University of Virginia Library

Oarsmen Set For Fourth
Year On Rivanna River

Crew, the oldest of intercollegiate
sports at the University,
was originally started here by Mr.
Francis H. Rives of New York in
1877. Rives' club flourished with
only one defeat in six years, and
then subsequently died in 1883.
The last record of the old club was
that Davies Cox had just been
elected president for the 1883
season.

Virginia went without a crew
team for 83 years until Coach Tim
Kerr with the help of student Steve
Plott formed the University of
Virginia Rowing Association.

In just three years the club
under Coach Kerr has risen to a
place of prominence among the
intercollegiate crew teams in the
East. In their second full season at
the University, the crews posted a
29-8 record and placed a credible
seventh out of a field of 29 at the
Dad Va Regatta in Philadelphia.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts
of the team members, and some
residents of Albemarle County, the
crew has acquired a new boat house
and a two thousand dollar custom made
eight man shell. The club will
soon boast a six boat flotilla of four
"eights" and two "fours."

The crew depends almost entirely
on its own initiative for
raising funds. By Athletic Department
standards, it is not an
officially recognized sport, and it
only exists as a club sport, the same
status held by the Rugby and Polo
Clubs. Fortunately the crew has
found the same success in competition
experienced by the other
club sports and has supported itself
fairly well.

During the winter months, while
the Rivanna River is frozen over,
and actual rowing practice impossible,
the crew members keep in
shape with a running and weight-lifting
program.

As soon as possible the crews get
on the water to get their timing
down. For a while practices are
held twice a day in an effort to get
ready for the schedule which begins
in mid-April.