GT Crew History
"I can't tell you how many times I cross Key Bridge in Georgetown, see the eights, fours, and singles going down the Potomac and dream about rowing in the Sting with my friends- that was what it all was really about- being with great friends."
Jim Wilson, President GT Crew '92
"Hmmm...anecdotes. To be honest, there isn't much I remember that won't get someone in trouble (even me)."
Sara Willson
"Damn - I don't think I have any stories that could be put down in a book.
I don't know if that's a good thing or not."
Bito
"Most races are decided even before the crews get on the water.
... 0.03 seconds will be burned in my mind forever."
Gil Nowell
[referring to the Vmen 97 ltwt 8+ 2nd place finish at Champion]
The Funky Monkey
The entire sprint season of 1992 was just one giant anecdote. I rowed bowseat in the novice men's 8+ (aka "The Funky Monkey"), in a wild season that saw us win a couple of medals (including the Silver at SIRA) and finish the season with an appearance at Dad Vail. That season was probably my most successful as an athlete. After crew, I continued to race bicycles, but never saw the same success as I did with those guys. Until I met Brandi and Cody (wife and step child), it was THE best time of my life.
David Penn
It is funny now, but founding the Georgia Tech Rowing Club will probably be my greatest legacy of my times at Georgia Tech - At the time we were doing it, I never thought that. I thought this would be a good thing, but I am very impressed with the continued dedication every year of the members to continue to grow and develop the crew effort.
~Michael May
Rower / Coxswain Relationships by Charles Reed
One time we went to Eat's after practice in Spring '97, and on the way out to the car, Cliff Cantrell and Gary (David Jimenez) were fighting over who got to ride shotgun. Since they would be riding in my stylish blue Volvo 240, shotgun was quite an honor. Given the attitudes involved, it was no surprise they were arguing.
So Gary pushes Cliff back from the door and heavyweight Cliff (190lb.) picks up coxswain Gary (buck+change, and soaking wet), walks around to the back of the car, and says to me, "Open the trunk." So I thought it would be funny to pretend that we would put Gary in the trunk, and I opened it up.
Then Cliff put him in the trunk and Gary looked at us like "this is funny, but you don't have the guts." So Cliff said, "Close it!" and I did, thinking it would be funny to make Gary believe we would leave him in there. Then Cliff said, "let's go".
At first I hesitated, but I went along with it and we drove off with Gary in the trunk. While we were driving back, Bobby O'Keefe opened the ski hole between the back seat and the trunk and said, "Gary, you alright?" Gary threw a flashlight at Bobby, to which Bobby said, "okay, talk to you later" before closing the ski hole back.
We got back to campus, dropped Bobby off at his dorm, and parked in the deck on West Campus. Now I was getting into the prank, and I suggested that Cliff and I go get a book he wanted to borrow, leaving Gary to wait it out. After leaving Gary in the parked car for about 15 minutes, Cliff and I decided to come back and open the trunk. When I raised the trunk, Gary was crouched with the tire iron in his hand. He chased Cliff a full 2 laps around the parking deck before watching Cliff get away and making his peace with me. While he had been waiting in the deck, he used my trunk tools and started taking apart the trunk lock, which we then put back together.
Later that night, Gary avenged his incarceration. He got into Eighth St. Apt.'s and while Cliff was sleeping, he snuck up on him and dumped a trash can full of ice on his bed.
A year or so later, Gary's parents surprised him with a car at Christmas. He got the key and went outside - only to see a blue Volvo 240 in the driveway that looked exactly like mine. The trunk looked especially familiar to him.
Fireworks Anecdote by Carol Sikes
"It isn't really spring break unless you set off fireworks on the beach at night; and if you're going to set off a lot of fireworks, do the big ones first in case the cops come; and then if the cops do come, light the whole bag on fire and then run so at least you can watch them all go off instead of letting the cops take the good ones and keep them for themselves" (referring to a Celebration b/c one of the coaches had left)
Atlanta Rowing Festival 1999
"After several years of losses to GT Crew in Mens' lwt & hwt events, the Clemson men continued to search for a way to win just one eights race. In lining up to launch for the Mens' open 8+, we noticed stickers on the backs of each of the Clemson rowers' backs. "GT Crew" was all they said, I guess to pump them up each stroke of the race in an attempt to beat us.
It didn't work."
Bobby O'Keefe