One of the more historic programs at JU and certainly among the most successful, the Jacksonville women’s rowing team has announced that the program is going international and will compete in the Royal Women’s Henley Regatta this upcoming summer for what will be its international debut.
The Royal Henley, which takes place just north of London, England, and starts in early July, will field some 2,000 athletes and will have international representation from countries like Australia, Europe, the United States, as well as a plethora of English teams competing. The regatta is held annually on the River Thames and was established in 1839; it is considered the most prestigious regatta in the world.
Director of Rowing and head women’s rowing coach Mike Lane could not be more excited to take his team to the international stage.
“Going to Europe is a really special thing,” said Lane. “With Anne’s (Geurts) help, we’ll train for a week in the Netherlands, where she’s from, and then head over to England and spend another week racing. I’m just so excited for these student-athletes. They’re going to get the opportunity of a lifetime, and really nothing will compare to it. I know they’re excited.”
Anne Geurts, one of two internationals on the women’s rowing roster this season, is equally thrilled to attend the regatta as she is to be back home.
“I’m really excited to show all of my teammates and best friends my hometown, first of all,” said Geurts. “And then to go over to England and compete in one of the biggest races in the world is so exciting. It’s also another style of racing, which we haven’t done before, So I’m really excited for that, and I think we can do well over there. We’re going to the Netherlands first, we’ll (probably) attend a regatta there, and I’m going to see all my friends from home. My parents will come to England too since it's only like three hours away, so it’s going to be awesome, and I know my family is thrilled too.”
Qualifying for the Royal Henley is no easy feat, as programs must go through an application process. Only teams with successful resumes will be selected. Much of that success stems from Jacksonville winning seven of the last nine MAAC Championships, but last year was unique in the way that JU had the best finish at the NCAA Championships in both program AND conference history.
"While I’m not American, I take big pride in being from Jacksonville. So, I’m excited to represent JU Internationally."
-Gabby Huxtable, Senior
The Dolphins recruit from across the globe; some of their fastest rowers have been rowing all their life. For others, like junior Chaise Reagan, they didn’t pick up an oar until they stepped foot on Jacksonville’s campus.
“The only big races I’ve been to have been the MAAC’s and NCAA’s since I was a walk-on my freshman year, and that year I didn’t get to go to the MAAC,” said Reagan. “With those two being the only representations of the big regattas I have, I’m really excited to see what’s bigger and what’s better and how different they are.”
For Lane, this will be his second time traveling across the pond, the first he went as a recruiter, but this go around, he will be bringing his own team for the first time. The coaching veteran harped on the experience for his student-athletes more than anything.
“This is my 26th year of coaching, and what I do is not a job but a lifestyle that is awesome,” said Lane. “It’s not about the coaches or the staff; it’s all about the student-athletes. My greatest joy is watching them be successful, not only on the water but in life. So yeah, I’m over the moon to take these guys on this trip, to represent JU on the world stage; it's such a cool opportunity for me and for this entire program and University.”
Jacksonville is no stranger to unique trips and travel all across the country. Senior Coxswain Hannah Gagnon, in particular, spoke of a trip to Boston, Massachusetts, and compared events like that to ones she had experienced in high school.
“Coming out of high school, I was very fortunate to be recruited here,” said Gagnon. “In high school, I was rowing out of a dirt parking lot with a wet launch that had no dock. Being able to see myself from when I was 13 all the way until now, being able to go international at such a prestigious regatta is incredibly exciting. We’ve been fortunate here to have already attended the Head of the Charles up in Boston during my sophomore year, as well as making two trips to the NCAA’s. Being able to end cap (my career) going international is super exciting.”
While competing internationally will be unique for most, senior Gabby Huxtable, who’s from South Australia, has had the opportunity to experience both in countries like Australia and the USA, but also other countries.
“NCAA’s is the biggest competition, I would say in America for rowing,” said Huxtable. “It is something crazy having people from other countries; it is such a big motivator that you want to show up, first for your school, but show up for your country as well. While I’m not American, I take big pride in being from Jacksonville. So, I’m excited to represent JU Internationally.”
The excitement had been stemming for months as the talks and ideas began to heat up. Once JU’s application was accepted, Lane turned thoughts into action.
“These guys have put the program in a position where we are able to do this,” said Lane. “It’s their hard work and dedication year in and out that has gotten us to this point. I’ve had the pleasure of going to this regatta before, and the giddiness that fills me, I know it’s going to be multiplied by 10 for them. This is really going to be the cherry on top of the sundae for our seniors. For our younger kids, it's really going to be a great experience to build on for the future of this program.”
Fifth-year senior Hannah Williams chose to return using her ‘covid’ year and is eager to see how rowing is respected as a sport in Europe.
“I’m super excited to see how appreciated rowing is over there,” said Williams. “I feel like over here you have to teach everybody that you meet what rowing is all about. I feel over there it’s a lot more familiar to people, so I’m excited to see how much more appreciated it is.”
While speaking about upcoming trips and the season, the reigning back-to-back conference champions also had plenty to share about the nearing conference championship and how their perspective heading into the spring.
“I think after winning two years in a row, this season comes with a little bit of nerves going into our third year,” said Huxtable. “I’m really confident in our team; we raced well this past spring and fall and raced well at the Head of the Arlington, which was really cool. This season is just another opportunity to prove ourselves and try to get higher in the national ranking.”
Williams also shared similar nerves about the upcoming season, saying she feels like the team’s recent success has put a target on their back.
“Coming from five years ago with the program to where it is now is really cool,” said Williams. “From having no season at all (COVID year) to placing second at the MAAC’s the next year and winning the last two, like Gabby said, it is really nerve-wracking going into the third championship season. There’s a lot of pressure, and teams are out to get us. It’s good motivation for this season, but it's also something that is always going to be in the back of our minds.”
Conference Championships, trips from coast to coast, competing in the NCAA’s seven of the last nine seasons, and now traveling to the Royal Henley Regatta. The JU women’s program has been steadily on the rise for numerous years, and coach Lane is continuing to aim higher for the team both on and off the water.
“We’ve reached unprecedented heights recently, and (our goal is) to continue getting faster. Be a top 20 program in the country, top 15, top 10. I think from a competitive standpoint, that’s what our goal is. We want to be with that top group in the country with programs all over. But we want to continue developing the holistic student-athlete. A trip like this is going to give these kids the experience of a lifetime; we want to continue doing things like that. Hannah (Gagnon) mentioned racing at the Head of the Charles a few years ago; we raced up in Seattle last season; we want to continue to give these kids a great experience, we want to continue winning, but at the end of the day, we want to continue fostering student-athletes who go out and make a difference in the world.”
With great experiences, come great fundraising. While the infamous ‘Row Across Florida,’ the rowing program’s fundraiser put on during homecoming weekend, and the University-wide ‘Dolphin Dash’ are incredible opportunities to raise money, a trip like this cannot be budgeted for. While the trip is coming at a cost, Lane credits all those close to the program for helping to make something like this possible for JU.
“The funding of this type of trip is huge,” said Lane. “This is not budgeted, so we will be fundraising. I would estimate it will cost us around $100,000 to make this trip happen. We have so much support here; this program has been around since 1956; our alums and supporters are always stepping up.”
The women’s program starts its spring campaign in Gainesville with a race against Villanova on March 9. The team makes trips to Sarasota, Tennessee, and New Jersey this season. The conference championship will be held on May 19 in Cherry Hill, NJ, while the NCAA Championships are held in Bethel, Ohio, this season and begin at the end of May. Jacksonville will then embark on its journey internationally at the end of June, first in Netherlands and finishing at the Royal Henley in early July.
If you’d like to help contribute to JU’s international trip to aid in the fundraising efforts this season, click here or at the link below!
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