Aberdeen Dad Vail ® Regatta - The Epitome of an Aberdeen Dad Vail Boat; Drexel Lived Out Its Dream At 2010 Henley

A single thread ties together every team that circles the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta on its calendar. Big schools, small schools, east coast schools, west coast schools; they all have one thing in common.

They are Aberdeen Dad Vail boats.

In so many ways, that unmistakable designation represents more than any medal. Being an Aberdeen Dad Vail boat is a badge of honor.

Last June, when the Drexel women's varsity eight slid across the finish line on the River Thames, that badge was displayed upon the sport's largest stage. Nine Dragons — bow Mary Kain, Cassie Clawson, Emily Coyle, Juliana DeMarici, Mallory Sykes, Julia Jackson, Dana Haneman, stroke Candice Webb and coxswain Cate Khella — comprised the first Aberdeen Dad Vail boat to win The Sport Council Cup at the Women's Henley Royal Regatta.

"To be the first Dad Vail school to win Henley," Haneman said, "well, that means a lot."

"We had so much to prove going over there," added DeMarici. "We're Americans. We're a Philly school. We're a Dad Vail boat. We knew we could to it."

In capturing the 2010 Elite Eight Championship title and the Council Cup at the Women's Henley, the Dragons stole fire from the sky and faced down the regrets of a third-place finish at Dad Vail. Drexel joined Yale, Brown and Radcliffe as the only American teams to return stateside with the Council Cup in tow.

"That's good company," said Paul Savell, the school's director of rowing and head men's and women’s coach. "Just going to Henley is a great experience. To win Henley is just icing on the cake."

No one could have foreseen the Dragons' victory on the Thames. The boat finished behind Sacramento State and Saint Joseph's in the wind-ravaged finals at the Aberdeen Dad Vail. The Hawks joined Drexel at Henley, but were topped by Grand Valley, the Aberdeen Dad Vail's fifth-place finisher, in the semifinals.

Drexel, meanwhile, faced a juggernaut in the semifinal race — a composite team of England's top rowers under 23. Olympic hopefuls, all of them.

It didn't matter.

"I think that was probably the first race that all of us felt 100 percent confident," said Haneman, now a Drexel senior who was in the seven seat last year. "It all came together perfectly."

While the boat from Great Britain may have had more talent from front to back, it had only been racing together for a short while. The Dragons, on the other hand, were a wedding of euphony and determination. Sometimes, cohesion and camaraderie wins out.

An open-water victory over the English U-23 team set up a date with Grand Valley. It was Sunday, June 20, 2010.

"Lining up for the first race was pretty surreal because it's do or die," said DeMarici, who was in the four seat as a sophomore after joining the team as a novice a year beforehand. "Lining up for that final race, though, was just unbelievable. I've never felt nerves like I felt before that race."

Those nerves sent Drexel out to its fastest start of the entire season. In hindsight, the Dragons probably started too fast. Again, however, it wouldn't matter. The finishing touches on a modern-day alchemist’s fantasy came with a one and one-half boat margin of victory.

"When it was all over it was so ... surreal," DeMarici said. "We all just kind of looked around and said, ‘Um, we just won Henley.'"

Following that long, profound moment, the Dragons were showered with approbation. The victory was a thunderclap that resonated throughout the rowing landscape. Drexel used its disappointment at the Aberdeen Dad Vail as a platform from which to spring and a springboard from which to make history.

"You start hearing about Henley when you're a freshman in high school and that's sort of the promised land," Savell said. "It's where every rower eventually wants to get to, so to win it was just a dream come true."

As is the case with all champions, Drexel's dream come true will make it a target in 2011. The charmed bliss of that win on the river Thames will mean very little on May 13th and 14th on the Schuylkill River. There's unfinished business at hand for this year's Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta Presented by Coca-Cola.

Remember, even though Drexel had the golden touch at Henley, the Dragons couldn't touch the gold at the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta.

"Our goal this year is absolutely to win Dad Vail," Haneman said. "We knew we should have done it last year and now we want to get it. I'm a senior so I want to leave here with a gold medal from Dad Vail. (Last year's) bronze was excellent, but we want to prove to everybody that, yes we won Henley, but we’re even better now."

DeMarici nodded in agreement."

"We're a boat to be watched," she said.

And at the same time, every boat on the Schuylkill for the second weekend of May should be closely watched.

Why?

Because you can never underestimate an Aberdeen Dad Vail boat.

Brendan F. Quinn
Editorial Writer
Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee
DVROC Office Line: (610) 234-2076
brendan.quinn@dadvail.org.
www.dadvail.org
www.twitter.com/DadVaildotTV

About the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, Presented by Coca-Cola®
The Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta presented by Coca-Cola is the largest collegiate regatta in North America with over 100 colleges and universities from the United States and Canada. Held annually since 1953 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the Schuylkill River, thousands of student athletes and spectators visit the City of Philadelphia during the weekend of the second Saturday in May.

About Title Sponsor — Aberdeen Asset Management
Aberdeen Asset Management Inc is the wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Management PLC, a global investment management group which is headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, and manages more than $287 billion of assets for both institutions and private individuals (as of Dec. 31, 2010). Philadelphia is home to the U.S. equity and fixed income investment management teams, as well as U.S. client servicing, consultant relations, business development and other operational staff: more than 180 employees in total. Aberdeen manages and services approximately $53 billion in total assets on behalf of North American and international clients. For more information, visit www.aberdeen-asset.us Here in the U.S., Aberdeen is also proud to be one of the supporters of the British Garden at Hanover Square, New York. This New York City park celebrates historic ties of friendship and unity between the U.S. and the UK. Globally, Aberdeen has a long standing association with university rowing competitions having sponsored the Oxford v Cambridge University Boat Race in the UK from 1999 – 2005. The company also continues to support the Aberdeen Universities Boat Race in Aberdeen, Scotland in their annual event which takes place every February.

About Presenting Sponsor — The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Together with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 14 billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

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