AVY CREW NEWSLETTER Winter Issue www.navysports.com February 2014 In this Issue... • Spring Alumni Banquet Seeing My Friend Depicted in ‘’ Navy Crew’s own John Ismay had the • ‘Lone Survivor’ following article published recently in The • Team Updates New York Times. As much of the Navy • Captains’ Interviews rowing family knows, Erik Kristensen ‘95 was a Navy rower who was killed in action • Service Selection almost nine years ago. Here is the article: • Spring Schedules Seeing My Friend Depicted in ‘Lone Survivor’ by John Ismay I dreaded the idea of seeing my old Upcoming Events roommate’s death depicted on screen in Other than our inaugural Alumni Re- the movie “Lone Survivor.” But when I union and Spring Kickoff Banquet (invi- saw a pair of Birkenstocks walking away tation on next page), the Navy Rowing from the camera on the big screen, I knew program hopes to see you at its upcoming someone had taken the time to get the de- spring events. tails right. Someone really cared about this There are four home races this spring story. Photo thanks to Thomas Shomaker on the Severn River, including a much- The actor plays the role of my anticipated return by the Princeton heavy- friend, Erik Kristensen, a Navy SEAL offi- when he went through SEAL training in weight team. cer killed in on June 28, 2005. Coronado, Calif., and I was stationed on a The Navy lightweights have three home I’d known Erik since I was a kid — he’d destroyer across the bay in 2000. races this year against Princeton, George- gone to Gonzaga College High School in Mr. Bana said of Erik: “He’s a guy I town and Harvard. Join the 2004 National Washington with my older brother Dave, would have gotten along with had I gotten Championship Lightweight 8+ on their and they later rowed crew together at the to meet him.” 10th anniversary, as they are honored U.S. Naval Academy. A few years later, I A good story is in the details, and Mr. on April 12th at Hubbard Hall after the followed them to Gonzaga and then rowed Bana himself ensured those details were Georgetown home race. at the Academy, too. We’d known each included. The heavyweight men and women’s other for 15 years, and we were roommates Story cont’d on Page 3... programs both race at the George Wash- ington Invitational in Washington DC. There aren’t many venues better for spec- tators than the Georgetown Waterfront. Navy Crew Triathlon and Team Updates “We hope to see you there.” Like most of the country, Annapolis has experienced a particularly hard winter. Upcoming Navy Crew Events The creek is frozen solid and parts of the Severn are also iced over. March 1 Alumni Banquet All three programs have taken the time March 22 Lwts vs. Princeton* to focus on land training, putting in long April 5 Hwts vs. Princeton* hours on the ergs, in the weight room, and April 12 Lwts vs. Georgetown* finding new ways to push the athletes to Hwts at GW Invite their limits. Women at GW Invite One way was to create a boathouse- April 19 Lwts vs. Harvard* wide Navy Crew Triathlon. As you can imagine, it wasn’t your usual triathlon. The new indoor turf football field. The strength *Home Races* three events included a strength portion, a portion consisted of a 500-meter sprint Alumni Banquet Invitation on next page 3-mile run and a 6,000-meter erg. on the ergometer, followed by an 80-yard Complete Schedule on last page The event began on Halsey Field House’s Story cont’d on Page 4...

Navy Crew Newsletter Page 1 First Annual Navy Crew Alumni Reunion & Spring Kickoff Banquet Join our Special Guest Speaker Admiral John M. Richardson ‘82 Director, Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program in welcoming our First Class Heavyweight, Lightweight, and Women Rowers into the ranks of Alumni.

Saturday, March 1, 2014 VADM William Lawrence Banquet Facility Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium 6:00 PM Cocktails, 7:00 PM Dinner $70 per person, price increases to $85 after February 15th Service Dress Blue, Marine Equivalent, or Civilian Informal RSVP and payment link at www.gonavycrew.org

The Older we get, the Faster we were! Rejoin your teammates, other alumni and parents in celebrating our First Class Midshipmen as they start their final Championship Season on the Severn. All family and friends are welcome! Hear from our coaches, team captains and our special guest speaker, Admiral John Richardson.

Questions? Please contact Coach Rob Friedrich ([email protected]) or Kit Vallhonrat ‘93 ([email protected]) ...Kristensen Story cont’d. But then I saw a glimpse of something “The other constant was his sense of hu- Here’s the back story. that made me think of my friend. In the mor,” Mr. Bana continued. “He just seemed film, when communication with Petty Offi- like a real interesting guy. A guy I know I cer Luttrell’s reconnaissance team was lost, would’ve gotten along with if I’d gotten the Lt. Cmdr. Erik Kristensen was the Task a petty officer named Shane Patton woke chance to meet him ” Unit Commander when a SEAL mission up Commander Kristensen — Mr. Bana — With all the research he did on Erik, Mr. that went terribly wrong. On this op- to update him on the situation. And as Mr. Bana acknowledged that “Lone Survivor” eration, 19 Americans died and only one Bana walked away, the movie cut to a shot was a movie, not a documentary. SEAL, Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell, lived of his feet shuffling down the hall. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to turn to tell the story. The movie, the book — it’s He was wearing Erik’s favorite sandals: up and back your instinct that you know Petty Officer Luttrell’s story. Birkenstocks. enough about him, but the real job now is His four-man SEAL team deployed to Now there are maybe a few dozen people you’ve got to do a good job as an actor,” he the mountainous region of Afghanistan in the world who’d see that scene and im- said. “Because we can all have these great near the border to begin surveil- mediately grasp the significance: Erik was intentions to honor everybody — and that lance on a leader named Ahmad rarely without his Birkenstocks, and was can fail if we allow the overwhelming sense Shah, but their location was discovered even buried with a pair on his feet. of responsibility to cloud our instincts as and they were soon outnumbered by en- How did that get into the movie? actors or our judgment as co-storyteller. emy fighters. I wanted to know. So I emailed the “Fortunately, the story is so compelling, On the mountaintop, the four SEALs ra- production studio and ended up with a and the beats of Erik within our film are dioed for help, and Erik personally led the 30-minute interview with the actor. really strong.” response. But his helicopter was shot down At a premiere of “Lone Survivor” in before it could deploy Erik and the rescue “I Really Loved That Side of Him” Los Angeles, Mr. Bana met Erik’s parents: team. When asked about how he prepared Sam, his mom, and Ed, his father, a retired for the role of playing Erik, Mr. Bana said, two-star Navy admiral. “It was great to get The Movie “There’s this fine line where you go digging a chance to meet them,” Mr. Bana said. “It I already knew the ending, and didn’t for information as much as you can get in meant a lot.” want to see the movie. But when Erik’s a short amount of time.” He added, “And Mr. Bana said his research had turned mom, Sam Kristensen, asked some of his there are a few constants in Erik’s character up a few mentions of Erik wearing Birken- friends to accompany Erik’s cousins, Jen I loved reading about.” stocks, and the fact that he was even buried and Allison, to see an advance screening of One of them was Erik’s humility. wearing a pair. “Lone Survivor,” I went. Despite his rank, Mr. Bana said he real- “The day when we were shooting the You always do what a gold star mother ized, “he didn’t take himself too seriously.” scene where Patton comes and knocks on asks. “I know that’s a common theme with Spe- the door and wakes me up, I was telling As the story progressed, an actor ap- cial Forces,” Mr. Bana said. “But when the Pete [Peter Berg, the director] the story peared on screen wearing utilities with time came for orders to be given, he as- about the Birkenstocks, and he said, ‘That’s the name KRISTENSEN, but of course, it sumed that mantle and was extremely ca- great, let’s put you in Birkenstocks.’ So he wasn’t Erik. Not our Erik. pable. I really loved that side of him.” called the props and the wardrobe depart- ment, and they got us a pair straight away.” “There’s always a way of someone show- ing individuality without bucking the sys- tem,” Mr. Bana said, “so a little detail can be really important.” John Ismay is a former U.S. Navy Explo- sive Ordnance Disposal officer and a mem- ber of Columbia Journalism School’s class of 2014. You can follow him on his blog and on Twitter.

Along with an endowed shell in memory of Erik S. Kristensen ‘95 (left), Navy Crew has the privilege to award the Kristensen Tro- phy annually to the Varsity Heavyweight crew member of the graduating class who has excelled in Athletics, Leadership, and Academics, and who has contributed the most to the team’s success over his career at the Naval Academy.

Navy Crew Newsletter Page 3 ...Triathlon/Updates Story cont’d. start setting records of sled-pull, and an 80-yard sled-drag. The their own. training sleds were weighted down and at- Spring break is quick- tached to a 60-foot rope. The purpose of ly approaching and so the sleds were to test the athletes’ upper is the second annual body and overall strength before advanc- “Navy Currahee Moun- ing to the run portion of the triathlon. tain Run”. The moun- The turf workout was exciting. 12 rowers tain was made famous were started at a time, one rower from each by the movie “Band of class from each program: Heavyweights, Brothers”, in which the Lightweights and Women competing side- American Paratroop- by-side. ers at Camp Toccoa ran The entire event was timed, so after fin- Curahee: “3 miles up, 3 ishing on the indoor turf, miles down.” the athletes ran out of Since Toccoa, period, and this has allowed the team to Halsey and began a 3-mile GA is only 30 miles away from strike a solid stride to the training for the run around the Yard, end- where the Navy Heavyweights spring season. ing at the boathouse. train during spring break, the team “Practices and training have been mov- Once in Hubbard Hall, decided to honor their “Broth- ing along well, with both the Plebes and the rowers finished the ers” with a run of their own. The Varsity putting in the intensity and volume triathlon by erging 6,000 coaches take advantage of the team necessary for a successful 2014 campaign,” meters. outing with a pep talk at the over- Coach Bagnall said. “Twice a week the To keep it as competi- look on the top of the mountain. Plebes and Varsity have been mixing-it-up tive as possible, the wom- If there are any alumni in the area on the ergs, and the room has been nothing en’s sleds were slightly of Toccoa, GA on the morning of less than electric when we take the reins off lighter than the men’s and March 8th and want to run Curra- the Midshipmen and let them go at it. It the women’s erg was 5,000 meters. The hee with the team, please has been awesome!” result was having 4 heavyweights, 3 light- contact Rob Friedrich at In pre-season weights, and 3 women in the top ten plac- [email protected]. meetings, it was the ings for the event. The winners from each 2/C that identified program will have their names engraved Lightweight Crew Update the challenge to the on our new triathlon trophy: Returning to campus team of rowing at Ethan Palmer - Hwt ‘14 after an extended layoff a higher level tech- Seamus Fish - Lwt ‘14 from formal practices can nically when they Kricket Masters - Women ‘15 often lead to some anxiety hit the Severn this on the part of the coach- spring than when ing staff. This year was no they left the river different, with the Army- this fall. Both Plebes Navy Football game shifting the final exam and Varsity alike have embraced this chal- schedule and preventing formal meetings lenge and the focus has been noticeable in or practices after Thanksgiving Break. the Great Eight Tank. There is no doubt This meant that the rowers would have that this group of athletes has the passion to be diligent and disciplined about train- to make the 2014 racing season a success- ing on their own during the last two weeks ful one. of the semester, and Coach Bagnall has New Navy Crew Triathlon Trophy through Christmas tried to keep things in Break. perspective, “I know Heavyweight Crew Update The Navy Light- the team, led by our The heavyweight program has been weights had erg assess- team captain 1/C Sea- hard at work on the ergometers and in the ments before Thanks- mus Fish, has been fo- weight room. The team also took advan- giving, and the same cused on the process tage of early-semester turf workouts, with assessments when class- and effort and not look- their strength coach, to build more endur- es resumed January 7th. ing ahead to results.” ance and fitness. Coaches Bagnall and The Navy Lights are Many of the current athletes have their Archer were pleasantly excited to be return- sights set on the Navy Crew erg records surprised at the work ing to Oak Ridge, TN held by Will Race ‘12 and Jon Wright ‘98. that obviously had been this March for Spring We will find out if this young team can done during that down- Cont’d on next page... Navy Crew Newsletter Page 4 ...cont’d from previous page. “This season is going to be very challeng- Break, and they welcome any alumni or ing with the addition of Loyola, Boston supporters in the area to come say hello or University, and Georgetown to the Patriot say a few words to the guys. League,” noted coach Mike Hughes. The team will be doing their spring break Women’s Crew Update training in Norfolk out of the Hampton Navy Women’s Crew went in-season for Roads Rowing Club. their spring championship season on 10 “We did our spring break training in January. The team is 65 women strong, los- Norfolk last year and although it’s a little ing no rowers to the 2013 graduation. With colder than where we used to go, the water an undefeated regular season for the Varsi- is flat and the people are very welcoming,” ty 8 and the Patriot League Championship Hughes added. under their belt, the team is very excited The Murphy Cup on 29 March on the about the 2014 season. Cooper River will kick the season off. 2014 Navy Crew Service Selection

Heavyweight Crew Women’s Crew Lightweight Crew Anthony Blazevic Marine Ground Katherine Ashton Marine Aviation Timothy Dixon Navy Pilot Jordan Bowman Naval Flight Officer Allyn Bennett Marine Ground Seamus Fish Special Warfare Grant Buckley Submarines Caitlin Bryant Naval Flight Officer Richard Hutyra Navy Pilot Alex Hayano Naval Flight Officer Rebecca Freihofer Marine Ground Michael Madrid Surface Warfare Bo Joost Marine Aviation Ana Ioane Marine Ground Krystyna Nowakowski Surface Warfare David Matasic Surface Warfare Catherine Oakley Navy Pilot Sahil Patel Marine Aviation Patrick McAllister Surface Warfare Cyle Schultz Marine Ground James O’Boyle Marine Ground Alex Yachanin Submarines Ethan Palmer Naval Flight Officer William Roberts Marine Aviation 2014 Navy Crew Captain’s Outlook HWT Captain: Ethan Palmer What piece of Navy Rowing History motivates you and Service Selection: Naval Flight Officer the rest of the team? Major: Political Science What motivates us as Navy rowers is the legacy of Navy Hometown: Stonington, CT Crew. From the Olympic crews, IRA and Sprints winners, and the national team athletes, to the graduates who distin- Did you row in high school? guished themselves in times of war, we are most proud and Yes, I sculled for one year and rowed motivated to be a part of what Navy Crew has been, as we for Stonington HS for one year. strive to continue its history of greatness.

What are your expectations for the Spring season? What are the expectations of the plebe class and their My expectations for the team are to continue and build role for the future of your team? upon its past successes, improving our ranking in the regu- With each passing year, it is expected that the plebe class lar season, EARC Sprints and IRA placements. By hitting makes itself known, early on, as a competitive force pushing the water with a vengeance in the spring season, we will be and joining the Varsity for the betterment of the program looking at one victory at a time, Princeton being first on the as a whole. list.

Women’s Captain: Catherine Oakley What piece of Navy Rowing history motivates you and Service Selection: Navy Pilot the rest of the team? Major: Oceanography There is a certain picture of the 2005 Navy Women’s Crew Hometown: Fairfax, VA on the dock right after winning the Patriot League Champi- onship for the first time ever. We like to look at that picture Did you row in high school? and are inspired by all the hard work they collectively put Yes, I rowed for four years at Robin- in to get there. son Secondary School in northern Virginia. What are the expectations of the plebe class and their role for the future of your team? What are your expectations for the Spring season? This year’s plebe class brings an incredible amount of My expectation is that our team will work together and potential to the table. They are tall, strong, and willing to push each other to be the fastest we’ve ever been. This year’s work hard. The team’s expectation for them is that they will Patriot League Cahmpionship will be more competitive fully embrace our Navy Women’s Crew Philosophy, as they than ever before. Therefore, we understand that in order to continue to integrate into our team and family. Undoubt- defend our title, we must be willing to train and race harder edly, the future of our team looks very bright. than ever before.

LWT Captain: Seamus Fish What piece of Navy Rowing history motivates you and Service Selection: Special Warfare the rest of the team? Major: Chinese Our red sweatshirts. It bonds us to the proud tradition and Hometown: New Hope, PA legacy of the Navy Lightweight Team.

Did you row in high school? What are the expectations of the plebe class and their Yes, I rowed for the Lawrenceville role for the future of your team? School in New Jersey. The plebe class is the future of our team. Our expectation is for the plebe class to lead the team in intensity and passion What are your expectations for the Spring season? while maintaining the humility to learn from everyone Our expectations for the Spring season are to race the way around them. we have been training and to leave no doubt that we have done everything to prepare for race day.

Navy Crew Newsletter Page 5 Navy Crew Spring Racing Schedules Heavyweight Schedule April 5 Princeton (Smith Trophy) Annapolis, MD April 11-12 George Washington Invitational Washington DC April 19 Syracuse and Cornell (Goes Trophy) Ithaca, NY April 26 Harvard and Penn (Adams Cup) Philadelphia, PA May 6 Columbia (Stevenson Trophy) Princeton, NJ May 18 EARC Sprints Championships Worcester, MA May 30-June 1 IRA National Championships Mercer County, NJ Women’s Schedule March 29 Murphy Cup Regatta Camden, NJ April 6 Occoquan Sprints Woodbridge, VA April 11-12 George Washington Invitational Washington DC April 19 Rutgers and St. Joseph’s Philadelphia, PA May 4 EAWRC Sprints Championships Camden, NJ May 16 Patriot League Championships Worcester, MA

Lightweight Schedule March 22 Princeton (Murtaugh Cup) Annapolis, MD March 29 Yale (Johnson Cup) Princeton, NJ April 5 Columbia Overpeck Park, NY April 12 Georgetown Annapolis, MD April 19 Harvard (Haines Trophy) Annapolis, MD April 26 Penn (Callow Cup) Philadelphia, PA May 18 EARC Sprints Championships Worcester, MA May 30-June 1 IRA National Championships Mercer County, NJ Navy Rowing Camps

Offering residential camps in June at the historic United States Naval Academy. Campers will be thoroughly schooled in all aspects of rowing and coxing by experienced and talented coaches from across the country.

Please visit our websites for detailed information Girls Crew Camp Boys Crew Camp www.navyrowingcamp.com www.navycrewcamp.org 410-263-4655 410-293-3636