Yen Nguyen also contributed to this article.
In a rigorous meet against Everett’s Crimson Tide, Malden High’s Crew team faced two races. Despite the team’s small group, they were able to persist against Everett’s large crew, eventually ending the race in a tie. Malden’s rowers included senior captain and Editor-in-Chief of the Blue and Gold, Mack Keating, juniors Audrey Nguyen and Evan Ruan, and sophomores Yawen Zuo and Atticus Smith.
Although crew is considered a co-ed sport, both teams are required to split up into two gendered teams, racing against each other. However, due to Malden’s limit of a five-member team, they were required to have one co-ed team. Despite this restriction, the five Maldonians pushed through with their utmost strength, with the help of their new crew coach Harout Khodaverdia.
Malden Crew first met up and gathered at the Malden River to prepare a boat, known properly as a shell, and have it be on the dock, ready to row a distance of 1,500 meters. Their first race was against Everett’s boys. Prior to the race, the crew was tasked to row to the starting line underneath the Woods Memorial Bridge, setting the scene for the race.
However, shortly after beginning the race, Malden began to experience complications regarding a boat, which delayed the start of the race. Zuo explained that “one of the oarlocks broke,” which repositioned the oar. Ultimately, the team had to “switch to another boat,” Zuo continued.
Once they were able to commence the first race, Malden maintained a sizable gap ahead of Everett’s boat, paddling faster and faster. The harsh sun beating against the skin of the audience and the rowers, combined with the wind pressure on the water, made it harder to advance in the race. Yet, the team kept a constant lead against Everett almost the entire time.
“We kept a good rhythm throughout the race,” remarked Nguyen, who continued: “The team also stayed focused and communicated well, which made a big difference.” Despite facing a minor problem with the first boat and the environmental difficulties that are part of the sport, Malden rose against it and eventually “won the race against the boys,” Nguyen emphasized, who claimed “felt really good.”
Following the first race was a break period for both teams, lasting around five minutes. During this break, rowers were permitted to use the bathroom, rest up, and get themselves prepared for the second race. For Malden, this was crucial for the players, as the team didn’t have any extra players to rotate.
Before the second race, Khodaverdia instructed the crew to switch from their usual seating positions in the shell, which put Nguyen further up along the seating. Each member, having accustomed and grown to their usual spots, struggled to adjust to the waters, which would negatively impact their performance in the race against Everett’s girls. Racing proved to be difficult as the team “had never practiced rowing in that lineup,” prior to the change, Zuo mentioned.
In the end, Malden lost the second race against the Crimson Tide. Despite their loss in the second race, Nguyen mentioned how, because the race was a scrimmage, it fortunately didn’t have an impact on their overall record for the season, as it was unofficial.
Their scrimmage was seen as a learning opportunity, and despite their struggles in the second race, it was “valuable experience as the coach learned more about what was wrong with our technique and how to improve it,” Smith reflected. “It showed what we needed to improve on,” Zuo finalized.
The Overall Season:
The majority of the crew found that the season has been going well, “there’s been some ups and downs, but it’s been good overall,” Nguyen expressed. The members simultaneously credited coach Khodaverdia for their success throughout the season. “Coach K is very constructive and an experienced coach and rower; he gives a lot of feedback,” Zuo evaluated. Khodaverdia has helped them reflect on their techniques and figure out how to enhance them.
Throughout the season, the team experienced their share of goods and bads, yet they find that they are consistently improving every practice and race, which Nguyen proclaimed has “been good overall.”
For a majority of the season, the crew dedicated time to practicing and has only had four official meets, all of which they proudly won. It is worth mentioning that the team exited victorious in winning two tough races against Medford on May 4th. They were able to utilize what they learned during countless practices and show off the skills that led them to triumph, which is what made it a memorable highlight within the season.
As the season is coming to an end, the team continues to exert all their effort into improving themselves for their remaining time within the season and in preparation for the next.. Determined to prepare themselves for their advancement into states, the crew remains hopeful for their win. On May 25th, their state meet will take place in Lowell, and after working diligently to get better, they are confident that they will row all the way to victory during the important meet.
