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Senior coxswain Taylor Gilmore recently checked in with VirginiaSports.com to talk about the women’s rowing season so far. Ranked No. 6 in the nation, Virginia takes on Ohio State at Lake Monticello on Saturday, April 4. Races begin at 9 a.m.
Question: Can you give us a brief recap of the two days of competition in California? Obviously you guys raced some of the top teams from the west coast in Cal, Stanford and UCLA.
Gilmore: I think that the Pac-10 Challenge was an essential part of our racing experience on our goal for the NCAA championships. We like having the opportunity to race against west coast teams, because they are always some of our top competitors at NCAA’s. California, for example, won the team NCAA championship in 2006. I think racing them this past weekend let us know where we are and what we have to do to win an NCAA Championship. We had a total of 12 races, we took four boats out west and each boat had three races. Overall, we won seven races. Our second varsity eight (coxswain: Cristine Candland; Lauren Shook, Claudia Blandford, Martha Kuzzy, Helen Tompkins, Christine Roper, Susie Chalker, Nora Phillips, and Shalane Carlson) did spectacularly! They won all of their three races by at least an entire boat length. Our novice boat also won two races, and our Varsity Eight and Varsity Four won one race each. We always want to do the best that we can, and we will work very hard to beat both California and Stanford at NCAA’s. Now that we know what these different schools bring to the table, Stanford, for instance, has an Olympian in their Varsity Eight, we know what we need to continue doing and what we need to change to beat them at the end of May. Racing experience is also very important in developing your mental skill in rowing. As a rower, you row for six to seven minutes straight in intense physical pain, but you have to block out the physical pain enough to think about the technique of what you are doing. I think we learned that we need to remember what we are capable of and that we need to be willing to make changes when we want to row more effectively.
Question: Did you guys do any team-bonding type activities in California?
Gilmore: We did have some fun bonding activities. We went out to dinner for two nights with the team, which was really nice. Since not everyone is in the same boat, you sometimes don’t see some of your other teammates for most of the day. It’s nice to catch up and see how everyone is doing. We also have amazing supportive parents. A lot of the rowers on our team are from the west coast and Canada, and many of their parents came down and set up a food and drink tent, which was nice. I love meeting my teammates’ families. Our coaches do a great job of signing athletes who are very skilled but are also really good people who you want as your friends. Of course, our coaches wanted us to get plenty of rest, nutrition, and stay hydrated to compete to the best of our ability, so we did a lot of those things too. We had time to relax, but when it was time to practice or race, it was all business.
Question: As a senior, what are your goals for this season?
Gilmore: The first thing that comes to mind is to win the NCAA Championship. We have been the team runner-up two times in the past four years. I also want to know that I did everything that I could to make our team the best that it could be. I want to be in the best boat that I can, but the most important thing to me is that I am wherever my position best supports the team. I also want to be the best leader that I can and have the trust of my rowers and coaches. I want my teammates to know that I know what it takes to get to our goals and that I’m going to be patient and assertive whenever and wherever it is needed. I think leadership applies to your character on and off the water. You need to show that you genuinely want to be a part of the team by taking care of yourself, having a positive attitude and doing well in school to allow you to participate on your team. I want my team and coaches to have enough trust in me that they feel when they get out on the water they are in good hands and will win.
Question: How did you get into rowing? Do you think your off-the-water personality contributes to your demeanor as a coxswain?
Gilmore: That’s a very good question. During my first year, the novice coach sent out a mass email to all first-year women asking them to come and try out for rowing. I knew nothing about the sport, and I was convinced that I would be a rower. Gradually, my novice coach convinced me that I was better suited size-wise to be a coxswain. Coxing is sort of a release for me. True, it takes a lot of mental toughness, but many of my non-rowing friends have commented that my coxing personality has shocked them. When they first see it, they say it’s a side of me that they have never seen before. Coxing is an amazing way to develop your leadership skills. You are responsible for five to nine lives and an expensive boat. You must be firm but calm at the same time to show that you are comfortably in control. Your job is to make the boat move as quickly as it can. Sometimes you may be demanding, but you have a unique perspective compared to the rowers in the boat. You can see and feel how well the boat is really moving. I really enjoy taking this leadership role. I have found that juggling all of these responsibilities on the water has really improved my confidence and made school easier. I can balance my classes, because I’m used to balancing my responsibilities in the boat.
Question: What is your favorite thing about Virginia rowing?
Gilmore: Wow, that’s hard. There are so many great things about it. I would have to say the commitment of each person. We all have different interests, but when it’s practice or race time, we put aside all other parts of our lives and focus on one thing – rowing and working hard. Our team is really the essence of teamwork. We have all learned how to make a boat go fast when a line-up is changed or given the people that we have at any time. That adaptability is really helpful in racing when you can be confronted with all kinds of weather conditions and all kinds of rowing programs at different levels.
Question: Who do you think will surprise people this year?
Gilmore: Victoria Burke just keeps getting better and better. Last year, coming from a club program as a transfer to UVa, she was in the Varsity Four for most of the season and then moved up to the Second Varsity Eight for NCAA’s. Putting her in the second eight was a true testament to how hard she worked all year. When I saw the numbers she was pulling this fall, I knew she meant business; they were greatly improved. She has worked very hard as the stroke for the Second Varsity Eight this past fall and is now in the Varsity Eight. She is a true example of how important hard work is. Jenny Cromwell and Lauren Hutchins are also great examples of this work ethic. Both suffered from injuries in the fall and had to get back to the speed that they were in the previous spring. They both have natural athletic talent, but they have worked really hard, never taking anything for granted, and are now in the first varsity eight. I also think Summers Nelson will be very important for the fours for her leadership abilities, because many people in the four are very young. Sidney Thorsten has also stepped up. She coxed the Varsity Eight this weekend, and she is showing great skill in stepping up for the job. Look for Martha Kuzzy as well. She rowed on the USA Junior National Team and is now in the Second Varsity Eight.
Question: You guys row vs. Ohio State this Saturday at Lake Monticello. What do you like about that venue? What would you say to someone who maybe hasn’t been out to a race yet?
Gilmore: Lake Monticello is great for one because it has a straight course. The course is also much more visible for spectators than our course at the Rivanna, making it totally worth the drive to come out and watch. A lot of people outside of rowing do not know what a skilled rowing team Virginia has. We have won nine-consecutive ACC championships and make an NCAA appearance almost every year. It’s definitely worth coming out to see what we work so hard for everyday. And, there’s no charge for admission!
Question: What has the preparation been like this week for a race on Saturday after a long weekend of cross-country travel and two days of racing?
Gilmore: Well, we’ve only had one practice so far, but we concentrated a lot on rhythm and technique. We clearly have a lot of power, but in order for that power to be effective, the technique has to be there. Everyone has to move at the same speed up the slide and push their feet down while dropping their blades to the water at the same time – that’s how you get a fast boat. Our coaches also want us to recover, so they did give us Tuesday off, but we will practice everyday after up to Saturday to be the best prepared that we can be. We saw Ohio State race this weekend even though we did not race against them, so we are doing everything we can to get prepared.
Question: Your hometown is listed as Leesburg, Va. did you always want to stay local and come to UVa? What kinds of things weighed on your decision to come here?
Gilmore: When applying to college, I knew I wanted to go to the best academic school that I could. For a long time I wanted to go to William & Mary. I really only applied to UVa, because I was a Virginia resident and felt that I should apply just to keep my options open. When I actually visited the campus after being accepted, I instantly felt that I fit here. I can’t really describe it; it was just a feeling. I like having a school that excels in not only academics, but athletics as well. My parents never forced my to go in-state, but I liked UVa. I figured that I had three more siblings who still had to go to college. Since UVa had everything that I wanted and needed, why not go there?
Question: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Gilmore: I love running and working out. Since I’m sitting in the boat and coxing, I don’t actually get a physical workout. I like to do those when I am off the water. I also am learning to cook and really enjoying that. Other than that, spending time with my friends and my family is very important to me. I enjoy reading and sailing as well.
Question: What is your major and your career plans?
Gilmore: My majors are neuroscience and religious studies. I’m applying to medical school in June, which will give me a year off between undergrad and medical school. I hope to work as a medical assistant in a Northern Virginia medical practice.
Question: Who is your favorite athlete at UVa?
Gilmore: Probably Lauren Hutchins. I have never seen anyone with such graceful humility. Lauren is one of the best if not the best rowers on our team. She has rowed on the national Canadian team and will probably be an Olympian some day. She has always been in the Varsity Eight since her first year. She is truly a nice person. She values everyone on the team for their hard work and is friends with everyone. It is easy to see why she is one of our team captains. I have also always had great admiration for Kelsey Chaudoin and Mary Eddy, our captains who graduated in 2008. They brought everyone on the team together like no one ever has. Outside of rowing, I love men’s lacrosse. Danny Glading is probably my favorite player. I watched him play when Virginia won the 2006 NCAA Championship and was very impressed with him as a player.