ALLY SEEVERS/THE CREIGHTONIAN
Creighton rowers Emily Gleason, Zoey Rauterkus, Ellie Kearin, Laurel Kieffer and Summer Ryan compete in the Varsity 4 race against Kansas State on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Carter Lake in Iowa.
Creighton rowing opened its season Saturday with a home regatta against Kansas State, giving the Bluejays their first chance to race another team after weeks of fall training.
The teams raced twice at Carter Lake, starting with the Varsity 4s at 10:30 a.m. Kansas State won that race by 0.45 seconds, leaving Creighton with a short lunch break before the teams returned for the Varsity 8.
“It was helpful to bring nerves down again,” senior coxswain Mariana Vasquez Rosas said. “We got to recuperate and then get back out there really focused.”
Creighton won the Varsity 8, continuing a two-year streak of victories over Kansas State in the top boat. Senior Claire Robertson has been part of both of those wins.
“It felt like we were driving together,” Robertson said. “It felt really connected and fast.”
Robertson credited her coxswain with keeping the boat in a straight line and making strong calls throughout the race. After coming so close in the first race, Vasquez Rosas said the team was eager to get back on the water.
“I think everyone was wanting it after the outcome of the first race, so we took that as motivation and energy,” she said.
Head coach Dan Chipps said the first competition gave the team a chance to see how its fall training translated to racing.
“It was rewarding for our team to compete against another team for the first time this season,” Chipps said. “There is room for improvement, but I’m proud of our performance and the improvements we’ve already made in the fall.”
The home course also brought friends and family out to watch. Robertson said Vasquez Rosas would call for a power-ten “to show off” when they passed the crowd.
“We wanted to show: ‘Yeah, this is what we do, every day,’” Robertson said.
The race marked another step back into competition for junior Ellie Kearin, who missed her entire sophomore season with a knee injury. She hadn’t rowed since her freshman year.
Kearin spent the time cross-training with activities including walking, kickboxing and HIIT workouts while limiting the range of motion in her knee.
“Being back and rowing with the team is so fun,” Kearin said. “It made me realize how much you miss when you’re on the sidelines versus when you’re in the boat, you know?”
Kearin said she was surprised by how many friends came to watch her race.
“It’s great to feel so supported,” she said.
Kearin, who is from Minnesota, is looking forward to having her family at Creighton’s next race. The Bluejays will compete in the Head of the Mississippi Regatta in Minneapolis on tomorrow.
This event is a head race, with crews starting separately and racing against the clock on a course of about 3 miles. The regatta includes collegiate, high school, open and masters divisions. It will offer the Jays a chance to continue their early-season growth on a unique course.