California Lightweight Crew

California Lightweight Crew
Image showing the rowing club's emblem
Image showing the rowing club's blade colours
Motto "Let there be Lights."
Location Jack London Aquatic Center, Oakland Estuary, California
Home water Oakland Estuary
Founded 1970 (1970)
President Crispin Herrick
Coaches Doug Perez (Men), Laura Kocourek (Women)
University University of California, Berkeley
Affiliations Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Website www.cal-lightweights.org
Distinctions
  • Dad Vail Varsity Lwt 4+ Champions (2011)
  • WIRA Lightweight 4+ (2012)
  • WIRA: Varsity Lightweight 8+ (2011)
  • WIRA: Women's Lightweight 8+ (2008, 2009)
Notable members
Sam Saylor

California Lightweight Crew is the club rowing team at the University of California, Berkeley. Known as the ‘Cal Lightweights’ or ‘Cal Lights,’ the team is a member of the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association.[1] In the western United States, Cal Lightweight Crew is one of three lightweight women's rowing teams and remains the sole lightweight men’s rowing team.

History

The novice men leading Stanford in a 1971 duel.

California Lightweight Crew originated as part of the University of California, Berkeley Varsity (Heavyweight) Crew team in 1970. Over the next few years, however, the Cal lightweight rowers distinguished themselves from the Cal heavyweight rowers and opted to form their own sports club, now known as California Lightweight Crew. During this time of transition, the heavyweights shared the Ky Ebright boathouse with the lightweight team.[2]

The Cal Lightweight women on Lake Natoma in 2001.

In 1992, the Cal Lightweights moved to a boathouse on the Briones Reservoir in Orinda, CA. In 1996, the team relocated to the Oakland Strokes' Edward Lickiss boathouse, situated on the Oakland Estuary. The next year, the club expanded to include a women's lightweight squad. In November 2001, California Lightweight Crew moved into the newly completed Jack London Aquatic Center (JLAC), which the team rows out of today.[2]

The men's team departed JLAC in the fall of 2004 and set up shop in Richmond, CA.[3] After storing boats under a tarp for more than one year, it rowed out of the Marin Rowing Association boathouse across the San Francisco Bay in the winter of 2005 before finding a home at San Pablo Reservoir in Orinda, CA the following spring. Having dealt with limited facilities for several seasons, the men's team managed to return to JLAC and the Oakland Estuary in the spring of 2008.[2] In the fall of 2010, all equipment was moved back inside of the JLAC boathouse. In the spring of 2011, JLAC dissolved as a non-profit entity, and the boathouse is now under the ownership and direction of the Parks and Recreation department of the City of Oakland, CA, though that has not affected the operation of the Cal Lightweights on a day-to-day basis.

Recently in the Fall of 2014, the California Lightweight Crew was delegated a permanent team room within the sub-basement of UC Berkeley's Recreational Sports Facility. With construction soon underway, the Cal Lights will have a fully furnished and equipped base of operations by the end of the 2014-2015 academic year.

Men's Racing History & Results

Racing against the since-dissolved lightweight rowing programs at the University of Washington, UCLA, and UC Santa Barbara, the team finished with a 6-2 record in its first full season.[4] Since then, the Cal Lightweights have continued to compete in multiple intercollegiate regattas, with the following notable results.

The 1972 Varsity Lightweight 8+.
The Cal Lightweight 8+ with the Secretary of the Navy Cup at the 2008 San Diego Crew Classic.

Women's Racing History & Results

Notable alumni

Sam Saylor '05 was a member of the USRowing Senior National Team, finishing fifth in the Lightweight 8+ at the 2006 FISA World Championships, and sixth in the Lightweight 4x at the 2007 FISA World Championships.[25]

References

  1. ↑ "Team Information". Go Wira. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
  2. 1 2 3 "About". California Lightweight Crew.
  3. ↑ "Cal crew funds low spirits high". Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  4. ↑ "Alumni". California Lightweight Crew.
  5. ↑ http://dadvail.org/?2011
  6. ↑ "2011 results". San Diego Crew Classic.
  7. ↑ "2010 results". San Diego Crew Classic.
  8. ↑ "2008 results". San Diego Crew Classic.
  9. ↑ "Collegiate Men & Women: WIRA Championship - complete, April 29, 2012". Row2k.com. 2012-04-29. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
  10. ↑ "Collegiate Men & Women: Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship, April 30, 2011". Row2k.com. 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
  11. 1 2 "2009 WIRA Championships Final results" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  12. ↑ "PCRC results" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  13. 1 2 "2008 WIRA Championships results" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  14. ↑ http://gowira.org/docs/WIRARESULTS2007.pdf
  15. ↑ "PCRC results" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  16. 1 2 http://gowira.org/docs/WIRA%20RESULTS%202006.pdf
  17. ↑ "PCRC results" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  18. ↑ http://gowira.org/docs/WIRA%20Results%202004.pdf
  19. ↑ "PCRC results" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  20. 1 2 http://gowira.org/docs/WIRA%20Results%202003.pdf
  21. ↑ "PCRC results" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  22. ↑ http://gowira.org/docs/WIRA%20Results%202002.pdf
  23. ↑ "JAMCO - 2002 PCRC Rowing Result 135". Jamcotimes.com. 2002-05-18. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
  24. ↑ http://dadvail.org/?2008
  25. ↑

External links

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