As captains, coaches, and rowers prepare to re-open the boathouse this year, the team must prepare through tryouts and practices to prepare themselves for the upcoming battle of boats.
Third-time coach of Crew, Tiffany Cane, focused on recruitment during the off-season in preparation for this moment; captains Cynthia Chen, Yonghao Chen, and Daniel O’Toole, who is also editor-in-chief of this newspaper, spread the sport around, held informational meetings, and ran a summer middle school rowing program alongside coach Kevin Isaza to
“I think the three of them all have complementary attributes towards the personalities that make them successful,” Cane stated, complimenting their dedication to the sport. She continued, recognizing O’Toole as an “amazing student-athlete, person, friend, with strong leadership skills,” Yonghao as a determined athlete with amazing interpersonal skills, and Cynthia as an experienced and reliable Coxswain captain. Cane hopes to see the captains this year grow their skills and become an extension of the coaches themselves, helping to teach, lead, and motivate the team.
Cane has also been watching the athletes closely and noticed an up-and-coming rower, Audrey Nguyen. Cane saw her passion and hoped she would bring it to the boathouse to develop the camaraderie of the team further.
“I'd like to see us close that gap when we're racing, getting a little bit closer times in comparison to other teams. We are newer and the other teams have been rowing together for a long time,” Cane mentioned as she described her hopes for growth on the team this year. She would like to work on her communication with the team, providing frequent updates, and being passionate so the team can rally behind her.
Daniel O’Toole, captain of the boys’ team, has been recruiting several players, including Nguyen, to increase the size of the team.
“Daniel [O’Toole] and Ryan [Li], the captains from last year, they really wanted me on the team so I ended up joining halfway through the season, which was definitely an adjustment but I think I fit pretty well,” Henry Wallis, a senior and second-year rower commented on why he joined.
“From my sophomore, so my junior year the size did decrease a little bit but as it's looking right now, it seems like we're growing as a team,” O’Toole mentioned. He continued to talk about his role on the team ensuring that he keeps everyone on track, motivated, and focused to bring out the potential the team has. “We got a lot of new rowers coming up, so I'm going to be there and all the other senior members are going to be there to make sure that [the athletes] are all coached up and ready to have a great season,”
O’Toole brought up the varsity boats mentioning how solid they look and how he is looking forward to the team's first meet with Arlington on April 27th.
“I'm excited to meet some of the other rowers, I really love going against all these different teams, you really get to know them, and obviously when it comes time to actually compete against them, I'm all business, but you know outside of that it's really fun just to grow that competitive community.”
Daniel O'Toole
O’Toole attributed his success to his teammates, both current and graduated as he mentioned past alumni of crew that inspired O’Toole to push himself and build close connections with the rest of the team, as he strived to create a strong family.
“I want to drive them so that they can become great and then they can foster that next group and that next generation,” O’Toole said.
In the end, O’Toole is looking to end this year as one of the greatest rowers in program history and be a shining figure for his teammates to look to.
As the boathouse prepares to reopen its doors and the Crew team gears up for another season, the groundwork laid by Coach Tiffany Cane, alongside dedicated captains and emerging talents, sets a promising tone for the challenges ahead. As they embark on their journey, both on and off the water, Malden Crew stands united in their pursuit of success, ready to make their mark in program history and inspire all future generations of rowers.
