The district-wide undefeated Inglemoor crew team is ready for a season full of wins. So they’ve been putting in the work, with practices every day of the week except for Sunday.
Although it seems like a niche sport, crew has over 70 members. Co-captain Vincent Haug (he/him) joined crew after a friend lured him into it.
“I had a friend tell me he was going to join crew, so I joined up. And then he actually ended up never joining crew,” said Haug.
Overall, most crew members joined because of the people in their lives. For example, freshman Garrett Hermes (he/him) credited his older brother, senior Drew Hermes (he/him), as his reason for joining crew. However, he mentioned another person when asked about his biggest crew inspiration.
“Actually, Vincent Haug is my biggest inspiration and idol. He inspires me and is my inspiration,” said Hermes.
On a crew boat with eight seats, rowers tend to claim their favorite seats and sides. Starting from the bow, or the back of the boat, the seats are numbered one through eight. The odd numbered seats are on the ‘starboard,’ or right side, while even seats are on the ‘port,’ or left side.
“I can switch between both, but I prefer starboard. And I prefer being in the bow, which is the best seat,” said Hermes.
Some crew members don’t even row, however. For example, junior Yameena Shameem’s (she/her) role as a coxswain is to sit at the front of the boat and direct the rowers who put their trust in her.
“My job is to command and lead the boat; I’m the only one who can see where we’re going since all the rowers are facing me, and I have to steer. I have to make sure everyone is rowing in time, call out drills, and I’m like a mini coach because the coach tells me what to do, and then I implement it in the boat,” said Shameem.
Though the rowers see many positives to crew, there are also challenges. The most threatening enemy of a rower is the weather, with Kenmore’s typical rain and cold. However, another unanticipated challenge swept their boat off its course.
Earlier this month, crew temporarily paused their everyday water practices due to an incident allegedly caused by Bothell High School’s crew team.
“Bothell broke one of our boats in the middle of the lake, and people had to swim to the motorboat,” said Haug.
Athletic director Kealey Stanich (she/her) commended the crew team for handling the situation.
“Kids got out of the boat and into the water, and everything went smoothly; the coaches did everything they were supposed to do and got the kids out of the water in seconds. Just, as a district, we wanted to look at our guidelines to make sure all the kids are safe.”
