April 26, 2006

It's here. The week before the Patriot League Championship has finally arrived. Poised and prepared, we enter these six days leading up to the big race - the one we've been planning for and dreaming of all season long. Now it is simply time for the execution. We are either ready or not - but here I come, accompanied by my four companions, whom I respect, admire and count on to keep me driving.

As anyone in the varsity four could tell you, the journey leading up to this point has been long and intense - but that's what gives this race its edge. Memories of sitting in a crowded fieldhouse classroom, with the numbers 9, 9 and 5 written on a dry erase board come to mind, along with Coach's powerful exclamation that this is the Patriot League Squad. The race is a chance to prove to the competition, to the University, to our fellow athletes, and to ourselves, that all our training and dedication will pay off.

The varsity four is a young boat - two returning sophomores, one recruit and two novices - and thus three of the five athletes have never before raced in Worcester, Mass., known for its wild winds and troubled water. However, the spirit and energy that radiates from the bodies, moving in sync to the sound of our coxswain's voice, is one to be revered and challenged. The other Patriot League boats should feel a sense of nervousness, because our varsity four is pulling up to the line with a fierce hunger for competition. Each point we earn to contribute to the overall team score will be gained through sweat and pure exhaustion.

No matter what the outcome of the race is, nor the result of the whole day's events, one thing is for sure - Bucknell's boats will leave it all out on the water, every last stroke, every last push, and that is something to be proud of.

- Amanda Gallina '08