UCLA Women's Rowing: A History of Triumph and Tradition
The UCLA Women's Rowing program boasts a rich and storied history, marked by periods of great success, challenges, and unwavering dedication from its athletes, coaches, and supporters. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a respected club sport, the program has consistently demonstrated the core values of teamwork, commitment, and perseverance. This article delves into the history of UCLA Women's Rowing, highlighting its key milestones, achievements, and the individuals who have shaped its legacy.
The Early Years: Laying the Foundation (1933-1970s)
The seeds of UCLA Rowing were sown in 1933, inspired by the 1932 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, which showcased rowing teams from around the world. UCLA distinguished itself as a pioneer among Southern California universities by establishing a crew program. The team initially adopted the Long Beach Marine Stadium, constructed for the 1932 Olympics, as its training ground. In 1937, the program relocated to Playa del Rey.
The program experienced early success, with new coach Ben Wallis, formerly of Yale, leading the Bruins to their first victory in 1934 against Sacramento Junior College.
The women's crew began to evolve from the Shell and Oar auxiliary group founded in the 1930s. In 1973 the Shell and Oar format was officially dropped, and the team gained intercollegiate status, marking a significant step forward for women's athletics at UCLA.
Rise to Prominence: Championships and National Recognition (1980s)
The 1980s marked a golden era for UCLA Rowing. In 1987, UCLA defeated Cal by five seats to win the 1987 Pac-10 title in a dramatic grand finale. The Bruins would go on to represent the conference at the Men's Collegiate Rowing Championships in Cincinnati, placing fourth in a race won by Harvard. In 1988, in addition to defending their Pac-10 title in Sacramento, the Bruins won the San Diego Crew Classic and placed third at the Redwood Shores Classic. The UCLA Varsity 8, after placing sixth at the Collegiate Nationals, traveled to England for the Royal Henley Regatta.
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Adversity and Resilience: Transition to Club Sport (1990s)
Despite continued success on the water, the UCLA rowing program faced a major setback in the early 1990s. In 1991, it was announced that the entire rowing program, both men and women, was being dropped from the UCLA Athletic Department. This decision was related to Title IX. In 1992, UCLA Crew was relegated to a "club" sport.
Despite the loss of official university support and coaching staff, the team demonstrated remarkable resilience. Without its coach and having lost some scholarship rowers, UCLA finished a close second at the Pac-10 Championships and in the top-8 at the Collegiate Nationals in 1992. The Pac-10 winning crew from the University of Washington was so inspired by UCLA's effort that they gave the Bruins their racing jerseys.
Continued Commitment: Maintaining Excellence as a Club Sport (1993-Present)
Since becoming a club sport, UCLA Women's Rowing has continued to thrive, thanks to the dedication of its athletes, coaches, and the unwavering support of its alumni and parents. Athletes can qualify for All Pac-10 honors in athletics and academics. The program is strongly supported by its alumni/parents group (FOUR) who do a tremendous job of fundraising. Amazingly, student-athletes pay $580 per year which includes all expenses for participating. 80-100 novice walk-ons join the crew each fall having had no prior rowing experience. The Varsity squad practices eight times a week for most of the academic year with morning practices on the water before 10am classes and afternoon ergs (rowing machine) and weights on campus. And with all this work, the crew consistently maintains a team GPA over 3.1!
Marcel Stiffey began as Head Coach in 2018. Marcel joins the program with ten years of coaching experience and hopes to make UCLA Men’s Rowing a premier club program. He brings expertise from his time rowing at Leander Club and has several years of coaching experience at Newport Aquatic Center.
The program's success is a testament to the enduring spirit of UCLA Rowing and its ability to overcome challenges.
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The Essence of Rowing: Teamwork, Discipline, and Reward
Rowing is the epitome of college sports; it is a true team effort, and there is absolutely no personal glory in it. It is a demanding sport, constantly wearing down your body and building it up, and you wake up at god-awful hours in the morning. But there is a real reward. When you are rowing with eight other guys who really want it and are really pushing it, there is absolutely nothing like that feeling of just flying across the water.
A Glimpse into Rowing's Origins
Rowing as a sport first appeared in its present form in England, albeit on a purely professional basis. Competitions between professional rowers and boatmen usually offered an opportunity to place bets. At the same time, they improved rowing and construction techniques and demonstrated the intrinsic values of rowing. The most famous and recognized boat-race was the "Thomas Dogget race," the winner of which, as well as the financial benefits, was also awarded the title of the best professional rower. These events all took place in 1716!
The first organized college sports club in the United States was formed in 1843 when Yale University created a boat club. Harvard University then followed in their footsteps, creating a similar boat club a year later. This event took place in 1852, when the rowing team from Yale competed against the rowing team from Harvard at Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire.
UCLA Women's Athletics: A Broader Perspective
While it is common for today’s UCLA students to spend an evening cheering on one of the 14 women’s sports teams at a home game, that was not the case 50 years ago. It wasn’t until July 1974 that the Department of Women’s Intercollegiate Sports was established. Since then, UCLA has committed itself to being at the forefront of the movement, ensuring excellence for women’s sports. When the Department of Women’s Intercollegiate Sports was founded, UCLA was one of the first institutions in the country to give women’s athletics departmental status. At the time, there were 10 women’s sports and a co-ed badminton team. Judith Holland, the department’s first full-time athletic director, had a $263,000 budget, which she mostly put into scholarships. In 1975, Ann Meyers became the first woman to receive a full athletic scholarship at UCLA. In 1982, the softball, and track and field teams won UCLA’s first two women’s NCAA championships, and it was all uphill from there; women’s teams have won 43 of UCLA’s 78 NCAA titles from 1982 to 2019.
Key Coaches in UCLA Women's Rowing History
- Marcel Stiffey (2018-Present): Joined the program with ten years of coaching experience, aiming to make UCLA Men’s Rowing a premier club program.
- Erinn McMahan (1996- ): After a successful rowing career at the University of California, Santa Barbara, McMahan took over a crew that had failed to field an entry at the 1996 Pac-10 Championships.
- Craig Webster (1993- ): Webster, who rowed for UCLA from 1986-1989, was an integral part of the 1988 Pac-10 Championship crew that went on to represent UCLA at the Henley Regatta.
- Zenon Babraj (1986- ): A native of Poland, Babraj was a member of several Polish National Teams as both a sweep oarsmen and sculler.
- Sims (1985-1986): Formerly with the UCLA freshman, Sims moved to the varsity for the 1985-1986 season.
- Robert Newman (1980- ): A member of the Bruin's first Pac-8 Championship crew, Robert Newman came to UCLA after a successful stint at the University of California, Irvine.
- Duval Hecht (1976- ): Formerly a Stanford oarsman, Duvall Hecht stroked the USA pair without coxswain to a gold medal finish at the 1956 Olympic Games.
- John Bisset (1964- ): After coaching the freshman at the University of Washington, John Bisset is named as the program's first full-time coach.
- Ben Wallis (1934- ): New coach, Ben Wallis, formerly a Yale stroke oarsmen and coach at California, brought UCLA Crew its first victory on March 31.
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