Team USA
UD alumnus Ethridge to row in Pan American Games crew competition
10:05 a.m., June 18, 2015--Colin Ethridge, a University of Delaware alumnus, will compete at the Pan American Games to be held from July 10-26 in Toronto as a member of the U.S. Rowing Team.
A former competitor on the UD men’s crew club team who graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Ethridge earned his national team berth during recent time trials.
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A native of Laytonsville, Maryland, Ethridge also hopes to qualify for the World Rowing Championships scheduled Aug. 30-Sept. 6 in Aiguebelette, France, and the 2016 World Rowing Cup I in Varese, Italy, next April.
“If I go fast enough at the spring races in the States, I have a shot at making the national team that competes at the world championships,” Ethridge said. “I made the U.S. team for the first time in 2013 as a member of the lightweight quad.”
Daily training consists of two workouts in a single scull, said Ethridge, who was introduced to the sport in high school.
“Rowing is a low impact sport, so most practice sessions are long rows, between 20 and 24 kilometers,” Ethridge said. “As racing season approaches, I do more interval work at race cadence.”
Ethridge, who, lives, works and trains in Philadelphia, said he enjoyed his time as a member of the UD men’s crew team and looks forward to carrying the skills honed as a Blue Hen to future national and international competitions.
“It’s an honor to compete in the Pan American Games,” Ethridge said. “Balancing school and rowing at UD was challenging but it also prepared me well for my career. In a word, it was great.”
Chuck Crawford, head coach of the UD men’s crew team, said Ethridge earned his spot on the U.S. Rowing Team through a regimen of arduous training and preparation.
“You need talent to get to this level,” Crawford said. “Even more, you need the kind of commitment that only a few people are willing to make.”
Having guided crews in Pan American competitions to one bronze and three silver medals, Crawford said competition at the games attracts the best athletes from the Americas.
“Their focus is laser-sharp, with a goal of defeating the strong countries of the United States and Canada,” Crawford said. “Additionally, the Canadians include rowing as a major sport in their country, similar to England, and they are as likely to end up with medals as the United States.”
Crawford noted that Ethridge’s contribution to University teams taking silver and bronze medals at Philadelphia’s historic Dad Vail Regatta in 2010 and 2011 continued a strong legacy of rowing at UD.
“We have had a few guys from UD before Colin who made it to the U.S. team level,” Crawford said. “They have proved that our top athletes can be successful at that level and thus, through their leadership, pass it on to our undergraduate members.”
Making the national team is the pinnacle of rowing competition in America and competing internationally is a truly unique experience, Crawford said.
“I am very proud of Colin’s achievements as a UD alumnus and a UD men’s crew member, and also as a Pan American team rower,” Crawford said. “He is a man of strong resolve and character, and one that represents our team and the University as a special place that can teach the tools of how to rise to the highest level in sports and academics.”
Article by Jerry Rhodes