Penn women's rowing had an entirely different look at the top in 2015, but with new coach Wesley Ng and new recruits, they are ready to go for 2016.
Credit: Courtesy of Penn Athletics2015 saw plenty of action in and out of the water for Penn rowing for all three teams — women's, lightweight and heavyweight. One of the three head coaches oversaw his first spring season at the helm; the other two worked their last.
The women's team finished sixth at the Ivy League Championships in the spring of 2015. After the season, the program cut ties with coach Mike Lane following 12 years with Penn and hired Wesley Ng in his place. In October, Ng's squad earned three gold medals and four silver medals at home in the Head of the Schuylkill meet.
The men's heavyweights had a solid start to the spring of 2015, winning two of their first three meets. The team then hit a bit of a slide, however. The Red and Blue put up a decent showing in the Eastern Sprints Championships (ninth) and National Championships (11th), with the freshman boats finishing third in both meets, but that was not enough to save the job of coach Greg Myhr, who was replaced by Geoff Bond.
The heavyweights had a strong fall, finishing second in the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, but were undone at the Princeton Chase when an oar struck a log in the water, nearly causing the team's boat to crash.
The men's lightweights had a good spring in 2015 under new head coach Colin Farrell, highlighted by a win over Navy and a sixth-place finish at the National Championships. In the fall, the team placed fifth in three of its four events.
"It being my first year as head coach, there was a lot of groundwork being laid, and trying to get the team understanding what we need to do, and what the standards are, and setting a framework for what our team is gonna be all about," Farrell said.
"So from that standpoint I think last year was pretty successful. From a results standpoint, I think we wanted more. Certainly them finishing the year sixth was a good start for us.
"The team is looking to compete at the highest level, so from that standpoint, last year was kind of a start ... a place that we want to improve from."
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