How embarrassing.
According to Marietta High junior coxswain Ann Zoller, during the girls varsity 8 race on the Muskingum River Saturday, the Parkersburg Big Reds boat "caught three crabs."
Say what?
Well, in rowing competition, that's not a good thing.
"It turned them towards the other boat," Zoller explained, "so they collided.
"(To catch a crab) is when an oar gets stuck in the water, like it goes down too deep, so that it turns them towards the other boat."
All of these faulty strokes occurred at the start of the race, and of course everything stopped in the water.
"Usually, what would have happened, they (PHS) would have been disqualified for coming into the other lane, because it was over 100 meters into the race," Zoller said. "But since this was like a "practice-type-thing," we just re-started and only went 1,000 meters."
Looking at Saturday's competition in another way, it was a "friendly."
Given new life in the varsity 8, the PHS boat ended up finishing second to the Sara Armstrong-coached Marietta varsity shell, which included Jenna Heiby (stroke), Alexis Mayer (7 seat), Raeann Harry (6), Ricci Davis (5), Amy McNerney (4), Caitlin Love (3), Emily Furl (2), Stephanie Williams (bow) and Zoller (coxswain). The Marietta JV team, the other boat in the race, was third.
Parkersburg South, the other school at the season-opening tri-meet at the Marietta boathouse, did not race in the girls varsity 8 event.
"The girls did really well," Zoller said. "A lot of our technique is really, really strong.
"We just need to work on getting our power up, and taking our stroke up a little bit."
Hmmmmmm...wonder what the PHS girls varsity 8 boat will be working on in practice this week?
n In rowing, the coxswain is the "on-water coach," Zoller said.
On the Eric Dowler-coached Tiger Navy boys side, sophomore Tanner O'Conner was the coxswain in the winning Marietta varsity 8 boat, which won pretty handily. That shell also included Pete Schafer (stroke), Devin Teer (7), Sterling Chapin (6), Wes Wagner (5), Eric Barengo (4), Ryan Offenberger (3), hayden Weihl (2), and Wes Martin (bow).
"As the coxswain, I have to steer the boat and give directions to the crew," O'Connor said. "What we need to work on is, we have a tendency to carry our oars a little bit low, so our oars are bouncing off the water a little bit. That'll slow you down, so we need to start working on that."
Overall, the Tiger Navy of boys and girls enjoyed a very impressive first meet with 224 total points. Parkersburg High had 87, and Parkersburg South, 86.
Marietta is not scheduled to row this weekend, but will back in action at the Cincinnati Invitational on April 11.
"We'll be watching the (Marietta) college races this weekend," O'Connor said.
n And, finally, isn't it interesting that both Marietta High crew mentors' Dowler and Armstrong are former Parkersburg South rowers?
"I'm asked that a lot," smiled the 24-year-old Dowler, a 2003 South grad, "and it doesn't bother me.
"It's just how it is now."
By the way, Dowler also competed at Marietta College, where he was a member of the winning varsity 8 shell in the 2006 Dad Vail Championships.
Armstrong graduated from South in 1999, attended Marshall University, and then earned a masters at Syracuse University.
"I really missed being around rowers and the races," said the first-year Tiger Navy girls coach, whose late father Rob Armstrong was also a crew coach.
Ron Johnston is the Marietta Times sports editor, and can be reached at 376-5441, or a rjohnston@mariettatimes.com
