Out of the Water, Into the Zone

Up close at the NA Erg in the ‘Burgh 2020

Last+Saturdays+NA+Erg+in+the+Burgh+2020+brought+together+rowing+teams+from+around+the+area+for+an+indoor+competition+that+tested+not+only+physical+strength+but+mental+stamina%2C+too.

photo by Anjana Suresh

Last Saturday’s NA Erg in the ‘Burgh 2020 brought together rowing teams from around the area for an indoor competition that tested not only physical strength but mental stamina, too.

Last Saturday, the annual North Allegheny Indoor Rowing Championship took place at Marshall Middle School. The event, dubbed “NA Erg in the ‘Burgh 2020” and hosted by NA Rowing, is the team’s biggest fundraiser, bringing together several Pittsburgh-area high school and club teams.

Contrary to popular belief, rowing is a year-round sport. The winter season takes place indoors as rowers practice on ergometers (or “ergs”) to prepare for spring. The highlights of the much-dreaded winter season are erg races.

photo by Anjana Suresh

Most rowers compete in the 2,000-meter race, or 2k, which is a common benchmark used to compare rowers’ abilities.

photo by Anjana Suresh

Freshman Jackson Rodgers rows in the novice men’s event. Rowers are grouped into events closely aligning with age: novices (freshmen or those in their first year of rowing), JV, and varsity. 

photo by Anjana Suresh

Freshman Tabo Mkandawire competes in the novice women’s category.

photo by Anjana Suresh

Rowing on ergs, or erging, is especially challenging. Races not only test rowers’ physical ability but also their mental fortitude. The green buckets beside each erg are affectionately called “puke buckets.”

photo by Anjana Suresh

Senior rower Derek Oczypok likens erging to eating pancakes.

“At first, it feels great and exciting, but at the end, you feel like you’re going to explode,” he said.

photo by Anjana Suresh

Freshman Maggie Reinhart finishes her 2k, relieved that she beat her previous time.

photo by Anjana Suresh

Rowers have an option to have a coxswain, someone who offers encouragement and guides them through their race, beside them. Junior Haley Dubovecky coxes sophomore Alexandra Junko during her race.

photo by Anjana Suresh

Exhausted right after his race, freshman Caleb Sanders immediately fell off the erg.

photo by Anjana Suresh

In an effort to make the sport as inclusive as possible, erg races often have adaptive 1k events for rowers with disabilities.

photo by Anjana Suresh

On the subject of adaptive events, junior Emma Jane Sprunk said, “It’s a great opportunity to raise awareness and the participants get the chance to feel accomplished and good about themselves.”

photo by Anjana Suresh

For each race, spectators had the ability to view how rowers stacked up against each other in terms of their average pace. 

photo by Anjana Suresh

Rowers are lined up on the ergs based on their most recent 2k time. Here, juniors Erick Ilkhanipour and Nathan Greenberg race against each other. 

photo by Anjana Suresh

It is easy to tell when a race is nearing its end, as the cheering from parents, coaches, and other rowers intensifies.

photo by Anjana Suresh

Stella Summerlin and Wynn Musselman, among other middle schoolers, had the opportunity to participate in a middle-school age 1k race towards the end of the day.

 The mixed 6-person relays were the last events, and teams competed in the same novice, JV, and varsity categories.

photo by Anjana Suresh

Freshman Felicity Smith races in the novice relay. Each person is responsible for rowing 500 meters for a total of 3000 meters.  The NA teams won both the novice and JV relays.

photo by Anjana Suresh

About three more weeks of indoor training remain before the team begins its spring season on the water.