Kelly screams his way to world stardom

When Andrew Kelly got off the airplane from Milan, Italy this weekend, five members of the men's heavyweight crew team picked him up, carrying a giant American flag and wearing shirts that read "Andy Kelly: American Hero."

Their unusual behavior was inspired by the knowledge that their friend and captain was not simply bringing back a few snapshots and a taste for fresh mozzarella -- he carried with him a gold medal.

While many Penn students spent their summers awaiting orders for the next round of photo copies, Kelly was barking out orders that led him and two others to a gold medal at the World Rowing Championships in Milan.

The senior was the varsity coxswain for the Quakers last year, but over the summer he coxed 28 year olds Dan Beery from Indiana and Matt Rich from Minnesota. The three defeated boats from other prestigious U.S. clubs and had the privilege of racing -- and winning -- in Milan.

To get onto the team, Kelly made the first move and contacted U.S. National Coach Mike Teti at Princeton training camp.

"You have to call the coaches. They won't call you," Kelly said. "Usually, they've heard of you already."

Teti had heard of Kelly, and he came highly recommended by both Penn coaches, as well as coaches at Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia, where he trained last summer.

At Princeton, Kelly, along with the rest of the national team hopefuls, practiced 13 times a week.

The intensive training in weeks leading up to the World Championships might have left someone with less determination wishing he were making coffee for a CEO.

But not Kelly.

"I've been thinking about being on the national team since I was a junior in high school," Kelly said.

After each of those 13 weekly practices, athletes saw their dream come to an end.

"A lot is at stake," Kelly said. "People's rowing goals are on the line every day."

Even after surviving the elimination process at Princeton and being assigned to the pair of Beery and Rich, Kelly's boat had to race at U.S. trials against other clubs.

"Nothing is guaranteed when you show up," Kelly said.

The high stakes might have made Kelly nervous on dry land, but on the water, he was intensely focused.

"In the boat I was confident that [Beery and Rich] were fast enough," Kelly said. "And that helped me to be more confident."

Kelly's confidence on the water is something that has helped him to be a strong leader, not only for both the seasoned rowers he led to a gold medal, but also for the Quakers.

"He is the first coxswain to be elected captain since 1967," Penn heavyweight coach Stan Bergman said. "All coxswains are leaders, but they don't usually get elected captain. It shows a lot of respect that his teammates have for him as a leader."

His teammates agree.

"He's the team captain and now he's set a great example for the rest of the team to follow this season," junior John Linnehan said.

Kelly is able to keep the victory in perspective.

"Especially since it was my first time on the national team, it's not too bad to go and win," Kelly said.

Despite the fact that Kelly has done the equivalent of win the Olympics for his event, he has not let the success go to his head.

"It's nice to be part of the national team and race internationally, but that was the summer and the summer is over," Kelly said. "I feel excited to come back to Penn's team."

Both Bergman and Kelly are optimistic about the influence the senior's experience will have on the team this year.

"The level [at which Kelly competed] is so high; we hope that carries over," Bergman said. "It's always a plus when someone has that kind of experience."

"I learned a lot from [the national team] coaches that I can bring back," Kelly said. "They do it at a little bit of a higher level, but it's nothing our guys can't handle or grasp. They're pretty good themselves."

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