Mills' Crew team went south to Newport Beach last weekend to race against Chapman University and Claremont College. The Varsity eight boat won a tight race with Chapman with a time of 7:21. According to Mills crew coach Wendy Franklin, the teams were "neck and neck" for the first six and a half minutes of the race. "I think it was a great way to start our season," she said.
Crew team member junior Shannon Van Meir said the contest was one of the best races her team had rowed in a long time. "It could have gone either way," she said. "We just wore them out."
The Varsity four boat clocked in with a time of 8:20 and was well ahead of the other competitors. The Novice four "A" boat raced in the varsity race. They came in second with a time of 9:05, beating Chapman and Claremont's varsity four boats. The Novice four "B" boat completed their race with a time of 9:25.
According to Franklin, the team is looking forward to the Blue Heron Regatta at Humboldt University on March 25. "We'd really like to place in the top three there," she said.
"Our goal is constantly improving ourselves and our team. Our goal is to be competitive," Van Meir said.
