W. Crew finds 2 leaders

In high school, Allie Goldstein and Katrina Veerman rowed against each other on rival teams. Now, they are not only both on the Penn women's crew team, but they are co-captains. The two seniors will lead the Quakers in the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston Sunday. This race is one of the most important of the fall season. Both Goldstein and Veerman decided to take up crew because of the involvement of relatives. Goldstein followed in the footsteps of her older sister, while Veerman took after an uncle who rowed. Both have never regretted the decision to take up crew. "Crew can become an addiction," Veerman said. "There is a constant attempt to perfect something." Their years in crew have not been without challenges. Crew's difficulty is one of its main attractions, because of the greater sense of accomplishment when a goal is reached. "Crew is one of those love/hate sports," Veerman said. "When it's good, it's really good, and when it's bad, it's awful." The two captains advanced from rowing on the second freshman boat their first year. Goldstein rowed on the first varsity boat her sophomore year, while Veerman rowed on the second varsity boat. In her junior year, Goldstein slipped to the third varsity boat after she took a semester abroad in Australia. "I decided that I needed a break from crew," Goldstein said. "It can become very intense at times." Goldstein does feel she benefited from her break. It was a challenge for her to get up to speed. In fact, she believes she had a great season last year and learned a lot from rowing on the third boat. The co-captains are both vying for spots on the first varsity boat this year. The spots are still unsettled, so their performances in the fall will help determine their places in the spring. As captains, they do not think their roles have changed too much from previous years. "You're still part of the team," Veerman said. "The main purpose is to serve as a buffer between the coach and the team and keep the morale high." Both captains said their goal is "to be fast." Veerman also added the goal of beating Princeton. "We are one of the better teams in the Ivies," she said. "We have a lot of fight and heart. This is a very competitive team." After being teammates for the past three years, the two have become friends and also developed a mutual respect for each other. "Allison is a great person and I love working with her," Veerman said. "She is a great athlete and competitor." "Katrina's a great athlete," Goldstein said. "She makes me look better because she's so good." The Quakers hope the two captains will form a winning combination this year. The former rivals may be a part of the same championship team. · The Penn women's crew team competed in the U.S. Navy Day Regatta on the Schuylkill last Saturday. The Quakers finished two seconds behind Navy. "The team had fun, but we should have won," Veerman said. "We'll beat them this Sunday."