Every sports team wants to enter a new season in a good place. No matter the level of talent or preseason expectations, having the right mentality and energy is vital to achieving success. Good news for Notre Dame rowing: head coach Martin Stone, the only coach in the program's 24-year history, believes this year's group has that.
“I think the preparation has gone really well. There's been a great vibe on the team all year long. So it's been a real pleasure to work with them,” Stone said.
The better news for the Irish is arguably their two best talents from last season are still around. Juniors Natalie Hoefer and Maggie Newell were named First and Second Team All-ACC, respectively, a year ago. Hoefer, in particular, is seen as one of the top rowers in the country. She was one of nine rowers in the ACC named to the conference's preseason watch list and was also recognized by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association as an Athlete to Watch. Given that she already holds the Irish record in the 2K and the 6K, Hoefer figures to be in store for more big things in 2024.
“Natalie is very physically gifted in like her background in her high school sports” Stone said. “She did row but she also ran cross country and she swam so just a great, great engine and she's natural gifts [but] she has not relied on those. She's worked really hard to enhance those.”
However, that doesn't mean Newell should be overlooked.
“Really tough, hard working... [she and Hoefer] have done well so far this year and the fitness tests are going well [and] are ahead of where they were last year,” Stone said.
One of the most unique components of rowing is how big the rosters are. There are 61 members of Notre Dame's roster this season, with nearly a third of the team consisting of freshmen. That makes for an interesting dynamic as they balance adjusting to college life with beginning their first season at Notre Dame.
“I think that transition everybody transitions differently, right. It takes awhile. It's just so new when you come in no matter how, how, how well you think you were prepared coming in? It's just different... I think the freshmen have adapted well, and I think usually with the freshmen, there's just more peaks and valleys. Right? Their highs, sometimes, they're a little bit higher and their lows are a little bit lower.”
The season began for the Irish last weekend at the Cardinal Invitational, hosted by Louisville in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Competing against over a half-dozen schools overall, Notre Dame earned two first place finishes in 11 total races, leading the pack in Saturday morning's Third Varsity Eight with a time of 6:45.454 and the Fourth Varsity with a time of 7:18.621. The Third Varsity Eight team consisted of freshman Maya Fister, freshman Grayson Conway, junior Clodagh McEvoy-Johnston, senior Lauren Hering, sophomore Megan Vogt, junior Michaela Carroll, senior Elsa Bixby, sophomore Grace Taylor and freshman coxswain Joyce Kang. Varsity Four was manned by sophomore Morgan Rice, senior Audrey Burri, freshman Scarlett Quinn, junior Victoria Gordon-Brown and sophomore coxswain Annmarie Wallis.
