As day two began, so did the wind. Rowers were greeted by a 15-20 m.p.h. headwind, and a bit of a dust bowl feeling (a precursor to next years nationals in Oklahoma?). Nevertheless, races went off on time, including my club B 8+ heat, despite the eight next to us blowing into our lane just before the start. Our start was miserable, lacking the proper punch, and the boat felt more like a lead submarine than a flying ship. We battled back through the wind, and managed to qualify for the final. There wasn't a whole lot to say in the post-row debriefing. We just never established a good rhythm, we were nervous, our catches weren't quick, and then there was that frigging wind.

The next four hours were spent shopping in the vendor area, resting, and going to Wegmans. Wegmans is no ordinary grocery store, and a truly transformative experience. Rowers that came to nationals last year knew that no matter how they rowed, a trip to Wegmans was guaranteed to make them feel better. Having grown up in Rochester, NY, the home of the Wegmans mothership, I long have known about the restorative powers of Wegmans.

Whether this made the difference, or it was the fact that we were more relaxed, we rowed the way we knew we could in the final. There was rhythm, there was flow, we rowed as hard as we could, to hell with the wind; we came in fourth. It was disappointing not to get a medal, but it was also a special moment in the history of our club. This was the first time University Barge Club was represented by a women's eight in a national championship regatta. I feel proud and privileged to have been a part of this crew. It's been a great learning experience for me, and I couldn't have asked for more dedicated and patient teammates. Special thanks goes to our cox, a voice we'd do anything for, and a guy who believed in us even when we had doubts. To John, Maria, Ulana, Jen, Dierdre, Em, Kelly, and Margaret, Cheers!