The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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ment grows, consistently dividing the team into halves. Generally, the rest of the boats side with the second varsity eight because they, too, gar- ner no respect. This year was different, though. Rothstein made the decision he would coach both the first and sec- ond varsity eights personally after previously working with only the first eight. The 18 athletes that would make up those two boats — each boat also had a coxswain in addition to eight rowers — would grow close, forming the teammate bonds that had eluded them earlier in their careers. "There's always been this battle I don't know how you couldn't be rooting with everything you have for your teammates," Mueller said. "I know how hard everybody is work- ing, and I think that's one of the great things that came out of our meeting at the beginning of the year — ev- ery girl on this team, no matter what boat she was in or if she didn't make a boat, deserved the support of her teammates. "It was important to have every solutely gave it our all, and after the past few years, when we taking 11th and 13th, to place second feels great," Eiffert said. "We had our best race of the season, and on that day, Vir- ginia was just a faster boat. There is nothing else we could have done, but even knowing that, I wanted to win." The second varsity eight was an rower on this team with an attitude that's 100 percent about the team, and that's what we had." between the two boats," Newberry said. "You never cheered against them, but I don't know if you always cheered for them either. But I think because Mark coached both of us, we were always to- gether and developed this intense bond, and so there was great support on both sides. "I know when we won our race at nationals, it could have been really easy for the first varsity eight to downplay it and that would have damp- ened the entire celebration, but they were going crazy for us." "In the past, there was a Championships May 25-27 in West Windsor, N.J., its confidence was soaring. The second varsity eight had yet to lose a race all season, and the Head coach Mark Rothstein bigger emphasis at nation- als on the first varsity eight boat, but in the last few years it's re- ally become about the entire team," Eiffert added. "I really wanted to win Big Tens this year, and nationals, and you can't do those things on your own. Every boat has to score, so it re- ally is about the entire team." At the conference championships, "Getting back on top of the Big Ten and competing for an NCAA championship was a huge step for our pro- gram. It's where we want to be and need to be. That's the standard at Michigan, and it will fall on our re- turning athletes to continue building on that tradition." PROUD, BUT NOT SATISFIED When Michigan left for the NCAA individual boat champion but har- kening back to that first team meet- ing, its rowers felt a small sense of disappointment too because the team fell a few points shy. Still, Piotter and Newberry prefer to focus on the highlight. "We could say, 'Oh we were so close' but I think about how far this program came in my career, and I can't put into words what it feels like to leave a legacy behind like this team did," Piotter said. "I don't think the feeling at Big Tens, or winning our race at nation- als, will ever fade, and I hope it never does because it feels amazing. "I've been telling our U-M MEDIA RELATIONS PHOTO COURTESY first varsity had clobbered rival Ohio State en route to the victory at the Big Ten Championships. The Wolverines were seeded second at nationals and felt with a little luck and a few boats over-performing they could win it all. Michigan's first varsity eight cap- tured first place, but without the second varsity eight also taking first place, U-M would not have won the meet. And without the first varsity four placing third, the second var- sity four taking second, and the first and second novice eight boats both finishing third, the Maize and Blue would not have stood atop the po- dium as Big Ten champs. "When you practice, and even when you race, you're so focused on your boat, but every boat scores points, and every point counts, and jobs, with the second varsity eight putting U-M in a position to earn the team title with their first-place finish in the grand final. If the first eight could also take first — and Cal finished third or worse — the Maize and Blue would snare the program's first NCAA crown. Michigan would grab the early Race by race, the boats did their out and will, for as long as he re- mains the coach, succeed every year as the "leaders and best." "Brett rowed on three Big Ten Big Ten and contending nationally from 2000-04, Michigan crashed. Roth- stein is optimistic the Maize and Blue bottomed underclassmen and our novices that we've reset the standard for them to live up to, and we left one more thing to be accom- plished, and to go get it." After dominating the championship teams, and we were talking about this … that before we won this year, she and I were the only two people in our entire pro- gram, coaches included, that knew what it felt like to win a Big Ten ti- tle," Rothstein said. "When we won, everyone was in a celebratory mood, but I told Brett it didn't used to be that way because we just expected to win. "Getting back on top of the Big Ten lead, but Virginia rallied past the Wolverines, winning the race, which actually catapulted the Cavaliers past both the Wolverines and Bears into first. U-M settled for second. "The thing I'm proud of is we ab- and competing for an NCAA cham- pionship was a huge step for our pro- gram. It's where we want to be and need to be. That's the standard at Michigan, and it will fall on our re- turning athletes to continue building on that tradition." ❑ AUGUST 2012 THE WOLVERINE 33