FALL ‘24 COACHES REPORT – LIGHTS
FALL ON THE SLOUGH
Lizzy Houston, Associate Head Coach, Lightweight Women
It’s been an exciting year for the Stanford Lights! The team returned to sunny Palo Alto in September, eager to get to work. While we bid farewell to several veterans, we welcomed eight newcomers who have brought a fresh wave of energy, fire, and tenacity to our driven group of Women.
We made another fantastic addition to the program by bringing on Sophia Luwis as the Assistant Lightweight Coach. Sophia’s wealth of experience as a lightweight rower has already made a tremendous impact on our team, and I am beyond thrilled to be working with her. Before joining Stanford, Sophia served as the alternate for the Lightweight 2x at the 2024 Paris Olympics, complemented by years of outstanding international racing experience.
For our training this fall, we switched things up, opting to focus primarily on smaller boats (fours and doubles) to refine technical skills while mixing up boat lineups. While we jumped into eights on piece days to get some competitive side–by–side action, the small–boat work allowed us to hone in on the finer details we aim to perfect by spring racing. There is always work to be done, but I am pleased with the progress we’ve seen on the water and equally impressed with the strides made on land.
We chose 5k’s as our main test piece this quarter, and almost everyone achieved personal bests on each one. This effort puts us in a strong position to make a serious impact on the racecourse come April.
As for fall racing, we sent a Lightweight 8+ to Boston for the Head of the Charles. It’s been several years since we’ve brought an 8+, so I was excited to see the team take on the course with the big boats. As our only race this fall, the athletes were motivated and ready to give it their all over 4,800 meters. One thing I can always trust with this group is their willingness to embrace tough days and push beyond their limits, even with only a few weeks of training under their belts. As most know, the Charles is always a bit of a gamble. If luck is on your side, it can be an incredible experience. Unfortunately, the goddess of good fortune wasn’t with us this year, and the Lights got snagged on the buoy line approaching the Eliot Bridge, disrupting their piece. Nevertheless, I was impressed by their resilience and determination to finish as strong as possible. In many ways, I think the experience reignited their drive and brought a renewed energy back to the boathouse.
Fall can be a challenging season for the athletes. Starting later than many of their peers and with only one race on the calendar, you really feel the grind. However, the team dug in, made consistent strides, and continued to deepen their skills. Whether on the water or the ergs, we saw significant growth this quarter. As long as everyone stays fit and healthy, I am confident we’ll set ourselves up for an incredible spring racing season.
