This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
08/29/2017 12:00 AMEmily Hutchinson took to rowing like a fish to water at Valley Regional High School, earning a spot in the first boat during her freshman season. Now entering her junior year, Emily will be co-captain for Valley crew in the spring of 2018 and hopes to see continued improvement from the Warriors, as well as the continued increase of interest in the sport. In addition to being a rower, Emily is also an accomplished middle blocker for Valley’s volleyball squad.
Emily decided to give crew try in the months leading up to her first year at Valley Regional. Even as a freshman, Emily showed that she had a talent for rowing and earned her position in the first boat as a result.
“My first time rowing was summer before freshman year,” says Emily, an Ivoryton resident. “Then my freshman year I started to row at Valley, and I was put in the first boat in varsity. It was great, because I wasn’t expecting to get that far so soon.”
Even though Emily enjoyed early individual success, the team struggled. Without any of their own equipment, the Warriors borrowed from Old Lyme’s crew and often had to compete with boats and oars that were challenging to use.
“We were rowing at Old Lyme, and we always ended up with the worst equipment. When we would go to races, we would be in last,” Emily says. “Everyone kept doing it because we loved the sport, but it was hard to stay excited. This season, we didn’t come in last once.”
Last year, the Warriors received generous donations of new equipment from local businessman Bart Gullong and other members of their community through the fundraising efforts of the Valley Crew Booster Club. Emily says that the improvements were immediate as the Warriors recorded some of their top times during their first regatta of 2017.
“In the first race, we got a time that was better than any time we had when I was a freshman,” says Emily. “Then we broke six minutes, and everyone was really excited that we were getting more competitive with the other schools.”
Emily will be taking on more responsibility as a captain next year, and she’s already helped spearhead an offseason workout program, while working with fellow captain Electra Cassells and Valley crew Head Coach John Laundon. Emily and Cassells have also been talking about ways to help their squad bond.
“We want pasta dinners and events outside of practice. It’s easier to work together on the water if we are friends off the water,” says Emily. “We do a lot of conditioning during the offseason. It’s important for us that everyone keeps pushing and does their best. We always tell the girls that they can come to us with any questions, even if they’re not crew related. It’s important to set a good example and be role models.”
Coach Laundon says that Emily is an important asset to the Warriors not just because of her rowing ability, but also for her leadership qualities. Laundon knows that he can trust both of his captains to keep their teammates focused and motivated.
“She is hard-working, smart, and an excellent rower. She’s shown a lot of potential for rowing in college. She’s just an excellent role model,” Coach Laundon says. “She’s more introverted and Electra is more extroverted, and they make a good pair as captains. We had an informal summer program out of Pettipaug in Essex, and Emily and Electra organized a workout schedule. I got them going and left it up to them to keep it organized.”
Emily is also gearing up to play middle blocker for the Warriors’ volleyball squad this fall. Last year, Emily played in all 88 sets for Valley, scoring 66 kills with 31 blocks on her way to earning the team’s Most Improved Player Award. Head Coach Kathy Scott was pleased with Emily’s performance as a sophomore and believes she will continue upping her game during her junior season.
“She is an excellent student, and she impressed us with how quickly she improved her technique. A cerebral player and a hard worker, she excelled quickly and became a threat in the middle with both her attack and her block,” Scott says. “As Emily enters her junior year, she continues to excel and will be an even greater force in the front row this season. Overall, she is an outstanding young lady, and we are very fortunate to have her on our team.”
Emily thanks her parents Jeff and Julia Hutchinson for their support, her coaches for all that they’ve taught her, Gullong for his to donation Valley crew, Tracy LeMay for her hard work with booster club, and co-captain Cassells for being so great to work with.
Emily feels excited about the future of crew at Valley Regional. People are paying more attention to the sport in the area, and she thinks that will aid the Warriors as they continue their ascent.
“We have a lot more parents coming to races, and people are learning a lot more about the sport. This year, I’ve had freshman come up and ask me about rowing,” says Emily. “It’s going to make the team so much better. It’s more fun to be in races where we’re hoping to win and don’t have low expectations. The mood changes when the team knows they have a shot and are pushing toward a specific goal.”