FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University rowing head coach Devin Fay has officially announced the 2016 spring schedule, planned to start on Feb. 18 with a scrimmage against fellow Sunshine State Conference member and defending national champion Barry University.
 
Nova Southeastern competed in two events this past fall to prepare for the spring, including the Head of the Charles in Boston, Mass. where it grabbed seventh place out of 35 boats.
 
"The keys to our success this spring season are building off of the style and technical changes to our rowing stroke we began in the fall as well as embracing the toughness gained by executing when fatigued," explained Fay. "The coaching staff will be relying heavily on the leadership of Bethany Warlich, Daesha Roberts and Cassilly Lobaugh to embrace the tweaks to our team wide focus of making and keeping technical changes at race pace."

All three rowers mentioned are now seniors on the 2016-17 team, and were all part of the varsity eight boat that helped NSU grab a second-place finish in the Petite Final in the 2016 NCAA Division II Rowing Championships.
 
"On top of that keeping our intensity high and getting into race pace training much earlier than last spring is another way we as a team believe we can improve on the success of past spring seasons," Fay added.

NSU will participate in two scrimmages during the last two weekends of February, the first against Barry in Miami Shores, Fla. and then another the following weekend against Bates College in Daytona Beach, Fla.
 
The Sharks will continue their preparation for the upcoming season with a six-day training trip at the Oars Rowing Club in Orlando, Fla. from March 4-10.
 
The next week, the Sharks will travel back to Orlando to compete in its first regular-season race against host UCF, University of Connecticut and Jacksonville on March 17.
 
Beginning March 31, the Sharks will start their championship-season schedule by attending the Florida Intercollegiate Rowing Association (FIRA) Championship event in Sarasota, Fla. The next week NSU will take part in the annual Knecht Cup in Princeton, N.J. April 8-9. With plenty of practice and competition by this point, the Sharks will look to shine in the Sunshine State Conference Championship on April 28 at the Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla.
 
The weekend of May 12-13, the NSU rowing team will be visiting out-of-state waters to compete in the renowned Dad Vails Regatta in Philadelphia, Penn.
 
Lastly, the NCAA National Championship will take place in West Windsor, N.J. from May 26-28. The Sharks look forward to a successful season that can once again point them towards the national title after claiming it in the 2013 season.
 
Stay tuned with NSUSharks.com throughout the spring for updates and results.