Nov. 9, 2008

Throughout the season, members of the UNC rowing team will provide TarHeelBlue.com readers with an inside look at the Carolina program and the experience of being a varsity athlete at UNC. This installment, the first of the 2008-09 school year, is by JoAnne Rogers, a junior from Silver Spring, Md.

"You'll never see us coming!"

This is our new mantra for the year and I can say with confidence that this statement will hold true. It is going to be a great year for Carolina Rowing. We started off this year with faster times than we have ever had, and continue to be faster this year than we were at the same time last year. With the loss of five seniors and the addition of several novice team members, it is a testament to the work that everyone put in this summer, as well as the coaching staff, that this came to pass.

We began the season scrimmaging Duke, where we raced a four and two eights. It went pretty well and allowed us to see where we needed to put in the work for the Occoquan chase. At the chase, the first boat received first in every event they were entered, with the rest of our boats rounding out the field, never finishing below eighth place.

So far this season has been filled with mounting excitement and a desire to really prove ourselves and establish our team as a dominant force. The competition truly won't see us coming.