By Zackary Al-Khateeb
The Alabama women’s rowing team will take on the University of Oklahoma and Old Dominion University Saturday in the team’s Power of Pink meet in Tuscaloosa. It’s the Tide’s final race at home for the season.
The Crimson Tide has been competitive so far this season, performing well against traditionally talented opponents like Clemson, Louisville, Dartmouth and Southeastern Conference foe Tennessee. Head coach Larry Davis said they have needed to face stiff competition.
“You have to learn to compete against top teams,” Davis said. “You don’t test yourself if you don’t push yourself. We’re doing some good things. The girls are fired up.”
With tough competition already under its belt, the Crimson Tide prepares to take on younger teams in Oklahoma and Old Dominion. Davis said that doesn’t mean that they’re taking either of those teams for granted.
“They [Oklahoma] went ahead and spent a year recruiting athletes, whereas we just kind of hit the ground running and went with the players we had,” Davis said. “We’re about on the same level in recruiting. We’re very similar.”
Jessica Scivley, a senior from Hoover, said she follows her coach’s stance on facing the younger programs.
“I think [rowing against young teams] pumps us up more,” Scivley said. “We’re ready for them to surprise us.”
As the season progresses for the Crimson Tide, Davis said he has seen how his team has grown in terms of experience and competitiveness, qualities that will help Alabama later in the season.
“One of the things we’ve wanted to do is get more competitive with teams,” Davis said. “We’re right about where we’re expected to be. The girls just have to keep the faith.”
Jessica Autrey, a senior from Columbus, Miss., said the team still needs to be competitive as the season wears on.
“As the season goes on, you get faster and faster,” Autrey said. “We hope we’ll peak at a later point this season.”
As the Tide prepares for its final race at home, Davis said the team encourages everyone to come out and support the team.
“We’d love to have people come out and support us,” Davis said. “It’s going to make us that much more inspired.”
As the Tide prepares to take to the water Saturday, seniors on the team recalled how this would not only be their last home race of the season, but in their entire Alabama careers. As the Tide’s first ever group of seniors on the rowing team, said they’ve seen a lot of changes throughout the seasons.
“I just kind of heard about it and decided I wanted to join up,” Scivley said. “I definitely didn’t know the magnitude of what I was getting into. I never would have thought we’d be as successful as we are now.”
Autrey said she shares those sentiments.
“It’s awesome [being a part of this class],” Autrey said. “The program can only go up from here.”
