Issuu

PULLHARD THE

A COUGAR CREW PUBLICATION

S P R I N G 2 019 EDITION

INSIDE THE

SPRING EDITION Intro

Meet the CCAA

Newly Elected Officer Corps

Cougar Crew Days Recap

Alumni Spotlight With John Sanders

On the Podium

Thoughts & Perspectives from Two Time Commodore, Devon McCornack

Plan Ahead: 50th Anniversary

Thank you Hugo & Donovan

Thank You Parents

Planned Giving

From the Editor:

Greetings Cougar Crew Alumni, Family, and Friends, Welcome to the first reprinting of The Pull Hard! Traditionally, the team Publisher would consistently print new editions as a way to report race results to alumni, however with the accessibility of social media this would be redundant. Instead, we have shifted the focus to releasing three editions every year. For those who have read the previous two publications this is not news, but to those who have been away from the team for awhile, welcome back! It is our hope that this printed edition serves as a way to reengage alumni, and to say thank you to those who already support us so well. A special note: Check out the new website! Weâ€™ve redesigned cougarcrew.com and are adding updated content every week. Please check out the photos page and contact the webmaster to submit pictures, video, or memories! For those reading on an electronic copy please click on the links below:

cougarcrew.com photos contact

Thanks for reading, and Go Cougs!! - Dave Herrick â€˜14

MEET THE CCAA Tim “Haole” Richards

CHAIR

Tim rowed from the fall of 1977 until the spring of 1980 and was elected Commodore his last year. He went on to finish his degree in veterinary medicine and for the last 35 years has been a rancher / veterinarian in Hawaii. In the early 2000’s Tim was part of the Cougar Crew Alumni Association reawakening that has brought us to where Cougar Crew is today; he is honored to currently sit as the Chairman.

Dan Brevick

VICE CHAIR

Danny joined the crew on 2001 and thoroughly enjoyed filling the position of Treasurer and Commodore. He has enjoyed working with the athletes and fellow alumni on the Cougar Crew Alumni Association and looks forward to continued success as they work towards increased support and boat speed. He resides in North Bend, Washington with his wife and their three children.

Alyssa Kodama

ALUMNI REPRESENTATIVE

Alyssa joined the crew team her freshman year as a coxswain and continued through her senior year. Achievements with the team include back to back wins at WIRA in the Men’s Lightweight Varsity 4+, and a silver medal finish at ACRA in the same event. She had the opportunity to serve as Publisher for two years and now as the Alumni Representative. She graduated in 2016 with a degree in Psychology.

Doug Engle

FINANCIAL ADVISOR

Doug rowed for WSU from 1975-1979, and was part of the “Meatwagon” 4+ that won the 1979 IRA Championships. He served as the Vice Commodore 1978-1979 and JV coach the following year. He is a longstanding alumni organizer.

Ken Struckmeyer

FACULTY ADVISOR

Ken rowed at Wisconsin from 1964-1968. He served as a faculty member for 42 years and volunteer WSU crew coach for 20 years. He was the first ever PAC-10 Coach of the year.

Ernie Iseminger

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

Ernie rowed for WSU from 1988-1991, as well as coached the men’s team. After receiving a BA in Social Studies, he has served as a fundraiser at 5 separate academic institutions. With a career spanning over 25 years he has successfully raised more than $1 billion

Joe Sudar

WEBSITE MANAGER

Joe rowed for WSU from 2008 to 2012, serving as the team webmaster his senior year. He currently serves as alumni webmaster, working with team liaisons to make news and team information available to alumni, boosters, and supporters. He lives in Seattle, working as a dev-ops engineer, and continues to row with the Pocock Rowing Center.

Shayla Boyle

COUGAR CREW DAYS AUCTION COMMITTEE

Shayla Boyle was a part of the Lightweight Womenâ€™s Crew team from 2010-2014. During her time at WSU, she served as treasurer for three years and commodore for one year. Currently teaching third grade in Spokane, WA, Shayla still stays affiliated with the team by serving on the CCAA auction committee.

Griffin Berger

COUGAR CREW DAYS AUCTION COMMITTEE

Griffin graduated from WSU with a bachelors in Integrated Plant Sciences. Since graduating Griffin has become the co-founder and operations manager at Sauk Farm LLC, the vice president of the Puget Sound Food Hub Farmers Cooperative, and serves on the CCAA auction committee. On the farm Griffin is constantly striving to improve growing practices, quality and nutrition of crops, and improve overall sustainability for a better planet. Griffin rowed from 2012-2016 and served as Commodore in his final year.

Max Vaughn

ALUMNI COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR

Max was a Cougar Crew oarsman from 2011-15, serving as Vice Commodore his junior year and Commodore his senior year. As part of the V8+, they claimed the Fawley Cup 2 years in a row, took silver at WIRA, and were grand finalists at the ACRA National Championships. Vaughn continues to support our growing program with the experience he gained as a rower, and looks forward to the continued progress of Cougar Crew.

Dave Herrick

THE PULL HARD EDITOR

Dave rowed for WSU from 2010 to 2014, his highlights include winning the Fawley Cup and making the Grand Final at ACRAâ€™s his senior year. A coach himself, he has been working at the University of Virgina for the last three years and just received his Masters in Exercise Physiology.

Matt Shaw ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, COMPETITIVE SPORTS & YOUTH PROGRAMS Joanne Green DIRECTOR, PROGRAMMING

THE 2019-2020 OFFICER CORPS

JOHN MICHAEL NAJARIAN (‘20) Men’s Commodore John Michael is entering his senior year studying Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is from Bainbridge Island Washington and had the opportunity to see 4 years of high school and 3 years collegiate rowing.

ANNE SPELLMAN (‘21) Woman’s Commodore Anne is entering her third year as an oarswoman. She is majoring in Kinesiology and plans on going to graduate school to become a physical therapist after finishing her undergraduate.

BJORN ELLIOTT (‘21) Men’s Vice Commodore Bjorn is a business management/international business double major. He also is very passionate about filming and has been in charge of the Cougar Crew videos for the last two years .

KELLY CORDER (‘20) Woman’s Vice Commodore Kelly will begin her third year of rowing this fall. She is majoring in Strategic Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations.

JEREMIAH LEE (‘22) Publisher 7

Jeremiah is a novice coxswain and was born in Bellevue and raised in Renton, Washington. He is a mathematics major on a premed track with a German minor.

NATHAN BUDKE (‘21) Treasure Nathan is from Spokane, Washington. He is studying accounting as a major with a minor in business economics. He is entering is third year of rowing.

ALEX WELCH (‘21) Recruitment Coordinator Alex is from Snohomish Washington and is majoring in Philosophy (pre-law) and zoology (pre-med). This will be his fouth year on the team.

HENRY McRAE (‘21) University Recreation Liaison Henry will begin his junior year at WSU this fall. From Sammamish, Washington he had the opportunity to row one year in high school. He is majoring in Sports Management and this will be his third year on the team.

SARA HOLLAND (‘21) Travel Coordinator Sara has completed two years as a coxswain on the women’s team. She will be a junior this fall, studying Pre-Law/ Political Science.

JAIME TOM (‘22) Webmaster/Historian Jaime is a novice coxswain from Kaneohe, Hawaii. She is entering her sophomore year and majoring in business marketing.

Sean Martin (‘08) reflected recently, “The drive into Pullman is always special whether you’re attending a home football game or a last-minute trip to make the epic scene that was College Gameday. The drive in for Crew Days is different though, there is an overwhelming feeling of energy, positivity, anticipation and optimism.” Friday evening’s arrival, barbeque at Ensminger Pavillion, then inevitable migration to The Coug made for a late night for many of us. Alumni from every era filled the space. Every time you would hear the front door open, there would be another shout from across the bar. Another member of the Cougar Crew family had just arrived, and a pitcher was already waiting for them. In what has now become an annual tradition, Saturday morning saw an early rise for three lightweight alumni. They head down to the boathouse for the first of two times that day. No, they weren’t going down to row, or to stake out the best seat on the breakwater for the alumni races. Rather, they headed down to spend time with an old flame, The Grade. The Grade is the portion of Old Wawawai Rd leading to the boathouse. It consists of 1700ft of elevation gain in just over 6 miles. Mark Hoffman, Sean Martin, and I decided in 2018 that we would use the running of The Grade as a litmus test to let us know how our post-graduate fitness was holding up. I won’t get into the details, but let’s just say it is a proven fact that The Grade has become steeper and longer since graduation a decade ago. That energy, positivity, and optimism that Sean referenced earlier showed up for the CCAA alumni meeting Saturday Sean Martin on the final push up The Grade. morning. For three hours, the second story of Lewis Alumni 6.2 miles of pure sweat and nostalgia. Center becomes a place of great aspiration, initiatives, and some of the bravest volunteerism ever seen. Should anyone reading need to reinvigorate their passion for Cougar Crew, this meeting is a must-attend. It includes everything from discussion of the state of the current team to waxing expositions to simultaneously referencing the Cougar Crew of yesteryear and dreaming of an even brighter future. This year, getting out in a boat was not only nostalgic, but also a little more enjoyable! Pale skin shone under unlikely clear skies. People were wearing sunglasses and there were even some whispers of need for sunscreen. Alumni old and new flooded into boats and spent a few short hours touring The Snake.

WOMANS ALUMNI 4+

Katie Fowler, Alex Powell, Ashley Vu, Allison Thomas, and Sidney Cross

In preparation for the current team vs alumni 500m sprint, the rowers pulled a 2k to decide the class that would represent the current team. The juniors came out victorious in class day races. Results were: the Juniors finished 7:01, Freshmen 7:24, Seniors 7:34, and Sophomores 8:07 (Juniors and Freshmen rowed eights, Seniors and Sophomores rowed fours.) The victorious Juniors boat went against a crew of younger alumni and came out ahead, though it was a close race (1/3 of a boat length at the finish).

The lightweight men continued their best-of-three current team vs alumni tradition with various off-kilter pieces. First was rate cap of 20, next was 25 strokes then glide, third was a 250m piece past the break water. The alumni prevailed, and were, surprisingly, still able to manage a decent glide at the completion of each piece. The Women’s Club alumni and current team got after it for the first time in several years. “We did a 1000m piece and the alumni boat was leading up until the last 200m or so. We were pretty tired by that point and the current team sprinted right past us,” says Allison Thomas (‘15) who was in the alumni boat. “I still row so I’m used to being out on the water and in boats, but there’s something special about rowing with my WSU teammates again. Maybe next year we’ll have enough alumni to do an 8 instead of a 4.” Finally, the cross-generational hootenanny that is the alumni “Slow Row” always has the most fun. As the boats pull away from the breakwater, old teasing and nicknames come flooding back, originating from in the boat and on-shore. Chalk this up as an activity that gets better with age.

ALUMNI SLOW ROW

The banquet and auction were successful. Shout out to Shayla Boyle and Griffin Berger for organizing the event for a third year. It has been a privilege to see this event evolve into what it is today, and the two of them have been a huge part of it. Along with remarks from coaches and select alumni, Saturday night also saw the dedication of the brand-new Fox Iseminger and Cougar Gold pairs, filling out an already impressive quiver of boats. The Kenneth A. Struckmeyer Founder’s Award was awarded to Kathleen Randall and Rich “Flip” Ray.

Two new pocock pairs named at the banquet Truly one of the lifebloods of Cougar Crew has been the Iseminger family. Ernie has been present since the beginning of the alumni revival and has supported the team in countless ways. This year, his better half, Alice Iseminger, was officially named an Honorary Coug. Congrats Alice! We thank you for all you have done to help Cougar Crew succeed! It’s worth mentioning that individual finances of our athletes continue to be a significant hurdle when discussing travel for races. To help address this, it was decided by the CCAA and current team that the funds raised by the auction would be split between the team operating account and the newly created Tim Richards ‘80 Cougar Crew Endowment. This is just one of the ways alumni support is making a real and noticeable difference for current rowers.

Fox Iseminger (center ) revealing one of two new pairs at the banquet

Sunday saw the expected goodbyes. And despite having done this 11 times now (7 as an alumni), I still marvel that the weekend passed so quickly, and I still ask, with complete sincerity, if we can all just stay a couple more days. On the weekend as a whole, James Dorsey (‘08-’10) reflects, “Getting to reconnect with my friends from the team is an amazing experience. It was a great chance to have fun and remember a huge part of my life.” James, who hadn’t been back to Pullman in a few years, added emphatically, “I cannot wait to get back for the 50 Year Celebration!!!” Nostalgia is a powerful current. Dip a toe in and before you know it, you’re swept downstream, gasping for air as you jump from story to story, finding parallels with alumni who graduated three decades before you. I welcome all who read this to join me in 2020 as we celebrate 50 years of Cougar Crew. And if anyone wants to join in on our annual pilgrimage to run The Grade, just text me as you roll into Pullman for the weekend.

- Jake Logar (‘11)

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

SANDERS AT MASTER NATIONALS IN SEATTLE

WITH JOHN SANDERS

Coach Peter Brevick – When I first moved to Oklahoma City in the summer of 2012, Ken Struckmeyer told me I should look up John Sanders (‘85). My first day on the job, what do I see but a victors banner hanging in the back of the boathouse with John Sanders’ name on it! I met with John for this interview in September of that year. As a former publisher of The Pull Hard, I was hoping to get it in that Winter issue. Days after the interview my workload ramped up, and between that and life, I forgot all about it, until now. It is my pleasure to, finally, share this alumni spotlight.

PB – What brought you to OKC? JS – It was for work. I work for Boeing, and my current program was in three locations; Long Beach, Seattle and OKC. They closed down the Seattle site, I could get a new job within Boeing, or relocate and come to OKC. Initially came here on a 2 year ‘move’, but liked it, had much more free time without the Seattle traffic and I stayed. I came here in August of 2002. PB – Did you get rowing here as soon as you arrived? JS – I had no clue there was rowing was down here. I was completely unaware of MAPS (city project that led to rowing in Oklahoma City) and came down to work a few years, check out this part of the country, and then go back. I was driving by the river and saw a quad out on the water. At that point, there was nothing there but a dirt parking lot. Everything was undeveloped. I started looking online and saw what it was. When I took a learn to row class in the spring of 2004, there were a half dozen masters and a handful of juniors at the time. We spent time in a few quads with a couple shipping containers for a boathouse and some chain link fence around it. PB – Did you keep competing after your time at WSU? JS – No, I tried to row a few times after college at the Mt Baker boathouse on Lake Washington. The turnout was really iffy though, and with an hour commute each way, only lasted for a few months. That was the only time I rowed between college and here. PB – Tell us a bit about your competition at nationals this summer? JS – Nationals was held at lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, MA about 30 miles west of Boston. The lake is about 7000m long. We rowed at the north end where they leave the course from April till the end of summer. Surprisingly Boston doesn’t have a 2000m course, so all the colleges race out there all spring. It was just shy of 2000 entries, 50 events each day. I rowed lightweight each day, with 4 different events: 4x, 1x and two 2x’s. I rowed with the same guys for the last 5 years, all from the east coast, around Baltimore. We met at the 2006 Masters Nationals at Greenlake. All our singles were in the same area for the regatta and met them as competitors. I beat a couple of them and the next year

they were putting together a quad and they wanted to include ‘that guy from Oklahoma’ to be in the boat. One of them is coming to HOTO and we’re going to race a double. When I started rowing again I was 208lb, it took me 2 years to get down to 160 for my first nationals in ’06. When I got back into rowing, man, I just could not make it down the course for a thousand-meter race! About 500m into it I thought ‘what am I doing out here’, but I stuck with it, learned how to pace myself for these types of races, learned how to finish, leaned how to start. Took me two years. Getting under 180 was a big deal for me, settled into 165-170. My cholesterol is way down, heart rate is good, resting in the low 40s. My doctor says I’m a poster child for a 50 year-old, and I’m 55 later this month, I feel great. PB – What principles do you use to stay in shape after being away from the Snake for over 25 years? JS – It comes down I think to 3 or 4 things. It is important to manage stress, I try not to let things get to me at work, I take care of my diet, I get sleep. Then as far as working out, I like long distance aerobic stuff. Go for duration, not intensity, you can add intensity later. PB – How often do you enjoy wearing a UW tank when getting coached by a UW grad? JS – I really enjoy it! First question I asked him was “do you know how I got this shirt?”, he just looked at me. I got that shirt in 1985 at Lake Natoma, the lightweights won Pac10’s my senior year. They repeated the next year. Back then there were 27 light eights. It was a really good boat, Don Ernsdorf was stroke, Thad and Jess O’Dell, Jim Gressard, Dave Reeder, Eric Weisman was cox, he lives up in Chicago, I talk with him when I race up there. I want to say Aaron Sharp but I’m not sure, I was 4-seat, maybe I’ll remember when I see a picture. We had a really good boat, everybody had confidence in each other. There was not one person in the boat who was a “weak link”, everyone was in it. Don could have been on the national team if he wanted to, rowed in the 6:20’s as a lightweight. PB – Besides rowing at OKCBF, what occupies your time? JS – I always try to go to bed early, I always get up early. I like rowing in the morning, but one of my favorite things to do in the morning is read. That’s at the crack of dawn, or even before then. I like to landscape, work around the yard, walk my dog, have a glass of wine. I’m at that point in my life where what excites me on a Friday night is to sit down with a good book. PB – Last time you saw a Cougar Crew member you rowed with? JS – That would be Eric, up in Chicago, a few years ago at the Chicago sprints. PB – If you could tell current oarsmen one bit of wisdom, what would it be? JS – I’d give them two pieces of information. Success in rowing is a gradual process, you have to pay attention to details and keep working at it. You have to know the physics of moving a boat and that sort of thing, but essentially you just have to keep trying to improve, and it’s a gradual process. The second piece of information, not only for rowing, but life and whatever you do; discipline is what you do when nobody’s looking. That’s connected with eating well, getting good sleep, pushing hard when the coach is at the other end of the row of ergs, when you’re by yourself working out. I’ve always liked that part about it.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT HEAD

WITH JOHN SANDERS

OF THE OKLAHOMA PB – I’ve been given the title of Class Day Head-Hunter, what do I need to get you to Pullman for Class Day 2013? JS – Pictures of people. Again, back to that time you spend with those guys, I haven’t been there in a long time. Rowing has changed my life. Even though I spend a lot of time rowing a single here, it’s the people. The things you go through. The strongest thing I can think of to bring you back, are pictures of people you rowed with. PB – Favorite Cougar Crew workout? JS – It wasn’t one of my favorites, but I have one that’s always stuck in my mind. Struck would get two boats pretty evenly matched, and you’d race until you got open water. Then you’d turn it around and do it again. There was one practice in particular, I wonder if he was testing me because I was stroking that day, and we did 7 or 8 pieces. You don’t want to give in, they’d get a lead on you, you’d get a lead on them, and you don’t want to give in, the boat was moving. Finally, after we did eight of these and he said “Turn around again!” and I raised my hand up, and he said “Ok, take it in”. I never did ask him, but I wonder if he was trying to see how far I would go. Everybody was sucking wind man, it was tough. PB – Favorite Cougar Crew race? JS – In ’85 at the West Coast Championships at Lake Natoma. Went through the heat and beat UW there. Then we went to the final and they were there too. We had the lead for probably 1,700 meters, and San Diego State University came through us in the last 200m. Those guys had an armful of shirts,

and that’s when the trading began. That’s when you would be at the start line and you’d look over at the other boat and you’d say “Hey, shirts on?” and they’d say “Yeah, shirts on” and then et, vu, pre; parte! Because they still did it all in French. This is right before the start, maybe ten seconds before the start. PB – Anything that’s stuck with you that you didn’t expect? JS – Just from rowing experience, what a lot of guys on the team find out, certainly what I found out, I’m capable of a lot more than I thought I was. Rowing teaches you that you can do a lot more than you think you can. You can’t slow down, you can’t stop, you’re in an eight, you gotta keep going, to stay in time with the other guys. That takes effort, it teaches you not to give up. You have to be ready mentally. You can kinda tell, those kinda people rise up, the crews sort themselves out. I’m not trying to be derogatory to anybody, but the athletes with mental fortitude rise up. Might not be the fastest erg score, or the most perfect technique, but you know they are going to be there in the last 500 meters. PB – Any messages for other Cougar Crew alumni? JS – Well, I think for a lot of people who had never rowed before, and went through Cougar Crew and stuck with it for all 4 years, I think that rowing probably changed their life. It opened their eyes to what they were capable of doing. I do think about my days at Washington State more than people would imagine, even after almost 30 years I still remember those days very clearly. One thing I remember is Struckmeyer’s dedication to keeping it going, to be there for the rowers. I can look back on it now and realize at that time I didn’t know how much he put into it, and I only realize it now. I never really told him how grateful I am that he was there when I was there and gave me a chance to row. PB – Last question, how did you get started with rowing? JS – I was walking down the hill from the CUB, Ken was in front of me with a few rowers. At the stoplight these guys peeled off, ‘See you later coach’. I said “I heard them call you coach, what do you coach?” and Ken says “I coach rowing”, and I said “what’s that?” He starts telling me about it, “You should try it out! How big are you? What do you weigh?” I told him and he said that’s perfect for lightweight rowing. That was September, right when school started, and I didn’t go out, I didn’t turn out. Probably a couple months later I met someone who was rowing and they started telling me about it, what they did, what rowing was about. I started getting interested. I showed up for an erg workout, by now it was winter time, Struck remembered me and said “I’m glad you decided to show up”. I did winter workouts for 2 or 3 months before I went on the water. Before I ever got on the water I was telling guys what rowing was like, and I’d never been in a boat! When we got on the water and rowed I really liked it. Something special about being on the water, not like riding a bike or going jogging, there’s something different, it’s special. Thanks for taking the time John, glad to finally share some of your experiences with a larger audience!

RECOGNITION TO COUGAR CREW ALUMNI COACHES With the season concluded, two Cougar Alumni coaches deserve special recognition for performances at their respective national championships. At ACRA’s, Nichole Martin (’11) and the Seattle University Redhawks entered the Men’s Single and Men’s Varsity 4+ with hopes of improving on a strong showing the previous season in the Men’s Pair and Double. It goes to show what development in small boats can do, Seattle stole the show in the A Final of the MV4+. From the drop of the flag SU led wire to wire, crossing the line in a time of 6:55.63 with open water over 2nd place George Mason and 3rd place Washington University.

SEATTLE UNIVERSITY MEN’S VARSITY 4+ “It was the first ACRA gold for the program ever. After getting 3rd at WIRA’s we really had no idea going into the race that we’d be able to pull out a win. By the end of training for nationals, I had told the boat that if they went out and rowed their perfect race, that we could win it. It was amazing to watch five individuals struggle and push to find speed and cohesion in such a short amount of time.”

Nichole Martin ‘11 pictured left

At IRA’s, Shawn Bagnall (’99) and the Navy Lightweight Men went to Sacramento following a strong performance at Eastern Sprints. For those unfamiliar, lightweight men race a full squad at Sprints, but for IRA’s break down to the Varsity 8+, Straight 4, and Coxed 4. While the Midshipmen V8+ placed 6th in a tight field (the entire spread consisted of 5.6 seconds) with a time of 5:50.09, they showed outstanding performances in the fours. SHAWN BAGNALL The Coxed 4 crossed the line in a time of 6:25.82, 1.9 seconds ahead of 2nd place Columbia and 3rd Cornell. In the Straight 4 Navy showed their depth, finishing in a time of 6:11.35, 6.18 seconds ahead of 2nd Harvard and 3rd Dartmouth, a devastating margin in lightweight rowing. Overall, the Midshipmen tied with Princeton for 2nd as a team behind Cornell.

Congratulations coaches on outstanding performances! Go Cougs!

NAVY LIGHTWEIGHT MEN’S VARSITY 4+

NAVY LIGHTWEIGHT MEN’S VARSITY 4-

LEADERSHIP AS WSU’S THIRD TWO-TIME

COMMODORE

I had the opportunity to speak with Devon after a successful weekend at the Collegiate Covered Bridge Regatta in Oregon. He had just made it home after a Sunday practice, preparing for the Fawley Cup against Gonzaga in a few days. PH – How’s it going, and how’s the team? DM – It’s going well. Every weekend getting to see another step in the right direction. It’s nice, I think that everyone is starting t o buy in to what we’re trying to do. All things considered it’s been good. Not quite where we want to be but it’s in the right direction.

PH – Jumping right into it, you’re the 3rd ever two-year Commodore. That groups you with Danny Brevick and Andrew King, both significant leaders in their time at WSU. How does that feel? DM – It’s interesting, I was riding in the truck with Peter and we talked about it a bit. I’ve heard a number of people cite that to me, and while it’s an honor and I’m happy to be in the position, it doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary. I don’t think it was anything special about my year, other than I think that I found myself in the position out of necessity. The other guy that was running my sophomore year could have done the job, but there were only a few options. Like I said it’s great, but if we’re doing the things we want to do, build everyone up to be leaders rather than rely on one person, then my job isn’t that complicated. PH – What were your thoughts when you were elected sophomore year? DM – Well, initially, I was pretty excited of course. I think I had a lot of thoughts of grandeur, a lot of ambition. Not that I don’t have a piece of that now, but it went from initial excitement to realizing if we’re doing what we need to, then we’ll see someone down the road benefit from the work before them. PH – What was it like being a young Commodore with a brand-new Head Coach? DM – It was honestly, for me, pretty exciting. Kind of like a blank slate. Not that we didn’t want to keep what we had been doing, keeping the momentum from what Arthur did so well. But it was exciting to see new things. It was the best thing that could have happened at that time. Not that it couldn’t have happened at another time, but I think it was needed, so everything seemed to fall into place with Peter coming in, and me stepping into my role. I think back fondly about that whole process. PH – Any hard lessons from your first year? DM – Quite a few, but I guess off the top of my head was realizing a lot of the institutional knowledge that left with Arthur and both Peter and I realizing there were a lot of things that we didn’t know that we didn’t know. Navigating that was a challenge. Knowing that the culture change was going to be tough and be a shock to get from where we were, to where we want to go. Encompassing training load, managing the budget, how we were communicating with alumni, and all this stuff. It was um…it was a process to learn and get people to buy in and there were hiccups. By no means have we figured it out, but I’m encouraged about where we are and where we’re heading.

PH – What are some major differences between your first and second year in how you lead? DM – I think the realization that the way that I…ya know…the way that I deal with things and approach training and races and the mentality that’s needed isn’t the same as other people. There will always be differences in perspectives and you can’t force people to see the way you do. I’ve found it’s best to adapt to different personalities and be able to step into their shoes. I definitely struggled with that my first year and my teammates would agree, but I think I’ve made progress. PH – Do you have a favorite memory or a moment you look back on fondly that happened because of your role? DM – There definitely has been. It’s like what we have talked about as an officer corps, that leadership positions anywhere you go, are more-so roles of servitude and your biggest deal is that you’re in a position to serve. Developing a culture of strong leadership wherever we are, whether you’re an officer or in the second novice boat. The biggest one for me is having a touch point with the alumni. Most often I get to interact with them more, it’s opened doors to meet really cool alumni who are passionate about the team. All of those interactions and connections have been the lump sum of my favorite commodorerelated things. PH – Your teammate John is stepping into your shoes, what should he be prepared to do in order to be an effective leader? DM – Well, John is a natural leader. I would encourage him to learn better what took me a year and half to learn. Not everyone will be the same in how they approach things, so don’t try and fit them into a specific box. So, when I’m done, don’t make the mistakes I did. Find what I did and make it better. Other than that, he should do a great job. His struggles will be different which should complement his strengths and have a good year. PH – What’s your plan for next year? DM – Well, a few months ago I was actually offered a graduate position in a research lab. I’ll be getting my masters in bioengineering here at WSU. I also accepted the GA position with Cougar Crew to hopefully coach and continue working with Peter and the team. That’s my plan for this time next year. PH – What do you believe being Commodore has taught you that has helped you prepare for the future? DM – Oh man, that is a very broad question that doesn’t have one answer. PH – First one that comes to mind, how about that? DM – Yeah, I’ll try to narrow it down [laughs]. There’s just so many things you learn as a student, arguably the most in the classroom developing technical skills to survive the work force, rowing in general, and then being in a position of leadership just hammers in all of those things together. I think that the Commodore position in general has stretched me in ways that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Being able to reach out to alumni and learn from their experiences, dealing with challenging relationships with a teammate. I guess to learn to use the people around me. You aren’t in a bubble, I’m standing on the shoulders of giants and trying to build on what they have made. That has helped me learn to take things as they come and learn that they’re manageable. Thanks for taking the time Devon, congratulations on a great weekend of racing, and for the exciting news about pursuing your masters! Go Cougs!

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MARCH 20th-22nd 2 0 1 9 2020 marks the 50th year of rowing at Washington State University. In honor of the 50th year, there will be a special edition of Cougar Crew Days March 20th-22nd. Cougar Crew Days started in the mid 2000’s as an annual event to bring alumni of Cougar Crew back together, share experiences and stories with the current team, and help build a strong foundation for today’s student athletes. Past Cougar Crew Days have reconnected a lot of alumni and rowers, and the goal is to build on this success for a huge weekend. The Cougar Crew Days 2020 committee has an ambitious goal to reach out to every rower, coxswain and coach, that has been a part of WSU Rowing over the past 50 years. If you have thought about making it back to Pullman for Cougar Crew Days, we want you here in 2020! For those who have not been to a Cougar Crew Days, it is a weekend full of rowing, reconnecting with old friends, and meeting the current generation of Cougar Rowers. Highlights from past Cougar Crew Days include Class races between Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior boats, with the winner having an opportunity to race alumni boats. There is also an icebreaker/meet and greet gathering on Friday to catch up with former teammates and meet the current team. Cougar Crew Days also serves as an opportunity for the Cougar Crew Alumni Association (CCAA) to meet for one of its two annual board meetings. The rowing at Cougar Crew Days is not just limited to racing current team members, as there are opportunities for anyone who wants to get back in a boat and shake the rust off without having to worry about race rates or ejector crabs. The weekend culminates with a banquet on Saturday evening. The banquet includes a silent auction, great food, raffles, and a live auction with many handmade, unique and highly sought after items. Through these events, alumni can give back to the team and help build towards future successes. Our goal is to raise enough money that the current team can eliminate the need to fundraise on weekends. Less days fundraising means more days on the water, more days on the water means more success, and the dream of future championships. Cougar Rowing has helped shape and mold us into who we are today; let’s take this opportunity to ensure that it can continue to do so for generations of young men and women to come. If you were a coxswain, rower, and/or coach at Washington State University we want to see you at Cougar Crew Days 2020. Please RSVP here: http://cougarcrew.com/ccdays.html On this page you will also find information about hotel reservations which should be made soon so we can ensure there are enough rooms reserved for everyone. We look forward to seeing you all in Pullman to celebrate 50 years of rowing at Washington State University. GO COUGS! Sean Martin (‘08) and Jaron Lindbom (‘10)

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COUGAR CREW

A N N I V E R S A R Y

THANK YOU HUGO & DONOVAN Prior to coaching, Hugo spent a lot of time coxing some of the top crews for Bedford High School and Star Club, and for the University of Birmingham. As a cox for those clubs, Hugo competed in several notable UK regattas such as the Henley Royal Regatta and even won the Jackson Trophy in 2012 at the Head of the River on the Thames. Upon graduating in 2015, Hugo transitioned from coxing to coaching at University of Warwick. Afterwards, he coached a J15 boys crew at Canford Boarding School. From there, Hugo made his leap into U.S collegiate rowing and joined WSU Cougar Crew as the club women’s coach.

COACH HUGO MOON

“Coming to Washington State University as a Graduate Assistant, I always knew I was only going to be here for two years. As such, I wasn’t expecting to get so invested in the club, but the competitive attitude around the team is infectious and I’ve subsequently become hooked on the team. Arriving at the same time as the new head coach, it’s been a pleasure to help steward the team in a new successful direction. I’ve had an extremely enjoyable two years working with a stellar group of driven ladies who have picked up numerous medals from both ACRA national champs. I look forward to tracking the team’s future successes both on the men’s and women’s side.” When asked about Hugo, people never hesitate to mention his light-hearted humor, and his rowers have always seen him as an outstanding figure to look up to. To conclude his time on Cougar Crew, Hugo left on a positive note. Both the women’s N4+ and V4+ finished second nationally at ACRA’s. Hugo will now continue his coaching career in Gainesville, Florida to become Head Coach and Program Director of Gainesville Area Rowing, which caters towards middle school, high school and masters rowing. While we are sad to see Hugo leave, we are grateful for his time, effort, and knowledge, and excited to see what he’ll do next.

After 4 years of rowing and 1 year of coaching, Donovan will be stepping away from the team. The novice class had a great year coached by Dono, placing 2nd at Pac-12’s, 1st at Covered Bridge and was very competitive in all other races.

COACH DONOVAN LABRIOLA

“I had a very memorable time from coaching this year’s novice class. It’s a very different experience when you’re on the other side of the team. It reminded me of my time rowing and made me value all the more the time I had on the team. This novice class was filled with ambitious people and has a lot of potential in the next upcoming years. I am honored to have been their coach this past year and hope they see success and enjoy their time on Cougar Crew.”

The novice class started out as one of the largest in recent history and finished the year at ACRA fielding both a N8+, which took 12th overall, and N4+, which took 14th overall. Dono consistently kept the novice competitive and high-spirited throughout the year, and for that he deserves a great deal of credit for their high retention. Furthermore, Dono has primed the novice class to succeed in varsity next season. Over the course of the year, the novice began showing the consistency and speed that will be necessary to compete on varsity. The experienced varsity rowers are ecstatic to compete alongside this class, but also well-prepared to seat race against a highly competitive class cultivated by Dono. As far as his future is concerned, Dono is carefully deciding between working within his environmental science major or to continue coaching. As difficult as it may be, his ideal situation would be doing both at the same time. Whichever path Dono chooses to take, he has our full support at Cougar Crew, and we wish him the best of luck. - Jeremiah Lee ‘ 22

THANK YOU 25

PARENTS! With the season concluded, we wanted to take a moment to say thank you to a special group of people, the parents. As with the athletes, most of you had never heard of rowing before your son or daughter picked up the sport. Despite this, your love and support were evident through a variety of ways: showing up to early morning races (and only able to watch a fraction of it), bellowing out â€œGO COUGSâ€? with the rest of the team, bringing food for the athletes, coffee for the coaches, a smile and picture after a win, or an arm around the shoulder after a tough loss. These acts culminate to provide a system of support that the team has come to rely on, and have made you some of the best fans in the world. While two simple words do not convey all that you mean to us, for now it will have to do, so, thank you.

PLANNED GIVING You Have the Power to Change Cougs’ Lives 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 win-win. 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.

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY Cougar Crew PO Box 641830 Pullman, WA 99164-1830

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WSU Menâ€™s Crew