End of the Year Banquet

The George Mason University Crew family poses for an end-of-the-season photo after attending the GMU Women's Rowing team banquet. The seniors were rewarded with crew plaques with their names and GMU painted blades made by Head Coach Bob Spousta. Junior William Meeker was also awarded the "Hammer Award" for holding the record for the year of fastest 2k time. We have grown an indescribable amount this season and cannot wait for what the 2014-2015 year will bring for us. Congratulations, senior class! 

ACRAS: American Collegiate Rowing Association 2014

This year Mason surpassed last year's ACRAS entries by sending four small boats to compete in the National Championships on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. Three Men's Fours as well as a Men's Double was entered this year, resulting in two national silver medals in the Varsity 4+ and the Novice 4+ events. The Men's Lightweight 4+ was just shy of medaling, taking 5th place just 1.6 seconds behind U of Michigan in 3rd place. The Men's Double also performed with great enthusiasm, taking 4th place in finals, just 6.9 seconds behind Notre Dame. Overall, GMU sent four small boats to finals, and came home with two silver medals and a whole lot of motivation for next year! 

GMU Head Coach Bob Spousta shakes the hand of Varsity stroke seat Timothy Arvin as he prepares to award him the second place medal for the Men's Varsity 4+ event.

Below: the Men's Double crosses the finish line for Grand Finals, placing 4th, just seconds behind a medaling 3rd place. Stroke seat Ryan Noel and bow seat William Rose.

Below: The GMU Crew competitors at ACRAS 2014 with Head Coach Bob Spousta after a hard weekend of great racing!

Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, Philadelphia, PA 2014

On May 9th and 10th the George Mason University Crew team competed in the annual Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta. We had great success in competition with our Varsity 8+ just shy of qualifying for Grand Finals and placing 4th in Petite Finals, advancing two places from last year's competition. The Varsity 8+ was remarkably close to medaling, finishing in the same second as Army and just three seconds behind the University of Delaware. Overall, the GMU Varsity 8+ ranked 10th at the Dad Vail Regatta in 2014. 

The Men's Varsity 8+ rowing up to the start line

(From stroke to bow): Coxswain: senior Cayla Donnelly, Timothy Arvin, Joseph Butt, William Meeker, Maxwell Jones, William Rose, Billy Colbert, Ryan Noel, and David Noyes. 

The GMU Men's Second Varsity 8+ also competed heartedly, becoming the first GMU Second 8+ to ever advance out of heats to the semi finals. The GMU Second Varsity 8+ was just shy of qualifying for Petite Finals. 

(From stroke to bow): Coxswain sophomore Lauren Soriente, Daniel Luongo, Brian Hetrick, Sam Gallerano, Juan Paz-Rosario, Andrew Price, David Lambrecht, Christopher Margopoulos, and Brett Baker. 

The Knecht Cup, Mercer Lake, NJ 2014

GMU Crew wrapped up the weekend at Knecht Cup 2014 with four boats advancing to finals races, and two of them bringing home first place medals.

The Varsity 4+ brought home a first place medal for the third year in a row! Lookin' good, guys! 

From left to right: Maxwell Jones, William Meeker, Joseph Butt, and Timothy Arvin. Front row: Varsity Coxswain Cayla Donnelly and Head Coach Bob Spousta 

The Men's Frosh/Novice 4+ also brought home a first place medal from Knecht Cup. From stroke to bow: Sam Gallerano, Billy Colbert, Andrew Price, Juan Paz-Rosario, and novice coxswain Kassidy Kenney

The Crew Club is looking forward to preparing to attend Rockett's Landing Regatta in Richmond, Virginia on April 26th. 

The GMU Crew Club started off the Spring 2014 season with seven competing boats at Occoquan Sprints, with five of them placing in first. The boats that placed in first are as follows:

Men's Varsity 8+
Men's Varsity 4+
Men's 2nd Varsity 4+
Men's Lightweight 4+
Men's Novice 4+

Congratulations on hard work paid off!

A candid shot of the seniors as we wrap up our Spring Break two-a-day training. Here's to a great final spring racing season to our senior class!

From left to right: Timothy Wetzel, William Rose, David Noyes, coxswain Cayla Donnelly, Joseph Butt, Brett Baker, and Brian Hetrick

Officers 2014

Congrats to the newly announced officers for the 2014 year:
President: Chris Margopoulos
Vice President: Timothy Arvin
Secretary: Amina Zeidan
Treasurer: William Meeker

We look forward to an exciting approaching spring season and can't wait to get started next week with the GMU Pentathlon, of which the Mason Women's Rowing Team will also be participating in. Best of luck to all participants and heres to a great start to the new year!