May 25 marks the seventh year in a row that the first varsity (1V) and second varsity  (2V) boys crew will compete in the National Championship Regatta. The two-day-long regatta is being held in Pennsauken, New Jersey, where the nation’s best rowers will compete for the national title. 

McLean qualified for nationals after their 1V and 2V boats placed 12th and 5th respectively in time trials and 4th in the Stotesbury Cup Regatta semifinals. 

“Nationals is where we see how our team stacks up against high schools across the country,” said boys crew coach Jack Connors. “While Virginia has a very competitive racing scene, nationals is where we row against the top crews […] and get to see how we measure [against them].”

Traditionally, McLean boys crew has sported a very accomplished team. In the past five years, the team has won the state title three times. As a result, the team is entering the regatta with high expectations. 

“My hopes are simple — I hope we have solid races and it would be great to advance to grand finals,” Connors said. “We also get to rematch some teams that we rowed against earlier in the season, and I hope we can have a strong showing against them.”

Sophomore James Millward, coxswain of the 2V boat, holds the responsibility for leading and steering the boat during their race. 

“The most important thing [about being coxswain] is executing the course plan and motivating the team,” Millward said.

Being the boat’s leader, the coxswain is also in charge of formulating the team’s strategy. The National Championship Regatta pits McLean against the toughest rowers from all over the country, making having a good strategy a necessity to stand a chance.

“We need a good start if we want to get ahead,” Millward said. “For that reason we’re going to practice starting sequences on the way down. We need to beat St. Augustine, St. Andrews and Saratoga to qualify [for semifinals].” 

Millward wants to make a bold “middle move” to gain a lead against the other boats or, if they’re trailing behind, to catch up to the others.

“We’re up against pretty tough competition — we need a good start if we want to get ahead early,” Millward said. “In the middle of the race, [we’re going to] increase our power and stroke rate. I’m also going to call the sprint, which will bring the rate up at 400 meters to go.”

Millward also recognizes the rigorous mental capacity his boat needs.  

“When rowers know that another crew is passing us, it demoralizes them and can make them give up,” Millward said. “I need to [make] some really good motivational calls that make the rowers want to keep pushing through the pain that they’ll be in during the race. I’m going to cox like it’s the last race of our season.”

Demoralization is no stranger to boys crew. Before nationals, the team had already been tirelessly rowing upstream. 

“Over the season, we missed over three weeks of training due to high winds and bad water conditions,” said sophomore Carson Fast, sixth seat on the 2V boat. “We also lost our 2V boat for three weeks because the trailer driver hit a tree on the way up.”

Despite consistently being one of McLean’s best-performing sports teams, the school does not fund them at all. An absence of any school funding has hampered the team’s competitive efforts, making it difficult to acquire new equipment.

“We are recognized as a school team,” said junior Zaid Abughazaleh, bow seat of the 2V boat. “[However,] we are considered a club [because] Fairfax County is unable to fund schools with crew, since not every school has a team.”

The lack of school funding puts crew in a sink-or-swim situation. Individual rowers have to pitch in money from their own pockets if they expect to sustain their successes.

“[Everyone] has to pay 3,000 dollars every year,” Fast said. “We also have to do a twenty hour fundraising event called ‘Mulch Madness’ where we try to sell as much mulch within a month. Our goal is 250 dollars per person.”

Carrying over the momentum from their season successes, the boys in the boats will streamline their way to bring home the champion title on May 25. 

“My biggest hope is that our seniors get to enjoy their final regatta of their high school careers and get some good racing in,” Connors said. “They’re a really great group of young men and they’ve done a lot for our team.”