GRANVILLE--For the second year in a row the Denison Crew Club has been offered a bid to enter the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston taking place this weekend, Oct. 19 - 20.

Denison Crew Club, l. to r., Steve Drake, Mike McGovern, Mark Williams, Ray Mao, Mark Laughlin, Caitlin Closser (front).

"Denison is the perfect school for a rowing program," said senior Greg Holden of Bucyrus, DU crew coach who helped re-establish Denison's crew club sport program.

The Head of the Charles is one of the oldest and most prestigious fall regattas in the country, which means that the Denison crew team will be competing against teams from all around the world.

This year -- 2002 -- is the men's year for entrance into the Charles regatta, which likely means future years of alternating Denison men's and women's crews as the co-ed Denison Crew looks to participate and compete in this event on an annual basis.

"The race will take place at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 19) and we are hoping for a huge turnout of Denison parents and alumni to support our crew," said Jon Brollier, Denison senior from Hudson and another coach for the team. "Boston is the perfect venue for a regatta, with the entire course visible from the banks of the river and the many bridges spanning across the course,"

Denison's Boston-area Alumni Club President Amy Hodgkins is planning a "Denison" banner near the finish line (on the Boston side) to alert local alums and parents to the club's gathering site. Assisting also with the Boston arrangements has been Polly Whiteside, who has invited fellow Denisonians to join her at the Cambridge Boat House. (She also is volunteer coordinator of the Head of the Charles Regatta.)

Denison Crew Club president and coach, senior Matt Lehrer of Akron said: "I think the Boston experience is a testament to the fact that we are always reinventing ourselves. Our Denison team, as a club sport, is fully student run," he explained, "and, as such, Denison Crew places no limitations in boat placement or leadership positions based upon age."

"We simply believe in putting the right people in the right positions to get things done based upon who will be best for the job -- and this is what we have done with our Boston entry," Lehrer added. "These athletes have put in the time and effort to make this the race of their lives and we anticipate great things from them."

The Denison Crew Team has continued to grow in size and skill since its re-inception in 1999 and presently numbers about 50 members. The team relies heavily on gifts from parents and alumni to afford the expensive equipment, and recently christened the four-person shell that will travel with them to Boston in honor of a team member's grandfather.

Meanwhile, Denison alumni, parents and friends will be looking for the "Sally Forth" slicing through the water towards victory on the Charles River this Saturday. Fans can also follow the results online at www.hocr.org or log onto www.denison.edu/clubs.crew to get results and find out more about one of Denison's top-level student-run athletic programs.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Any Boston-area Denison alumni or parents wishing to house crew members should contact Amy L. Hodkins, president, Boston-area Alumni Club, either by email at Hodgkins@blsa.org or by phone at (617) 734-1404.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575