IU heads to last race of fall season

The Hoosiers hope to begin another successful year of rowing Sunday at their only contest of the fall season, the Head of the Elk, a 5K race against the clock on the St. Joseph River in Elkhart, Ind. \nIU coach Steve Peterson said he doesn't place a lot of value on the results of fall races, but believes the event will allow him to assess the team against stiff competition, including Big Ten rivals. He also thinks a well-rowed race could have a huge impact on the sprint season. \n"The idea for us is to go as fast as we can in the Big Tens in the spring," Peterson said. "So we're going to go as fast as we can in the Head of the Elk because it's going to help how we're going to do in the spring."\nAt last year's Head of the Elk, IU defeated NCAA championship contender Notre Dame and held its own against tradition-laden Wisconsin with a bronze medal finish. \n"That was a huge step forward for the program because it gave the team confidence," Peterson said. \nIU's performance initiated the program's finest year, which culminated in a win over No. 19 Iowa and sixth place at the Big Tens. \nThe importance of the Head of the Elk is not lost to the rowers. \n"Competing with and beating the Big Ten teams we'll face in the spring can keep us motivated through winter training and into the sprint season," said senior Ashley Airis, who will sit in the stroke seat, the first seat, in the Varsity 8 boat.\nIU will enter five shells in the race -- a Varsity 8, a Varsity 4 and three Novice 8s. Looking ahead, Peterson said he wants the rowers to become physically stronger this year because he believes pumping iron contributed to the team's improvement. \n"We made a lot of gains in the weight room last year and that was a huge reason we got faster," Peterson said. "I want to continue that."\nPeterson also will see to it that IU rowers develop more mental toughness. He plans to create competitive situations in workouts that demand more of the team. \n"Crews that are mentally tough have pushed their limit and gone further," Peterson said. "That's what we want to do. It will make them mentally tougher and more powerful." \nPeterson even started night school for the team, so the rowers might learn more about their skills with the oar.\n"Night school is an opportunity to be really nitpicky," senior captain Elisabeth Benoit said. "It gives us a chance to be critical of ourselves and to improve parts of the stroke, like the catch or the finish."\nAll Big Ten senior Laura Lazaredis said the Hoosiers will be ready Sunday as well as for the spring season.\n"We're going to be awesome this year," Lazaredis said.