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22 CAVALIER CORNER BY MIKE SCANDURA E VEN THOUGH FOURTH-YEAR rower Heidi Long is weeks from graduating from Virginia, her goals long have been carved in cement. "My dream is to go to the Olympics," said Long, a native of Buckinghamshire, England. "But for this year I want to help Virginia get on the podium at the NCAAs. Getting on the podium would be huge. "Individually, my long-term goal is to race in the [2020] Olympics with Great Britain in Tokyo." Given what she's already accomplished with UVA and Great Britain, who's to say otherwise? Just ask Virginia head coach Kevin Sauer. "It takes a lot more work, a little bit of luck plus persistence, which she has in spades," Sauer said. "Instead of going to Florida with us in January, she went to Por- tugal with the Great Britain Senior National Team. They wouldn't have invited her to their camp otherwise." Long's résumé makes her the envy of most ACC rowers: • She was the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2016 and has been a key part of the three- time ACC champion varsity eight boat. • Two years later, she was named a first- team All-American. • Last year, she stroked the varsity eight to a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships. • At season's end, she was named first- team All-ACC. • During the same year, she won the women's pair with Hannah Scott in the Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup at the Hen- ley Royal Regatta. • She claimed a silver medal for Great Britain with Scott at the World Under-23 Championships in Poland. • She was a finalist in the women's four at the 2014 Henley Regatta. • In 2013, she was the women's eight junior national champion. "When I was young I tried different sports," Long said. "I went to my first rowing practice when I was 13. I really enjoyed how close you have to be with your teammates. People in rowing are re- ally special. We push ourselves physically and mentally which creates a real bond between us. "The more work you put in, the more you get out of it. The amount of training you do is highly correlated with the re- sults. I like to get better and better every single day." Long got so much better that Sauer made her the stroke near the end of last season. For those not familiar with rowing, the stroke is the rower closest to the stern of the boat and is the most competitive rower in the crew. Everyone follows the stroke's timing — placing their blades in and out of the water at the same time as the stroke. It's the stroke's responsibility to establish the crew's rate (i.e. the number of strokes per minute and rhythm). "We needed somebody who would drive the boat and push herself," Sauer said. "They trusted that she would go as hard as she could and lead the boat to where it had never gone before. "For the ACCs and NCAAs, that's why I put her there. At the end of the year it was apparent that's what this crew needed, so I put her there." Long didn't need a copious amount of time to realize the importance of her new position. "I found out about stroke a week before the ACCs," she said. "More than anything I was excited about it. I trust my ability to race the hard race. I often think people who are stroke put a lot of pressure on themselves. "If there is a bad rhythm, which often leads to the race not being as good as it could be, the stroke seat often will blame herself. But I was so excited because I trusted the girls behind me and had worked well with my seven seat [current second-year Emily Ashton]. She would have my back." Long's previous experience prior to enrolling at Virginia was a bonus for the Cavaliers. "I think it's valuable in that she's com- peting at a high level and is a world com- petitor," Sauer said. "To row at that level is important. Before she came here it wasn't necessary because some kids don't have the opportunities. "But having that experience enabled her to take it to the next level." By taking it to the next level Long has placed herself in the company of some of the best female rowers in the history of the UVA program. "I would put Heidi in the top five all time," Sauer said. "That's including Lindsay Shoop ['04], who won a gold medal in Beijing in the women's eight, and Kristine O'Brien ['13], who won two U-23 gold medals and a gold medal last summer in the women's eight at the World Championships." Sauer reiterated the qualities that enabled Long to place herself among the Virginia elite. "It's about heart, grit and attitude that makes her an All-American," Sauer said. "She brings it with all of her being every day. She never gives up. She pushes herself really hard and pushes herself to places where most people can't go — where most people don't want to take themselves in terms of how it hurts. "She demands excellence. She looks out for others, which was why she was elected a co-captain and speaks volumes because the women on the team selected her. "Those who want to succeed align with her very well. The combination of that with her work ethic is fairly unique." STROKE OF GENIUS Heidi Long's Rowing Brilliance Has Been A Driving Force For UVA, And Could Earn Her A Spot In The 2020 Olympics Long, a junior national champion in Great Brit- ain, has been a key part of Virginia's three-time ACC champion varsity eight boat. Last year, she led the varsity eight to a seventh-place national finish. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA