Just days ahead of this Saturday’s Head of the Housatonic event in Shelton, Connecticut, Fairfield University’s rowing team is working relentlessly to see results on the water. Overall, Fairfield will be sending three 8-man boats for the Men’s and Women’s Collegiate Directors Cup, with the women’s team having an additional two entries to the Women’s Open 4+ event.
In preparation for this weekend’s races, both teams have been celebrating their recent successes while simultaneously clocking in countless hours in the gym and erg room.
The women’s team held its ring ceremony in honor of their 2025 MAAC Championship on Saturday. Junior Raquel DeLeo commented on the ceremony, stating, “I’m super excited to see how our summer workouts and the momentum from winning the MAAC Championship this past spring will serve as a catalyst for success this Saturday.” The title was the program’s first since 2000, earning them an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Championship.
Along with the ring ceremony was a shell dedication for the men’s team, who received a new boat dedicated to Max ‘52 and Dottie O’Meara, who “played a very important role in the team”, according to junior port/starboard Eamon Tonna.
On Sunday, the men’s team went on its annual retreat, which focused on gratefulness and acceptance. Tonna explained that the retreat was “a chance to disconnect from the outside and get to know the team, especially the new guys.”
It was a welcome change of pace after the team had been putting in early morning workouts in preparation for the season. Tonna noted that on average, each member of the men’s team clocks in at least 125,000 meters per week on the erg. Many of them include additional conditioning workouts on their own, outside of the prescribed workouts as a team.
Deleo noted the newer members of the rowing team and their adaptability to their tough schedule. “Our freshman class is quickly adjusting to the early wake-ups and embracing the team culture that has been monumentally built over the past year,” she shared.
The rowing team is no stranger to change, as the men’s team recently welcomed new head coach Stephen Baranoski. Sophomore coxswain Cedric Wysocki is optimistic about the new energy brought to the team, “Men’s Rowing at Fairfield has never seen a moment quite like the one we are entering now. A full-time coaching staff, a new shell and a renewed sense of what it means to be an athlete have accelerated the program to a new level.”
Sophomore John Blaney corroborated Wysocki’s statement, adding that “the team has been dialed into the new training program and very receptive to the implemented changes.”
Following the Head of the Housatonic is the famous Head of the Charles Regatta next week. Wysocki explained his feelings about the schedule ahead with a line from Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken. “As a team, we have chosen the path less taken, which is one of hard work, long hours, and immense focus.” He doubled down on the sense of optimism for the road ahead: “But I firmly believe that with our wonderful coaches, we will make all the difference for the future of our program.”