Bucknell Crew Reunion: Looking Back and Moving Forward

By Steven Ritchie '97

The weekend of May 14-16, Bucknell Crew alumni retuned to campus to celebrate the past, present, and future of the men's and women's rowing programs. The weekend was sponsored by both Men's and Women's Crew, as well as the Bucknell Crew Association. The reunion was marked by several memorable highlights.

The first highlight of the weekend was the dedication of Vails '91, the new eight to be added to the team's small but growing fleet of boats. This eight was donated to the team by Douglas '92 and Tara (Garrity) '94 Lebda and named in recognition of the accomplishments of the 1991 men's heavyweight four (in order from stern to bow) David Rhodes '92, Douglas Lebda '92, Tripp Dixon '91, Kyle Betz '92, and Kim Dobies '91 (coxswain). The '91 four was the most successful boat in Bucknell rowing history at the time, winning medals up and down the east coast and finishing their season earning Bucknell's first Dad Vail medal. Four of the five teammates who raced together in the 1991 four and their coach, John Skotedis, were on hand to dedicate Vails '91. The boat was dedicated with water from the finish line of the Dad Vails' racecourse symbolizing that the boat's bow will continually seek the finish line of the race.

The weekend included an opportunity for alumni to gather at the river for a barbecue and row. The row culminated in a short four boat race. The competitors included one women's boat and three men's boats, with one men's boat composed of alumni from the early 90's, another representing the mid 90's, and a third boat with rowers from the late 90's and early 2000's. It was a race full of drama with the mid 90's crew winning by half a length.

Following the river gathering, alumni toured Bucknell's new Kenneth G. Langone Athletic and Recreation Center and later gathered for a banquet. A second highlight of the weekend provided alumni the opportunity to reminisce about their rowing experiences at Bucknell while watching the Bucknell Crew video entitled "Owning the Dream". The video was produced for the reunion with footage captured by Tripp Dixon '91 and his NFL Films crew at last year's Dad Vails. Another focal point of the evening was the announcement that the Campaign for Men's Crew, with a three year $300,000 goal, is nearly halfway to its goal since its November 2003 launch. As of May 14, alumni, parents, and friends have donated and pledged $142,665 to Men's Club-Varsity Crew.

A final highlight of the weekend was the arrival of Brett Wilkinson '98 who joined the celebration on Saturday afternoon, just hours after earning his seat in the US National Team's Quadruple Sculls. Wilkinson's boat will compete at the Olympic Qualification Regatta (June 13-June 16 in Lucerne, Switzerland) for one of two open positions at this summer's Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

It was a tremendous weekend and we hope it's not the last of its kind. We plan to gather again on campus for another reunion in five years. Until that time, the Bucknell Crew Association leadership will be working to plan annual events at regattas so that alumni have the opportunity to support the current rowers and get out on the river to row.

The Bucknell Crew Association was created to directly address the needs of the men's rowing program as a result of its reclassification from varsity to club-varsity status. The association provides opportunities for alumni, parents, and friends of Bucknell Crew to be connected and involved with Men's Club-Varsity Crew. In order for the Association to be successful it is critical that alumni get involved. We would like to expand the membership of the steering committee. If you are interested, please contact Victor Arcelus.

The Bucknell Crew Association welcomes all alumni, parents, and friends of the rowing program to become contributing members. We encourage you to explore the website to learn more about the association's initiatives, team gatherings, and to learn how you can help support the men's rowing program at Bucknell.