwards, we were all paired up with another rower to spend the night at their house. I was paired with Gabby Argo, and we ate dinner at another teammate’s house and exchanged amusing stories about our rowing experiences. Newport rows on the Christina River, which is much longer than the lake at Flushing Meadow Park – so many stories included very long and dragging pieces. I am sad to say that I am a senior this year and will not be able to attend the exchange next year because I, and everyone else on the Queens Varsity team, had a great time with Newport Rowing Club and we really enjoyed the trip.

Shannon Fegan:
Coach Davenport asked us a lot about Row New York, and we asked about Washington College. We met some of Washington College’s rowers and they showed us around the beautiful campus. The tours ended in the dining hall where we were treated by Washington College for lunch. An hour later we arrived at Newport Rowing in Delaware. We were greeted so nicely by the Newport girls. Afterward, we rowed in mixed lineups and got to know the girls a little more. After we rowed, the varsity girls got paired with a host family. We ate dinner and shared funny rowing experiences. This is my first time doing the exchange at Newport, and I am ecstatic for next year!

Harsha Paliya:
We discussed what we do at our Queens boathouse and got to learn about the campus. We got to learn about the way college athletes handle school and rowing and maintain a high GPA. After the college visit, we drove back to Delaware and got to row with the Newport girls and discuss the way things work over there. What was interesting to know was the body of water they got to practice on, which was a step up for us Row New York girls! The Newport girls were also great hosts to us by having us all together for dinner and discussing our stories amongst each other. This was a great experience for me, and I am looking forward to doing this next year along with building experiences as well as relationships!

Kristal Rendon:
The whole team and I were excited for our road trip there. Before we went to Newport Rowing Club in Delaware, we visited Washington College in Maryland. We were welcomed by the head coach of the women’s team. We talked about rowing and schoolwork. He also gave us a tour of the campus as well as their boathouse. After saying goodbye and thank you for the college tour, we drove to Delaware to row with the Newport Rowing Club. It was nice to see them again since the spring. Right after saying hello, we went out for a nice short row. I then was welcomed into the home of a Newport girl named Catherine. The next morning we did a nice long 5k piece on the water. It was nice to row on a new body of water. After we docked and put all of our boats away, we had an amazing breakfast made by the Newport Rowing Club. I had an amazing overall experience and I am definitely looking forward to next year!

Row New York would like to express our most sincere gratitude to the generous coaches and athletes at Washington College and Newport Rowing Club!

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