Eiffert Reflects on Fall Season Before Michigan Classic
11/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Jessica Eiffert is one of five returning seniors who will guide a young University of Michigan women's rowing team this season. A two-time Pocock All-American and an All-Big Ten second team selection, Eiffert is one of only two returning members from last season's first varsity eight crew. But in its first big competition this fall, the 50th Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, the 1V8 crew posted Michigan's best finish since 2011 in the women's championship eights race on Oct. 19. This weekend, the Wolverines will wrap up the fall season with the seventh annual Michigan Classic against the men's club team. Eiffert took some time to reflect on the Head of the Charles and looked ahead to the spring.
On the team's mindset heading into the Head of the Charles
"I was really pleased going into the race. I had confidence in our coxswain because she seemed to be doing pretty well in preparations for the race. We have a really young boat, and the freshmen have been working well."
On the team's goals heading into the competition
"We really wanted to see how we did compared to the other boats in the field. We passed Notre Dame and Radcliffe and that was a huge goal. Once we did that, we felt pretty good about the rest of the race."
On finishing in fifth place, the team's best finish in four years at the Head of the Charles
"You have no idea results when you cross the finish line because it is a head race (crews sent off in intervals). I knew we did somewhat well. To see that we got second place among some really good crews was awesome. We still have a lot of gains that we need to make in the next few weeks and months."
On advice the crew received to navigate the difficult 4,800-meter course in Boston
"Felice Mueller is one of our alumni and she told us to start the race like it's the final 200 meters and then keep going. Start really strong and then hang on. There are stretches where it is straight, and then when you hit the curves, the coxswain tells us to power up and power down. When we were passing some of the other crews, we pushed them to outside of the turn with our route. The Head of the Charles is about aggression and is a feisty race."
"It does give us a lot of confidence. When you have top-end speed in the 1V8, it represents the efforts of the whole team. It builds confidence in the entire program because the whole team drives the 1V8 and it shows that the team is doing a really good job. If we keep doing the work we need to do, we can be successful in the spring."
Communications Contact: Jeffrey Weinstein (734) 763-4423
