Captain Coste Shares Thoughts on Fall Rowing Season
11/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
Senior Adena Coste, captain of the University of Michigan rowing team, shared her thoughts on the fall season. Coste, a member of Michigan's second varsity eight crew, was part of U-M's Big Ten winning 2V8 crew at the 2015 Big Ten Championships last season. As the team begins preparations for winter conditioning, Coste looked back on team gains from several months on the water during an unusually mild fall in Ann Arbor.
Q. Your 2V8 boat had a lot of success towards the end of last year, winning at the Big Ten Rowing Championships. How much does that carry over to this year with a lot of returning rowers from that particular crew?
A. Last year for the group that went to NCAAs it was a great experience for us racing because it opened our eyes to the intense competition at the national level. On my boat we had a good performance at Big Tens but we didn't see it carry over as much at NCAAs and I think it was a really good learning experience. We had a lot of people where it was their first time racing at NCAAs and so it was a really good experience to get under our belt to see how fast so many crews are and just how close the margins can be and how big a difference that can make when it comes to what place we finish as a team. I think now coming into the fall we are a more mature team and have those experiences under our belt. We have that fire within us to get back to work. That really started in June as soon as NCAAs were over and I think a lot of people really trained hard over the summer. Because of that we were able to get straight to work and I think it's really good to have that carry through.
Q. Fall training can be a little different than practice in the spring, how does what the team does in the fall help prepare you for racing in the spring season?
A. We've definitely have done consistent racing work in fours which is nice to have that freedom to do in the fall because you don't have a race to look ahead to and you have a little more freedom in practice with lineups. Every Wednesday this fall was called "Challenge Wednesday" and we go out in fours and race each other. Sometimes we make lineup switches in between pieces and sometimes we don't. The thing that makes those Wednesdays different is that the coxswains aren't allowed to talk at all so it really puts it on the rowers to come together in whatever lineup you're in that day and make it work. It builds up your mental toughness and your ability to work together and that's been a cool thing to take advantage of in the fall. It will help us with that racing mentality, to build challenges and work through them.
Q. How was fall racing this year against Michigan State and Ohio State and what do you gain from having the two fall exhibitions against Big Ten rivals?
A. Every time in practice you're imagining Ohio State next to you, you're imagining Michigan State, Indiana, or Wisconsin next to you. Each chance you have to have them actually next to you, no matter what your stroke rate is capped at or even if it's a workout it gives you a nice measuring stick. You can't take too much out of a win or a loss but it's really nice to have them there instead of just imagining them. We definitely appreciate the fall scrimmages.
Q. One of the most prestigious international regattas takes place in the fall with the Head of the Charles in Boston and Michigan once again participated and had a strong finish. U-M sent two varsity eights to compete this year. How was that experience racing against some of the best collegiate crews?
A. It's exciting with all the different teams that are there and it brings to the forefront of your mind the competition you'll face during the year. Our performance was solid but I think the biggest thing that we took was that we have a pretty deep team right now. There are a lot of people that didn't go to the Head of the Charles that very well could have. That's great, and it's really good we have that solid base but we need to start making our pyramid a little bit taller instead of wider. We need to start pushing ourselves to have a 1V8 that is beating other 1V8s and a 2V8 that is beating other 2V8s and so forth. We're looking forward to building on that as we head towards the winter.
Q. The weather in Ann Arbor this fall has been very mild. How has this helped your team in training on the water at Belleville Lake?
A. Well there's a lot more boat traffic! Yesterday we got hit by a wake and our boat got swamped. Good thing it's 70 degrees out or otherwise we'd be in trouble! It's been really great, really good water to train in but also some windy days too which we welcome as well because we know we have to be able to face anything. It's nice, but I hope the winter starts soon so it will end earlier in the spring. But we're definitely enjoying our last warm week on the water before we head indoors.
Q. What has it meant for you to have a leadership role on this team as captain?
A. It's weird being one of the oldest people on the team because I definitely don't feel old. I remember being a freshman thinking the seniors are so old and wise. I don't feel so wise yet. But that's definitely interesting, being the position where people come to you with the questions. It's been a lot of fun and it's an honor to be captain and have that leadership role, but I think what's special about this team is that we have so many leaders throughout the entire team. We just want to create an environment that enables anyone to lead so that we can be strong throughout. That's what I'm really most excited about.
Communications Contact: Jeffrey Weinstein (734) 763-4423
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