Wharton crew team member paddles his way to break world rowing records

When Wharton graduate student John Hall broke a world rowing record last month, the entire Wharton rowing team was "ecstatic" that they had a "real athlete" among them -- except Hall, that is. "I don't want to make a big deal about it," Hall stressed. "I call it 'the old small guy category'." After breaking the world record for master's lightweight rowers with an ergometer time of 6 minutes, 18.8 seconds at the Vesper Erg Rodeo in Philadelphia, Hall went on to the CRASH-B Sprints Indoor Championship in Boston February 16. There he broke his own record, rowing 2,000 meters in a time of 6:17.6. Hall, co-captain of the Wharton student crew team, said he didn't plan to row in graduate school. He rowed for the U.S. Naval Academy in the 1980s and was on the national lightweight rowing team in 1986. But after joining the Navy Seals in 1987, Hall intended to retire his oar for good. Coming to the Wharton School, he wanted to concentrate on his studies. "It was hilarious," Wharton rowing co-captain Frank Klausz said. "He absolutely refused to row, saying 'I know myself, I know rowing, and there's no way to get into this just a little bit'." But after a rower was injured last November, Hall hesitantly agreed to help the team -- a move which led to the victory at the Frostbite Regatta and Hall's recent personal successes. Trying to downplay his own achievements, however, Hall pointed to Wharton sophomore and Penn heavyweight Garrett Miller's success in Boston. Coming in fifth overall in the open men's division of the CRASH-B's, Miller also placed first in the U.S. collegiate division with a time of 5:52.3 for the 2,000-meter race. "That's huge? it's extremely competitive for them," Hall said. "I feel like a real has-been. I mean, Garrett was in elementary school? last time I raced." But Klausz refused to accept Hall's modesty, noting, "John is scaring all the other graduate school rowing programs? It is hopeless for them to try and attack us." "John is so humble? he appreciates almost to a fault how much everyone else has contributed to his success," he added. Hall, who graduates in May, juggles his studies with two daily workouts at home to prepare for the championships. Hall said rowing and other sports club activities "enhance the graduate program." "He found the right niche [at Wharton] to break the world record," Klausz added. "In a place where everyone is trying to support everyone else, it makes it much easier for individuals to succeed." Hall's championship row broke a record that, according to Klausz, stood for 10 years. In addition to the "notoriety" gained by the Wharton team, Hall has successfully reinstated himself in the world of rowing --at least for now. "I've been testing the waters to see if there's a chance I could be nationally competitive again as a lightweight," he said, adding that he has been talking to various coaches on the prospects of rowing in the future. Hall plans to continue rowing with the Wharton club while "reaching out more to the student body and teaching more people how to row."

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