In Allie’s wake: Showing off and building speed
October 06, 2018 | Women's Rowing
Senior and Chanhassen, Minnesota, native Allie Lohrenz is giving regular updates this year from Porter Boathouse and around the country as the women's rowing team travels through the 2018-19 season. A third generation Wisconsin student-athlete (grandfather played football and mom was a rower), Lohrenz played lacrosse and competed in motocross before walking onto the Badger rowing program her freshman year.
MADISON, Wis. -- Last weekend, to cap off the first month of the fall semester, the Badgers geared up for race day as the Iowa Hawkeyes and Indiana Hoosiers made their way north for a Friday and Saturday scrimmage. In addition to the field of openweight boats, we had the opportunity to share the water with our lightweight team as well, making last weekend a full-on family affair. With high winds deeming the course outside of Porter Boathouse unfit for racing, all three teams made the journey over to Marshall Park, where athletes were greeted with friends, family, fans and flat water.
On Friday afternoon, flights of eights took off in time-trial fashion, with all crews racing against the clock and each other in an attempt to put up the fastest time. The 4k course along the Mendota shoreline made for a spectacular course and gave athletes the first true glimpse of fall. Accompanying the changing and colorful landscape were cool temperatures that dipped into the 30s along with a typical Wisconsin windchill. Though this may feel extreme to some this early in the year, the Badgers and their Big Ten opponents felt right at home in the cool weather as they sped down the course. Saturday offered sunnier but similar conditions to Friday. Clean rowing and smart racing became even more essential as all crews battled increasingly choppy waters and raced in a strong tail wind throughout the morning. Nevertheless, each boat brought nothing short of its A game, fighting tooth and nail through each sprint piece in true Big Ten fashion.
With fall being one of the most critical building periods during the school year, scrimmaging and racing other teams provides a great gauge of the work people are putting in, as well as a fun way to mix up the typical training. For the Badgers, race weekends are some of the most fun as we get to show off our hard work and continue to build speed. As special as racing weekends are, they are even more exciting on home turf, and this weekend was no exception. With the Badgers, Hawkeyes and Hoosiers showing up and throwing down competitive times all weekend, it is safe to say that the depth the Big Ten often boasts is here to stay for yet another season.
Players Mentioned
