Issuu

THE

PULLHARD A COUGAR CREW PUBLICATION

2020, ISSUE 3 AUTUMN

L DE L N SI FA IO T IN E DI H E T

FALL 2020

THE PULL HARD

WSU COUGAR CREW

Meet the Seniors

Recruitment in the Pandemic

Premier Rowing League

Inside Look: Henry McRae

Facilities Check-in

Ergathon

Alumni Spotlight

5th Years â€” Unfinished Business

Boat Dedication

Congrats Cougs

Power10 Update

Planned Giving

Behind the Pull Hard cougarcrew.com

S E N I O R2021 S MEN’S COMMODORE

Henry McRae

Sammamish, WA Sport Management with a minor in Communications

I’m one of the few rowers to come to Cougar Crew with previous rowing experience. I started rowing as a senior in high school at Sammamish Rowing Association and had an incredible experience which I wanted to continue in college. When I was researching colleges as a senior, I discovered that WSU had rowing and that they rowed in one of the most beautiful places in the country. I was sold and knew that WSU was the place for me. Rowing has helped mold me into the man that I am today by teaching me life lessons that I’m not sure I could have gotten any other way. One thing I will miss most about the team is my teammates, they are my closest friends and individuals I respect dearly.

WOMEN’S COMMODORE

Sabrina Amundson

Clifford, ND Human Development, Pre-PA

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I first learned about Crew during Week of Welcome my freshman year, though I ended up joining the Equestrian team instead. After two years of that, I decided that I missed being around a team atmosphere and missed working out. I reached out to Hugo Moon, the Women’s coach at the time, and went to my first practice in January 2019. It was the best decision that I ever made and led to some amazing friendships. My first time on the team has been a rollercoaster of learning experiences. Due to weather, the first time I got in a boat (8+) was Spring Break 2019, and went from my first row to my first 2K race in a 4+ within a week. Many of my favorite memories have been joking around with my teammates and coaches and the van rides to and from the boathouse. Rowing has taught me how to be resilient and work hard, and I’m going to miss traveling to races and seeing our hard work pay off. Go Cougs!

FALL 2020

Nathan Budke Men’s Vice Commodore

Spokane, WA Marketing with a minor in Business Economics

I was convinced to give rowing a try during my graduation weekend of high school. I ran into Daniel Korus, a guy I looked up to on the crosscountry team when I was an underclassman, at a grad party. At the time, he rowed for WWU and after catching up he told me I should check out the rowing team at WSU. He threw a couple of pitches that didn’t quite land, but then he said, “How would you like to gain the freshman 15 in muscle?” I was 6’3” and 160 lbs.; that sounded pretty good to me. Joining Cougar Crew has probably been one of the best decisions I have made. It has taught me how to persevere through hard situations and has given me feelings of satisfaction deeper than anything else I have experienced. I got to race in the Grand Final at ACRA with the Novice 4+ my freshman year, raced in the Varsity 8 as a sophomore, and won Daniel Korus’s tank off his back at Covered Bridge. In my junior year, I watched with my teammates as the world grounded to a halt weeks before spring racing started on account of the Corona virus. What I can say for sure is that the lessons crew taught me have prepared me for whatever this spring will hold and have set me up to make the most of life after graduation.

Anne Spellman Women’s Vice Commodore

North Bend, WA Kinesiology, pre-PT

I never knew that during my time at WSU I would have joined Cougar Crew. During my freshman year, my friend Kelly made me join her at a rowing practice. I had never touched an oar or even seen an erg before coming here. But after the first week of trying out, I grew to love the sport. I have never been in a sport where it is 100% a team sport, where you need everyone in the boat to work together. Within the first week of being on Cougar Crew, I felt at home. There was a competitive nature that pushed you to work harder and to be faster than the previous day, but you could also feel your teammates’ support when you needed it. I have had so many great memories and friends through Cougar Crew. From early morning rows on the Snake, to my first ever 2K in the spring. My favorite memory is going to ACRA in 2019 and taking 2nd in the WV4+. All of the training we’d done to prepare for that, and to take home a medal was something from a dream. I will always cherish those early morning van rides down to the river and those friendships I have made, those bonds are unbreakable.

Jacqueline Penner I first heard about crew from Sabrina, one of my sorority sisters who was on the team. After some encouragement and meeting some of the other of the girls on the team, I decided to try out. I was uncertain about joining at first as I was a junior, so I initially gave it two weeks. I quickly realized how this amazing team was the thing I was looking for and I wished I had joined sooner. I feel that this team is more than just the sport, it has given me new friendships, improved work ethic, and life skills.

Sunnyvale, CA Human Development

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RECRUITMENT PANDEMIC IN THE

From Men’s Commodore Henry McRae

efore I can even address the question of what recruiting looks like in a pandemic, I feel like it’s important to give a brief snapshot of what recruiting is like in a normal year. Every summer there are 15 – 20 WSU ALIVE orientation sessions, where the team has the opportunity during the three-day orientation to recruit for about an hour during a club fair session. In a normal year, this is where the majority of Cougar Crew’s recruitment is done. The team will typically have four to eight guys join the team who have previous rowing experience, then about 50-80 show up to the first meeting who have been talked to at ALIVE.

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The team heading into the year had already planned on modifying how recruitment was done, but due to the ongoing pandemic recruitment had to be completely changed. WSU made a decision for fall semester that all freshmen, unless they had extenuating circumstances, were asked to stay home for the semester. This meant there were less than 1000 freshmen on campus, in a typical year there are usually 5,000. This made recruitment efforts very challenging. Due to COVID, all of the ALIVE orientation sessions were moved online, what this meant for the team was that access to freshmen was extremely limited. The current officer corps decided to drastically change how recruitment was done for year. The result was a “Recruitment Week.” This shifted the majority of the team’s recruitment efforts for the year to the week leading up to the first day of fall semester. During this week the team put a heavy emphasis on tabling at any location freshmen spent a significant amount of time, targeting locations like the Rec, Southside dining hall, and Northside dining hall. On average the team would spend six to eight hours tabling at these locations every day, aiming to recruit new students to come and give rowing a try. The next big push during the week was a social media attack plan that was put into play. Due to all of the ALIVE sessions being pushed online, all of the orientation groups were moved to Instagram. Since the orientation group

the orientation groups were broken up by orientation leader, this allowed for the team to have access to every single freshman who was planning on attending WSU this upcoming year and their Instagram handle. Every day during Recruitment Week the team had 5-6 recruiters sending direct messages to freshmen, talking to them about the team and whether they were planning to be on campus for the upcoming semester. Currently, there are 16 novices on the roster. Eight are training in person and eight are training virtually online. Select novices that are able to hit performance standards are invited to participate in certain workouts with the varsity team. Novice Coach Devon McCornack is currently in communication with the eight novice that are doing virtual workouts. The novice that are training virtually participate in weekly zoom calls with Devon and are sent workouts to complete and report scores back to him. As Commodore I am proud of the effort the team put fourth during the week. At times it was extremely challenging, tabling for hours and hardly talking to any freshmen, but every day there was good effort and attitude. The team is still actively using direct messaging to reach new freshmen. — Henry McRae ‘21

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PREMIER ROWING LEAGUE A New Front in Competetive Rowing

Editor’s Note

As a coach I was aware of The Rowing Premier League that launched this year, but knew next to nothing about it beyond that it was an avenue of competition for rowers in the absence of traditional racing. I reached out to Nichole Martin (’11) for more information since she has been directly involved as a coach. Nichole then spoke with Alex DelSordo, the president of Rowers Choice, the organizing body behind The Premier League. Below you will find, in Alex’s own words, the structure, goals, and overall mission of The Premier League and how Rowers Choice hopes to change the landscape of rowing across the country.

Rowers Choice is Changing the Future of Rowing

ue to the COVID Pandemic and the worldwide health concerns, Rowers Choice decided it was time to launch the first ever semi-professional rowing league to save the sport of rowing. College teams, high schools and clubs around the world are shutting down their rowing programs. Most recently programs like George Washington University, Stanford, and Dartmouth have cancelled their men’s rowing programs forever. The future of rowing and its popularity among the general public was bleak. The IOC (Olympic governing body) has indicated to rowers around the world that the future of the sport at the Olympic level is not secured due to the lack of audience. The leaders at Rowers Choice felt a level of obligation to save the sport they love. At the beginning of September, they launched the first-ever semiprofessional rowing league: The Premier Rowing League.

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The Premier Rowing League brings rowers, Crossfitters, and other athletes from various backgrounds across the country together to compete in a 9-week regular season and 3-week playoff. Made up of three age categories; Under 19, Elite 19+ and master’s 40+, the league is divided into 10 teams representing an Eastern and Western Conference. And unlike any other professional sport, this league combines men and women! With the COVID Pandemic still a national health concern, this first official season is done virtually on indoor rowing machines. As a sport, rowing does not do a good job relating to the public. Rowers Choice devised a system like the NHL with weekly schedules and a point system that dictates the ranking of teams. Each week the top athletes (men and women) are highlighted during live stream races held on YouTube Live. These athletes are cheered on by their teammates and fans. But more

WSU COUGAR CREW

importantly, each athlete belongs to a community. Some of these competitors have never had the chance to compete with a team in any sport in their lives. They are feeling a new sense of community but also a sense of being a celebrity in their sport. Something that is not lost on the masters 40+ category.

The Future Rowers Choice wants to save the sport. But more importantly, it wants to make rowing popular again. At the turn of the 20th century, rowing was considered the most popular sport in the world. Prize pools of more than $10,000 were awarded to the fastest man in the country and world. Each week, the media would highlight the top athletes in the sport. Somewhere along the line this all went away. Rowing became hyper focused as an amateur sport and the excitement was lost on the public. Now most regattas have just family and close friends attending the races. The Premier Rowing League wants to change all that and make rowing a professional sport. The league envisions 10 teams, weekly regattas (outdoor events) and weekly live stream races for the indoor rowing enthusiasts. Picture NASCAR but on the water! Just like any major sport there would be a 4-month season, athlete drafts and fun events for the fans.

The long-term goal of The Premier Rowing League is to bring back legalized sports betting and a large prize pool for the top athletes of the sport. The top athletes in rowing should be able to make a living doing what they love. To learn more about The Premier Rowing League go to: www.premierrowingleague.com - Alex DelSordo, President of Rowers Choice

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INSIDE LOOK

HENRY McRAE GETTING TO KNOW THE TEAM Looking at 4th Year Oarsman & Men’s Commodore

‘21 HENRY McRAE winning the regional championships with his novice crew, heightening his desire to pursue a collegiate rowing career. Henry decided to attend WSU to stay in-state and be around a major college athletic program that could provide him opportunities in his major. Before arriving in Pullman, he researched Cougar Crew and reached out to Devon McCornack, the Commodore at the time. Henry was excited about joining the team and looked forward to competing at PAC-12s and practice on the Snake. His first time heading down to the river did not disappoint as he was amazed rowing next to

THE PULL HARD

FALL 2020

ougar Crew’s current Commodore is Henry McRae, a fourth-year oarsman from Sammamish, Washington. He will be graduating in the spring of 2021 with an undergraduate degree in sport management and plans to get a master’s in higher education. As a self-proclaimed “sports guy”, it is no surprise that the love of competition has shaped Henry’s past and future. Before attending WSU, Henry started rowing after his aunt, a former rower at Cal, convinced him to try the sport. He joined Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA) in his senior year of high school, intending to quit in the winter when the basketball season started up again. In the first few months, Henry saw quick progress on the team and had become a novice captain. This led him to make the difficult decision to give up basketball, a sport he had played for most of his life, to continue rowing. He had a successful spring season with SRA,

the massive cliffs that took his mind off of his other responsibilities. “That’s one of the best parts of rowing on the Snake; there’s nothing else down at the river, so we can just focus on practice.” For Henry, it has always been his teammates that motivate him. He had a tough time in his novice year as he rowed only with the varsity team, but Devon McCornack and Sam Callen took him under their wing and helped him stick it out. From that moment on, Henry gained a lot of respect for his teammates. They pushed him to work harder on the erg and made reaching his peak fitness more achievable. He created

WSU COUGAR CREW

Henry McRae pictured center many friendships with which he shares some of his most memorable moments. His favorite memory was winning his first tank. It was a special moment not just because it was the first time he had won a race, but because he can now take pride in wearing his own Cougar Crew tank, knowing that he had earned it. The pandemic has challenged Henry and changed his perspective on rowing with Cougar Crew. At first, he was only focused on the end result, the racing, but he has come to enjoy the process. It’s the little things, like waking up early and training with his teammates to foster a hardworking and competitive culture. Every day Henry is reminded of the power of a team. He finds it impressive how people show up daily and attack the workouts no matter the circumstances. Being a part of Cougar Crew has taught Henry what it means to work hard when something might not be conventionally fun. “Nothing in life is given to you without putting in the work, but it’s worth it. 16x500, rent-a-rower, 25k in a pair, all of it’s worth it for the end goal of going fast because crossing the line first doesn’t happen very often, and it’s the best feeling in the world.” — Jaime Tom ‘22

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FACILITIES CHECK-IN

THE PULL HARD

FALL 2020

WSU COUGAR CREW

ERG ROOM

Located on the fourth floor in one of WSUâ€™s oldest buildings: The Hollingberry Feildhouse

ENTRY

ENTRY HALL

FLAG WALL

ERG ROOM cougarcrew.com

FROM THE SNAKE TO THE BOSHPORUS

FACILITIES CHECK-IN

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BOAT HOUSE

The Ken Abbey Shellhouse is located within the Snake River Canyon on Wawawai Landing

ENTRY & OARS

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

SLIDING RACKS

DOCKS

SHELLS cougarcrew.com

FUNDRAISING

AND

ERG-A-THON L

ike everyone in 2020, Cougar Crew has faced a unique set of obstacle. This year our team has found creative solutions to each problem thrown at us – from virtual recruitment, personal vehicles for travel, outdoor erg sessions, and even shoveling snow in order to compete in a virtual 5k. Fundraising has also come with its own set of limitations this year, and to reach our goals we knew our team couldn’t fall back on our typical structure and events. The officer corps headed into Erg-A-Thon 2020 knowing we would need to approach it in a completely new way. To begin, we started by setting new goals for individual athletes, the officer corps, and the team as a whole. Each individual athlete was asked to write a personal statement for their profile, add a photo of them rowing, and add at least 15 individuals to their campaign. Despite the challenges of this pandemic and our small roster size, our team was able to fundraise over $9,500. This fundraiser goes directly toward ensuring our program competes at every possible race, brings the largest possible roster, and travels in the safest way for our athletes.

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FALL 2020

Our next goal was to rely on our alumni network and focus on our alumni engagement. To do this we opened up our fundraiser to our alumni for the first time, knowing we could not achieve all of our goals alone. We publicized our event on our social media and website. At the same time, our alumni association board worked with former Commodores and the Cougar Crew alumni as a whole to provide our team with a matching donation. This effectively doubled our income from this fundraiser and provides us with the opportunity to spend our spring season focused on academics and training to race rather than utilizing every weekend to make up for the Rent-A-Rower we lost this fall. We turned our alumni engagement into a friendly competition between the decades to allow for a COVID-19 friendly class day competition. Thank you again to everyone who donated. We are so grateful to have an alumni base that supports our team through an unprecedented time. Finally, our officer corps wanted to use the opportunity to incorporate erg pieces that we don’t typically see in our fall training, especially during this pandemic.

WSU COUGAR CREW As many alumni can relate to, Erg-A-Thon is extremely valuable but not always the most engaging for the athletes participating. Since typical team relays involve one erg and getting teammates on and off as fast as possible, we opted to divide our entire roster into three coxswain-led teams and total meters rowed in steady state pieces for a pandemic-friendly relay. Our steady state pieces alone resulted in 770,000 meters as a team. We also turned our typical CougarMania bracket into another team competition, each athlete competed in four rounds going head-to-head to determine a final team ranking. As a team we value each opportunity we have to train together, since many teams don’t have the same option and Erg-A-Thon was no different. In true Cougar Crew fashion, each athlete attacked every piece and used one another’s energy to execute at the highest caliber. We cannot thank our alumni, family, and friends enough for their support for this fundraiser and of the team. On the team, our mentality is that the fundraising work we do now is equivalent to our fall and winter training sessions, it builds a strong foundation for a fast spring season. The income from Erg-A-Thon will allow us to not only have a full spring racing calendar, it will also ensure that we eliminate unnecessary travel risk by using busses or planes to attend our distant races. We are again so grateful for your support and your commitment to the excellence of Cougar Crew. — Jaime Tom ‘22

THANK YOU ERG-A-THON DONORS

Adam Phillabaum, Amanda Hargreaves, Amber Gizinski, Amelia Kircher, Amy Cheek, Andrew Rorie, Ann Heskett, Arlene Oliver, Ashley Vu, Austin Richardson, Benjamin Fleiss, Beth Clark, Bob Kircher, Brian McRae, Bridget McLeod, Caleb Johnston, Carole Webb, Catherine Dunn, Charles Wong, Colleen and Geoff Swett, Connor Widmann, Daniel Sander, Darcy Kelly, Dave and Sally Palena, Dave and Tanya Budke, Dave Frick, Dave Kelly, Dawn Kite, Dena Kaplan, Dennis Kelly, Diane Kelly, Donovan Labriola, Elizabeth Esparza, Emi Grant, Emmaline Adams, Eric Ramirez, Eric Sunday, Erich Mietenkorte, Esther Swett, Faye McCall, Gary Dugan, Gordon and Rodah Budke, Griffin Berger, Gunnar Newell, Harlow Bronstein, Howard and Sharon Patrick, Jane and Paul Barry, Janette Zumbo, Janice Gilmore, Janice Wilkins, Jennifer DiMaggio, Jennifer Elden, Jennifer Fees, Jennifer Huffman, Jessica Walker, JG McCall, Jim and Sherilyn Tom, Jodi Sander, John Perkins, John Petersen, John Streib, John Welch, Jolie Frick, Joy Weber, Juanita Tom, Judy and Robin Freeman, Justin and Tammie Ladd, Kammy Toy, Karl Lesterhuis, Katherine Runyon, Katy Vasecka, Kelsey Zweigle, Kitty Showers, Lacey Arizona, Lacey Boren, Lauren Scofield, Laurie Sweet, Lisa Dorsing, Lisa Hamilton, Lisa Wilkins, Lois and Lary Godfretson, Lori Collet, Marc Kaplan, Mark and Raylene Tom, Mary Booth, Melissa McCall, Michele Walker, Michelle Kelly, Mike and Amber Amundson, Mike Rath, Norma Sander , Pat and Karen Krych, Pat Keefe, Peter Brevick, Reginald and Nadine Wong, Richard Hull, Richard Lawrence, Richard Myers, Rob McGregor, Robert Rittgers, Roman Kalinin, Stefan Goldby, Stephanie Benfield, Stephanie Cunningham, Stephanie Walker, Steve Kelly, Susan Lunquist, Tanya Volk, Tess Wilkins, Tiffany Welch, Tolya Kalinin, Tom and Kellie Essig, Tom Hittle, Tony McCall, Tresa Myers, Vee Feyling, Wayne Kelly, Will Krey, William Cespedes, Zach Butz

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

M A R I E T TA “ E D ” H A L L (‘ 91)

MARIETTA “ED” HALL

David Herrick – When did you row for WSU?

DH: What was the team dynamic like while you were rowing? My understanding is that the late 80’s and early 90’s saw large rosters with competitive athletes.

Ed Hall: 1987 – 1991 DH: What attracted you to rowing? EH: There was a woman from Anchorage that graduated from Wisconsin who got a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. She was the first Alaskan to get a gold medal. There was a parade and I saw I looked like her and thought “I’m gonna do that”, so I made sure every school I applied to had rowing. DH – What kept you rowing? EH: I just loved it from the minute I tried it. It’s been 32 years now. There’s a sound, a perfect sound, when you plop the oar in the water. It’s so visceral, from the moment I did it I loved it. I’ve been rowing in Alaska longer than when I was in school, but when I hear that sound, I think of rowing on the Snake at 4:30 in the morning. That’s the sound I’m always searching for. The search for the perfect stroke. I never thought I would feel that in Alaska with masters rowing, but that’s not true, you can find it in lots of different boats, with masters, with novice, I’ve found many perfect strokes, even if they’re few and far between.

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EH: Yeah, Struckmeyer was the Head Coach, so I still refer to him as coach. Jess O’Dell was coaching the novice when I started. Thad O’Dell coached the varsity. We got consistent coaching, so it picked up, the athletes were good, we had lightweights, openweights. We were serious, it was intense. DH: I’m told you served twice as Commodore, once in the last year as a club program, then in the first year under athletics. What was that transition like? EH: It was rough for me. My senior year was not a great one. I’ve spoken to Dave [Arnold] a lot about this, so it’s been on my mind lately. It’s hard when you transition coaches, especially when they are trying to prove their worth. The athletes in their 4th year weren’t the future of the program. I clashed with Tammy [Crawford] a lot. My junior year was great though, we placed 5th in the Grand Final at nationals. We wanted to prove that our group could perform as well, I wanted to see if we could improve on the 8+ with support from the athletic department, but we weren’t able to do that. I was in the 4+ that took gold, but the rest of the team was left home. It felt a little humiliating. I think WSU was glad to see a gold medal, but probably didn’t understand the distinction

WSU COUGAR CREW between an 8+ vs a 4+. DH: The varsity women have seen quite a bit of success in the last two decades, how connected do you feel to that program? EH: I have mixed emotions. The reality is they’ve had success which benefits all of us. I say I rowed for Washington State which resonates with some people, even if I identify more with the club athletes. Mostly I’m frustrated about the tank and that the club team doesn’t have access to it. There was no financial compensation for the equipment they [Athletics] took. I feel bitter about it, and I’ll always have those emotions. DH: Did you do any rowing immediately after college? EH: No, I left school in rough shape and figured I would become an adult. I had an extra semester, so I coached with Ernie [Iseminger] with the novice lightweight men, so I got some experience there. Then I moved home at the end of ‘91. In ‘97 I heard about public interest in starting a club in the Kenai peninsula about 150 miles from where I live. I basically found them and said I’ll do anything to be around boats again, I even offered to be the rigger. Then a reporter called me saying I was the coach which I didn’t argue with. They [the club] didn’t even tell me, they figured I would hear about it, so I became the coach and started driving 300 miles round trip for practice. It was all over the papers since it was a unique situation. That generated a ton of interest in Anchorage, so the next summer we had a meeting to start a second team in Alaska, the Anchorage R.A. About 30 people showed up. Many had rowed, and a man offered $3,000 to get everything off the ground. We agreed, even named a boat after him, but we never saw him again, he never rowed but the team took off. DH: When during the year can the club row? What’s it like rowing in Alaska? EH: The ice breaks by the first week of May, we row the next day. We just put our boats up last weekend, the first week of October. Now we have private boat owners in singles, and will train until the end of October which is when the freeze sets in. For all our conflict Tammy was very supportive of starting the Anchorage program, she actually drove equipment across the state to load onto a barge, including the Jess O’Dell (the 4+ they took gold in) and the Paul Enquist (an 8+). I have to credit Tammy for that. The Enquist was in an accident and converted to a fiberglass barge which we now use in a pool to teach novice – also something I learned from Tammy. We bring 2-3 coaches up from the lower 48 in their off-season and they help with that. DH: Do you ever bring crews down to the lower 48 to compete? EH: Every year. The first year I coached I convinced the Kenai team to go to Frostbite and Head of the Lake, we brought two 8+’s

of women down. One of the crews won the novice 1k sprint at Greenlake and then they did HOTL. We take a crew outside every year, both juniors and masters. Every four years we go to the World Masters Games. I’ve been to Australia twice, Italy, Canada. Slovenia was remarkable, that course is just so amazing, even if I got my ass kicked (laughs). Assuming we get a vaccine, we’ll compete in Japan. My husband rows too so we’ll row a mixed double. DH: Do you think you’ll ever leave Anchorage or have you found your home? EH: No, we’re both born and raised here. I couldn’t not live here, it’s part of who I am. Thanks for taking the time Ed, and Go Cougs!!

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5 YEARS TH

UNFINISHED BUISNESS

Editor’s Note

Right before the spring season of 2020 was about to begin, it was tragically cut short due to Covid-19. Every senior rower in the country felt the sting of this loss as their final season came to an abrupt end. However, a new opportunity appeared, a chance at redemption through a 5th year of competition. Despite uncertainty if the spring season will even happen, three oarsmen on the men’s team decided to take a chance. Graduate Assistant Coach Miloš Aleksić sat down with Daniel Moguel, Alex Welch, and John Michael Najarian to find out what inspired them to return.

What motivated you to come for a 5th year with Cougar Crew?

John Michael: “I’m expecting to graduate in Fall 2020 and searching for graduate school programs to start in Fall 2021.”

Daniel: “I would have regretted it later in life I didn’t do it. I love rowing and the opportunity to train and keep rowing for as long as I can was too good to pass. Alex and John helped to make this transition easier through emphasizing the importance of teammates and the commitment to team. Since I was going to be in Pullman for another year, it was difficult to say no and walk away from this opportunity.”

Alex: “I am expecting to graduate in Spring 2021. Currently I am studying for the MCAT and looking at getting into medical school after graduation.”

John Michael: “I was able to take a step back from the commodore position I held last year and use this opportunity to train with the team and help my teammates instead of focusing on my own growth as a rower. Supporting my teammates, the program and being able to see progress and transition into a faster team was something that was very meaningful to me since our spring season got cut short.” Alex: “Three or four people didn’t have the opportunity to come back for a 5th year, so I felt the responsibility to represent and train for the people from my class that didn’t get the opportunity to race in the spring of 2020, even though the odds of a normal spring season are pretty slim. Since the team numbers were a concern, being able to help the team through filling up some spots seemed like a good decision.” What is your academic situation like? (Expected graduation, schoolwork, undergrad, etc.) Daniel: “I’m finishing undergrad, expected to graduate in spring of 2021. My academics are looking good. The course load includes higher level mechanical engineering classes. Apart from school and Cougar Crew, I am getting practical experience as a manufacturing mechanical engineering intern at Schweitzer Engineering Labs working 13 hours a week.”

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What are the goals and hopes for the upcoming season? Daniel: “John Michael, Alex and I are a pretty strong presence on the team, the hope is to get a redemption opportunity to beat a lot of the teams that were scheduled to race in spring 2020. The missed opportunity for spring racing lit a fire for competition in all of us. Trying to help the team by making the V8+ fast and bringing back the Fawley Cup trophy. Going through a lot of changes within the team allowed for a strong presence among the team and its members which helped deal with COVID-19 training.” John Michael: “I want to find an edge and use the time to get ahead of other programs that don’t have the ability to practice. The focus is on getting back to the fundamentals of rowing — technical improvements and emphasis on utilizing this time to make improvements for the upcoming spring semester.” Alex: “I want to see how fast we can go in the environment where there is no pressure of racing and how well we can execute the training for its own sake. Putting in the work, day in day out and seeing what kind of results we can make.” What are you trying to get out of the Cougar Crew experience? Daniel: “Personally - having a team is a support system for the other parts of my college experience. Cougar Crew brings structure and success in other aspects of my life. Close friendships and relationships within the team help me manage this difficult period and strange COVID-19 college experience.”

WSU COUGAR CREW

JOHN MICHAEL John Michael: “It is all about trying to get the guy next to me faster and pushing teammates to fulfill their capabilities as I won’t be able to race in the spring. Getting people faster than me to put the team in a great spot for Spring 2021.” Alex: “I’m hoping to race in the spring and using this year as a redemption opportunity for last season.” What have you learned through this process? Daniel: “I have learned that hard work and consistently putting in the work, day in and day out can get you the results you were not sure you could accomplish. Getting gritty and working hard together as a team, we can accomplish great things.” John Michael: “It is important to get positive reinforcement from your surroundings and be mindful of how you interact with others to pay it forward with your actions to help others.” Alex: “Hard work, on a daily basis, is very satisfying - as opposed to doing nothing. Having a familiar structure during

COVID-19 and a routine to function properly as another pocket of normalcy in these strange times.” What did you learn from the impact of COVID-19 on team activities? Daniel: “Nothing is guaranteed. Learning how to roll with the punches and adjust the environment to your favor. Rowing highlighted the close-knit community of Cougar Crew, “Cougs helping Cougs” mentality and support system that is integrated within the team.” John Michael: “When one door closes another door opens – we didn’t get to race in the spring but have been able to participate in the fall training. We’re not sure what the future brings, so using this opportunity to stay engaged and involved with my teammates and the team is very important to me.” Alex: “Making sure to keep your friends close - in a time where you are not able to be around everyone that you would like to, it is important to make sure to be good to close friends and have the

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5 YEARS TH

UNFINISHED BUISNESS

ALEX WELCH

DANIEL MOGUEL

BOW

STROKE

What’s your favorite part of COVID-19 training?

the social support from your teammates.” Plans after graduation? Daniel: “My plan is to pursue graduate school. If that doesn’t work out this year, I am planning on taking a gap year and work in my field to get to know the industry a little bit better.” John Michael: “Currently, my plan is to apply to graduate school, ideally at WSU and after graduate school find a job in civil engineering.” Alex: “I’m taking the MCAT in May and moving back to Seattle for a gap year to work in a hospital to get experience and connections in the medical industry.” Now a few miscellaneous questions…

Daniel: “Being out of the Fieldhouse and the change of scenery.” John Michael: “Having team bike rides on Saturday - high volume, different training experience that we haven’t done as a team before. Learning how to row the single - learning a lot of new things, both refreshing and aggravating at times.” Alex: “I’ve been getting to be in a double with Daniel and training differently by adding sculling into the training mix.” What’s your least favorite part of COVID-19 training? Daniel: “It’s strange not being able to be in close proximity with other teammates, like you can’t see what is on the other erg screen and what the other person is doing.” JohnMichael: “Limited water time. Not being able to row

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WSU COUGAR CREW

as much as before. Not being able to be in close proximity of teammates and not being able to give a pat on the back or high five after a good piece.”

Daniel: “Don’t be soft. Don’t take it too seriously. Keep on putting in the work and learn how to make the hard days light. Turn to your teammates for help, support and encouragement.”

Alex: “Not being able to be in big boats. Feeling the power and the flow of a big boat.”

John Michael: “Be confident in yourself - you are doing difficult things and you are going to see results which can be different things (medals, good grades, time management skills, finding a job because of soft skills). Don’t get too down on yourself.”

Any general comments about the team or season? Daniel: “Even though the season was cancelled, I have no regrets about giving it all at practice and putting in the effort. I’m proud of what being on the team has taught and given me. It helped improve my college experience – I couldn’t have done college better if I wasn’t on the team. Most of my academic success is attributed to being on the team.” John Michael: “This situation is tough on the team and everyone at WSU, but we are used to that. Cougar Crew has a great history of being resilient and as a group helps individuals overcome difficulties. What Cougar Crew has done, what it stands for within the WSU community, the type of individuals it attracts and targets is extremely meaningful to me.”

Alex: “Pick your own challenges. Problems are going to come your way no matter what. Choosing to do challenging things makes you prepared for whatever challenging things come your way in the future.” Thanks for taking the time and as always, GO COUGS!

Alex: “The first four years the focus was on rowing - getting school in order to not to let your teammates down. It helped me academically to stay on track and made my college experience more meaningful.” Some words of wisdom for younger teammates?

DANIEL MOGUEL cougarcrew.com

BOAT DEDICATION A SPECIAL OCCASION What’s your favorite part of COVID-19 training? Daniel: “Being out of the Fieldhouse and the change of scenery.” John Michael: “Having team bike rides on Saturday - high volume, different training experience that we haven’t done as a team before. Learning how to row the single - learning a lot of new things, both refreshing and aggravating at times.” Alex: “I’ve been getting to be in a double with Daniel and training differently by adding sculling into the training mix.”

oat dedications are special events. They represent investment in the future, a desire for success, and love for a team. On Saturday, October 24th, Cougar Crew was incredibly fortunate to hold such an event on campus. This day was made all the more important because of the relationship between the namesake for the shell, and a current member of the team. Below you will find the speech given by the donating family as they share what made that relationship so important.

“Throughout our lives, we are shaped by those

who mean the most to us. From our grandparents, parents, or close friends we learn, grow, and lead. Through them, we discover who we are as individuals, teammates, and leaders. Being a part of a team, you learn to come together as one. The team is bigger than any one individual. Unless you are all rowing in synch as one team, you cannot win. Crew is a lot like life. You need your team to help you row. Your team challenges you, makes you stronger, and is there for you when you need them

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What’s your least favorite part of COVID-19 training? Daniel: “It’s strange not being able to be in close proximity with other teammates, like you can’t see what is on the other erg screen and what the other person is doing.” JohnMichael: “Limited water time. Not being able to row

THE “MYRICK “ the most. Crew is family. John Michael served as Commodore last year. A year that held great promise, but life had other ideas. Throughout it all, JohnMichael cared the most about his team—his crew family. This is what leaders do. When the team learned that their season was over, they needed a Commodore who put his own disappointment aside and focused on what he truly cared about the most—his team. Being a member of a team teaches you the important life lesson of

8+ POCOCK SHELL resilience. Getting back in the boat, even after a tough loss. Commodores push you to be better. We all need a Commodore in our lives. We are honored to present the Washington State Cougar Crew Team with The Myrick. Named after John Michael’s grandfather, who had a part in shaping his life. In short, he was his life’s Commodore. We hope this boat inspires others to reach for something bigger, while focusing on helping others row as one. We challenge each of

you to become someone’s Commodore in life. We hope The Myrick brings years of enjoyment and success. Thank you for sharing this special day with us. GO COUGS!”

- Tibbens Family

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CONGRATS COUGS FALL ‘20 JOE SUDAR & EMMA VETTER

On July 25th, 2020 Joe Sudar ’12 became engaged to Emma Vetter

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JAMES DORSEY & KEHLEN SACHET

On October 9th, 2020 James Dorsey ’12 became engaged to Kehlen Sachet

FALL 2020

MITCH & KIM WILLIAMS

On October 10th, 2020 Mitch Williams ’10 married Kim Geddes

POWER 10 UPDATE

The Power 10 Campaign continues to make a difference for Cougar Crew, with our 76 donors providing nearly $6,000 already in this fiscal year alone! By harnessing our vast alumni base, relatively small recurring donations add up to provide a stable income to the team. Bring honor to your era by being first across the finish line of reaching 200 donors, which could cover coaching salaries! 1980s and 2010s are in a dead heat; but still lots of room for others to make a move.

Give now by going to www.cougarcrew.com, click ‘Support’, then click ‘Power 10’. Update the giving preferences to the desired dollar amount and remember to set the frequency to monthly!

THANK YOU POWER 10 MEMBERS! Alan Scott, Alexander Weatbrook, Allison Thomas, Andria Day, Ann Rorie, Ashley Vu, August Boyle, Blaine and Susan Beardsley, Charles Remington, Colby Farvour, Colleen and Patrick Andreotti, Craig and Lisa Curtis, Darrin and Lisa Clark, David and Arienne Arnold, David Herrick, Donald and Melinda Ernsdorff, Devon McCornack, Doug and Lori Wordell, Douglas and Carol Lindahl, Douglas and Renee Engle, Eric Zook, Dr. & Mrs. David Henry Reeder, Ernest and Alice Iseminger, Everett M. Schneider, Garrett Lyman, Gerard and Kristina Martin, Graham and Danielle Condit, Griffin Berger, Gunnar Newell, Guy Marden, Jacob Logar, James Flynn and Marcia Muto, Jeff and Samantha Olson, Jess and Victoria O’Dell, Jim and Vickie Rudd, Joe Sudar, Joey and Frankie Tennison, John and Bonnie Lafer,

John and Kristie McBride, John and Shirley DeLong, John Gehring, John Sanders, Joshua Proctor, Kent and Rocio McLeary, Kimberly and Greg Miller, Kramer Wahlberg, Lori and Roeland Collet, Lucas Hunter, Lucas Jones, Marietta Hall, Mark Wascher, Mark Petrie, Mark Hoffman, Mitchell Williams, Patrick and Mary Pursley, Peter Brevick, Philip and Pamela Sprute, Richard Ray and Kathleen Randall, Robert and Jeana Obom, Robin Brown, Ryan and Sarah Hui, Ryan Herrington, Ryan Krastins, Scott and Diana McCornack, Sean and Linda Gibson, Sean Martin, Steve Huhta, Thomas C. Anderson, Thomas Gould and Virginia McCabe, Vanessa Blake, Tim Richards, Tom Caudill, Trevor Vernon, Vincent Xaudaro and Coleen Thompson, Weston Spivia, William Miedema

PLANNED GIVING You Have the Power to Change Cougsâ€™ Lives

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WSU COUGAR CREW We know how proud you are of being a Washington State University Coug. Not only that, you’re part of a special breed of Cougs—crew alumni! Did you know that you can use your commitment to WSU to change the life of a student? After you turn 70 ½, you’re required to withdraw annually from your IRA, however, if you transfer those funds directly to the WSU Foundation, you can support the areas you care about and avoid paying income tax. When you make a gift through your will, revocable living trust, or beneficiary designation in support of WSU, you can maintain your current lifestyle and commitments while supporting the next generation of Cougs. It’s a winwin. Learn more about how you can change lives and make a tax-smart decision at the same time by visiting giftplanning.wsu.edu, calling 800-448-2978 or emailing gpoffice@wsu.edu.

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BEHIND THE PULLHARD 30

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WSU COUGAR CREW EDITOR | DAVID HERRICK pullhard@cougarcrew.com David Herrick is the primary editor for The Pullhard, and rowed from 2010-2014. He is currently an assistant coach for the womanâ€™s team at Oregon State.

DESIGNER & PUBLISHER | EZEKIEL NELSON zeke.nelson@outlook.com Ezekiel Nelson has been the layout and graphic designer for The Pullhard for the past two years. He started this position in his senior year as the team publisher. Recently, Zeke has recieved his Masterâ€™s of Architecture and now works for an architecture firm in Wyoming

TEAM PUBLISHER | JAIME TOM jaime.tom@wsu.edu Jaime Tom is third year coxswain and the current team publisher. She is from Hawaii and is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Marketing.

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