Danny Jailet

As spring is officially underway, cities and towns begin to come alive with outdoor activities as the temperatures get warmer. Lake Quinsigamond is perhaps the epicenter of all outdoor events in Worcester and this May, that will be no exception. The lake will be hosting several regattas in what will be an exciting couple weeks of competition. Two of the bigger events are the Women’s Eastern Sprints, held on Sunday, May 5, and the Men’s Sprints, which will take place on Sunday, May 19. 

The selection process is specific and organized. Because both events are collegiate competitions, schools must apply to be represented in this event. First, they have to be voted in as members of the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges, or EARC for short. Then, they have to be voted in as members of the Association, as well as competitors of the Regatta. There are currently 17 teams that can take part in this. The regattas are open to previous attendees of the event as well as new programs that are invited by the Association/Regatta Committee.

Katie Boldvich plays a huge part in the success of these events. As the Executive Director, she has to make sure everything runs smoothly while carrying out many roles throughout the competitions. Boldvich takes pride in what she does,“I help the teams with logistics, registration and serve as the liaison between the teams and the officials/professional staff. I work with the local organizing committee to secure vendors and also serve as a point of contact for our live broadcast team. I also coordinate the awards and awards ceremonies for the events.”

The Women’s Eastern Sprints were very successful last year. The sprints occurred on Sunday, April 29, with about 575 individuals representing 16 colleges. The 2018 event saw strong competition and many colleges came out on top.

With the first event starting at 8 a.m., and the last event taking place at 4:30 p.m., it was a full day of competition. Separated into groups of eight, there are various heats that occur in each category. A heat, for those unfamiliar, is a series of races or competitions. The winners of each heat will then take part in a final competition against each other.

Dartmouth College looks to have a successful 2019 competition, as they won the first heat of the day in 2018 with a time of 6:29.798. With the heat starting at 8:20 a.m. they quite literally started the day off right. Harvard-Radcliffe and Rutgers were the winners of the other two races. Harvard-Radcliffe in particular had a strong day, as they secured the top times in the first heat of the Second Varsity Eight, as well as having the top time in the Grand Final with a mark of 7.24.982. 

In the final event of the day, the Wisconsin A-Team had the top time in the Varsity Lightweight Grand Final with a mark of 7.53.492. All 29 events that day saw tremendous representation from all across the East Coast. 

The Men’s Eastern Sprints, an event paired with the EARC was also a major success last year. Held on May 13, the competition was fierce as 950 competitors took center stage, ready to win it all. With the first event taking place at 9:12 a.m., Yale won the first heat of the day with a time of 5.40.165. With 11 events, it was a busy day on Lake Quinsigamond once again. The day concluded with the Grand Final in the Varsity Four heat. Northeastern was victorious as they scored a time of 6.45.274.

These events are not to be taken lightly. In order to uphold competition standards, all programs are vetted. However, despite this strict process of being able to compete in these events, all programs are invited to compete in these competitions. With so much time and effort being put into not only these events but the training leading up to them, Executive Director Boldvich says she enjoys seeing the success and dedication of those competing.“The most rewarding part is helping facilitate a great event for the student athletes who commit hours and hours of their time to prepare and train for the championship,” Boldvich said. Seeing that hard work culminate into a championship race for a team is always rewarding.

Taking place on the cusp of summertime, it will be a fun few weekends on Lake Quinsigamond. It may be quiet most days, but for these couple of weekends, it will be alive and well as 2,000 meters of the lake will be home to the thrill of competition.