TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Terriers crew looks to past, builds for future

ADVERTISEMENT

By NICHOLAS J.E. MURRAY

nmurray@tampatrib.com

Published: October 14, 2009

TAMPA - There's a new coach and, as a result, a new atmosphere as Hillsborough High's rowing crew prepares for the fall season to begin on Oct. 24, but that doesn't mean the Terriers are quite letting go of part of their past yet either.

Now at Duke, former Terriers standout and U.S. junior national team member Katie Burke is still an influential member of the Hillsborough squad.

"I've heard a lot about her, and she just seemed really to give that emphasis towards the next step," Coach Cory Conzemius said. "All the rowers strive to be like her, a lot of the rowers said they want to row in college, they want to improve in everything. They've shown me they're probably the most dedicated and driven bunch I've ever been a part of."

High praise from a man who has trained with the Potomac Rowing Club and rowed for American University. Terriers captains John Schonwetter and Meggie Watson said that it has been a different kind of camp this year with Conzemius, with more time spent on the water working on technique than the Terriers were used to in the past.

"It's been an adjustment, new coaching style, new way of doing things," Watson said. "Rotating different line-ups, and being on the water as much as we can be is going to help us get the set, get the technique and be able to mesh with each other in different orders to create the chemistry we need to go really fast."

The Terriers open at the Head of the Hillsborough before the Halloween Regatta on Oct. 31 and the biggest meet of the fall, the Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Nov. 7. Conzemius said the Terriers' crews are looking to improve on their finishes in Tennessee last season, something he thinks they are capable of.

"They placed eighth in the women's varsity 8," Conzemius said. "I think the girls have shown this year they are going to be a very strong team to reckon with."

More than that, though, the team is excited to get out on the water to compete again.

"We just want to get out, try the new coaching style and see how it works out," Schonwetter said. "It's looking really good."

RSL wins, but HCU confidence boosted

LAND O' LAKES - RSL Florida's girls under-18 team took the title at the Columbus Day Classic hosted by Hillsborough County United, but HCU's under-17 team came away with a great deal of confidence after only losing to its older rivals on goal difference on Sunday.

Five teams played a round-robin tournament, with RSL and HCU facing off in what had become a de facto final due to prior results. HCU took the lead in the ninth minute, Colby Maffei stealing the ball from an RSL defender before moving in on goal and placing a right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area into the right corner of the net.

"She's one of the best finishers in the area," HCU coach George Fotopoulos said of Maffei. "I just think she continues to get better and better and better. That, for me, makes me very excited."

RSL controlled the bulk of play with Connor Zwetsch playing an influential role in creating chances, but it was unable to find the net before halftime, missing two good opportunities.

The pressure finally told in the opening minute of the second half when Zwetsch took a quick free kick to release Collen Lynch down the left. Lynch hit a shot across the penalty area that was palmed away by HCU goalkeeper Amber Davis, only for Nicci Carter to score on the rebound.

HCU managed to hold off RSL for the remainder of the game, and Maffei almost stole victory with a chip that just went over the crossbar. RSL also had chances, most notably when Zoe Lombard had her looping header tipped over the crossbar by Davis. Honors ended even, though, leaving both sides undefeated for the weekend, but RSL earned the title thanks to its plus-seven goal differential, compared to HCU's plus-four.

Fotopoulos, though, was pleased with the way his side had competed against RSL.

"My hat goes off to the entire team," Fotopoulos said. "I thought as a unit we played extremely well and really came up big.

"Playing against RSL, who are regarded nationally as one of the best teams in the under-18 age-group, we're showing that we're of that caliber."

Nicholas J.E. Murray can be reached at (813) 259-8243. Keyword: Youth sports for more news, notes and live game coverage.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT