In 2012, Colgate University Men's Rowing had one of the best ratios of medals per athlete of any program competing at the Dad Vail Regatta. They walked away with two silver medals, in the Varsity Pair and Frosh Four; not too bad for the 12 man squad. Now Head Coach Khaled Sanad and Assistant Coach Mike Cute are looking to make Colgate the most completive small college program.
"Our race schedule is competitive and fun…The early races prepare our guys for the championship regattas."
As a member of the Patriot League, Colgate's Varsity program was established in 2000, led by Sanad. Since then, Colgate has medaled in every men's boat at the Dad Vail Regatta, won the Head of the Charles twice, the IRA once and made two trips to England to compete in the Henley Royal Regatta. Sanad brings a wealth of experience to Colgate, coaching the Egyptian single sculler at the 2004 Athens Olympics, in addition to leading many crews to the US Olympic, Senior, and U23 Trials.
The squad rows out of the Glendening Boathouse on Lake Moraine in Hamilton, NY. They train Monday through Friday at 4:30 pm (Colgate schedules no class from 4:30-6:30pm so all Varsity teams can practice with no class conflict) and on Saturday mornings. The fall consists of three major head race regattas, the Head of the Charles, Head of the Fish, and Syracuse Invite, while the spring consists of only one traditional dual race, with Hobart, and many larger regattas, such as the Murphy Cup, Knecht Cup, and Dad Vail Regatta. "Our race schedule is competitive and fun" Cute explains, "The early races prepare our guys for the championship regattas."
The recruiting process at Colgate is pretty straightforward. "We want the guys who will help the team gain speed, through hard work and leadership, to win medals at the Dad Vail," says Cute. Historically, the program tends to find guys who are overlooked by other programs or who started rowing later in high school, knowing they have lots of potential. "We focus on development," says Cute, "If you want to maximize your potential, Colgate is the school to do it."
We focus on development…If you want to maximize your potential, Colgate is the school to do it."
Cute explains that student athletes need to have solid academics to be considered for admissions. "They will need approximately a 32 ACT/2100 SAT and a 3.5 GPA to be deemed admissible". He encourages anyone interested in Colgate to make a visit to campus. They offer a one-night "official visit" for recruits, allowing them to see the campus through the eyes of a student, going to a class or two, eating in the dining hall, and viewing rowing practice.
"Colgate is a small school with high-level academics and Division 1 rowing" says Cute, "we provide the opportunity for success."
Look for Colgate Men's Crew this fall at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, MA on October 20th & 21st.
- Glenn Ochal
