Last season, the women’s rowing team did not complete its season the way it had planned. The Bruins finished in seventh place at the Pac-10 Championships, behind the six other conference competitors.
Coach Amy Fuller Kearney, entering her seventh season at the helm, believes the conference will be just as tough this season.
“The Pac-10 is really fierce,” Fuller Kearney said. “Everyone (in the conference) is capable, so we have to take it one day at a time to reach our goals. We have to get better every day.”
Following the season in July, UCLA hired Mark Hunter as an assistant coach. Hunter, who won the gold medal in the lightweight double sculls as a member of the British team in Beijing this summer, brings added experience and knowledge to the squad. Fuller Kearney, a three-time Olympian and former world-record holder, knows the importance of setting goals early.
“We always start the season with really big expectations,” Fuller Kearney said. “We’ll set them high now and work every day to reach them. We want to go from good to great.”
Fuller Kearney also hopes Vanessa Teff, who is a part of a deep senior class, is able to lead her squad once again. Last season, Teff was named to the All-Pac-10 team and earned second-team All-American accolades.
Even with an experienced team, Fuller Kearney is always looking for more rowers.
“We are accepting walk-ons,” Fuller Kearney said. “No experience is necessary; we just want girls to come out and give it a try.”
After commencing practice on Sept. 23, the Bruins begin their season on Oct. 11 in the Marina Challenge at Marina Del Rey. On May 2, UCLA will take on crosstown rival USC. The Pac-10 Championships, held on May 17 in Rancho Cordova, is the 16th and final event of the season before the NCAA Championships.