Rowing wins season opener, records fastest time in boat named after coach
Debuting the AFK Strong, a new boat named after coach Amy Kearney Fuller, No. 18 UCLA rowing won its season opener at home. (Kanishka Mehra/Photo editor)
By Kyle Boal
March 15, 2021 2:39 p.m.
With a new boat, the Bruins swept their races over the weekend.
No. 18 UCLA rowing (1-0) won its 2021 season opener in Marina del Rey over Loyola Marymount (0-3) on Saturday after the team’s 2020 season featured only one meet before it was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We just have that mindset of we have nothing to lose, and we just need to treat every race like it is our last because that’s obviously what happened last year,” said senior port Shelby Meksto. “The energy was amazing. The focus was so on point for our race, and it just felt like we started off so strong and just were able to maintain it. And it was just such a fun race and just such a great experience. It was a really fun day.”
Debuting a new boat, the AFK Strong, the Bruins’ varsity eight crew recorded the fastest time of the meet, posting 6:27.90. Coach Amy Fuller Kearney – whose initials are used in the title – explained the significance of the boat.
“In November of 2019, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and alumni, donors, friends, supporters all ended up coming together to get us (this boat),” Fuller Kearney said. “It’s absolutely significant, especially for the year that we’ve been through. This is an absolute blessing to our program and we’re all just really grateful for this sport.”
Sophomore coxswain Sofia Papini led the varsity eight crew composed of two freshmen, four sophomores and two juniors. The Bruins’ second varsity eight finished with a time of 6:41.50, ahead of the Lions’ only varsity eight crew time of 6:50.20.
Papini said her coach’s fight against breast cancer in conjunction with the global pandemic has inspired the team to push itself while racing.
“For the debut race of AFK Strong, being able to win its first race, I think it was just really symbolic of staying strong when it gets tough,” Papini said. “That’s a really big thing that our coach inspires us to do. She always stays strong. Obviously through her fight and then, for us, being strong through the (COVID-19) pandemic and staying strong for each other.”
In addition to its two varsity eight crews, UCLA raced two varsity four crews. Finishing atop the leaderboard, the first varsity four boat crossed the finish line in 7:16.10 while the second crew came in shortly after at 7:29.60. LMU raced only one varsity four boat, finishing last with 7:41.70.
“That win was a result of all of the hard work that everyone has been putting in, whether it’s the girls training or the amazing leadership of our coaches and the training programs they create in the environment that they inspire,” Papini said. “The results from this weekend were not a coincidence, that was a result of the hard work that UCLA rowing has been putting in.”
UCLA will return to action March 27 at 8 a.m. when the team hosts No. 15 USC.
