Teams: Women's Crew: Press Releases

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

MEET TWO-TIME NCAA ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS PARTICIPANT KRISTINE SHOEMAKER

The new Tufts boathouse on the Malden River

A lot of excitement has surrounded the Tufts University women's crew program in recent years. The Jumbos, coached by Gary Caldwell, qualified to row at the NCAA Championships at the end of the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Tufts was fifth in the Grand Final last season, with Kristine Shoemaker (Sarasota, FL) in the 5-seat. Equally important to the program was the recent completion of a new boathouse on the Malden River in Medford.

Shoemaker is the only member of the team this year who rowed with the varsity at the last two NCAA Championships. She also knows the difficulties of being on a team without a boathouse. For years prior to Shoemaker's arrival, Tufts rented space at the Harvard boathouse on the Charles River. After moving to its own home course on the Malden River, the team used a temporary facilty.

The spring 2007 season dawned last Saturday (March 31), with the Jumbos hosting the first day of races with full use of the boathouse. It was also the squad's first step towards qualifying for a third-straight NCAA Championships. In Focus got in touch with Kristine recently to talk about her time as a student and rower at Tufts:

The 2007 spring season began on Saturday with races against Wellesley and Vermont. It marked the first time that the team rowed out of the new boathouse. Since opening in August, what has the new boathouse meant to the program and what does it mean to the program moving forward?

KS -- We used to row out of a tent. When it was cold or rainy we had nowhere to stretch. The boathouse is great for the team - it provides a shelter to warm up in, a proper home for our boats, real bathrooms and more. It makes the team feel more legitimate. It is great to have a place to stretch, a locker room, and a place for people to come watch our races. It is even more important for spring break, for the teams that stay in Medford to train twice a day when it is still freezing out, and for winter training when we have erg workouts indoors.

You're the only current member of the team who rowed in the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Championship races. How is the 2007 team shaping up this season as it looks to make another trip to the NCAA regatta?

KS -- Our team is very strong and I think that we will do even better this year assuming we qualify again. Each year we have been getting progressively stronger as a team and I am extremely excited for this season. We are still trying to figure out boatings. There are so many strong women that it's tough to figure out who should sit where to move the boats as efficiently as possible.

The majority of the crew team's practices are early in the morning, with a few exceptions. Are you a morning person, or do you prefer the days when the team practices in the afternoon like every other team?

KS -- I am definitely not a morning person, but I can handle it if I get to bed early enough. It's nice to wake up and have a nice row at sunrise. It just makes it hard to stay awake for the rest of the day. You just have to learn to get to bed early enough, which is tough when you are trying to balance crew with school.

What attracted you to Tufts coming out of Pine View High School in Sarasota, Florida? Now that you're a senior, what have been your favorite things about Tufts?

KS -- Looking at schools in high school it is hard to really know what you want out of a college. I knew that Florida was out of the question because I would have known too many people and it would have been too familiar. I wanted to go somewhere where I would meet new people, have new experiences, and would become more independent. I love the international feel of Tufts. My freshman roommate was from Indonesia, across the hall I had a friend from Japan, and down the hall were two kids from London. It is great to be able to get to know people from all around the world and learn about various cultures. I have made some amazing friends and in crew I have a family away from home.

What are your plans for after graduation at this point?

KS -- I still don't know what I want to do after I graduate. We'll be going to NCAAs, I hope. They are the weekend after graduation. I am looking for a job, perhaps in marketing. I might stay in Boston for another year or move. New York City, California, Europe are a few of the places I love. I am still in the exploring stage, I'm not sure what I want to do so I am open to a lot.

Shoemaker sat in the stroke seat during last weekend's races against Wellesley and Vermont, and rowed very aggressively. However, Caldwell has decided to move her back to the 5-seat where she was for both NCAA races.

"She's the biggest part of the engine that powers the boat," Caldwell said. "We're better when she's back in middle of boat, sitting in there and pulling real hard, which is something that she is very, very good at."

Shoemaker and the rest of the Jumbos row at home on the Malden River on each of the next two Saturdays. On April 7 they host Mount Holyoke College, and on April 14 NESCAC opponent Wesleyan visits. Directions to the new Tufts boathouse are here.

Previous Jumbo Athletes In Focus:

Khalilah Ummah - Women's Basketball

Cat Beck - Women's Track & Field

Greg Bettencourt - Men's Swimming

Jake Weitzen - Men's Basketball

Kendall Swett - Women's Diving

Greg O'Connell - Hockey/Soccer

Fred Jones - Track & Field