Saturday the 16th marked the return of the annual race between the rowing teams of Ohio State and their northern rivals, the University of Michigan. With a history going back over 25 years, the race, dubbed “Wolverbuck,” marks the final contest of the fall season for both teams as they compete for the trophy oar. OSU looks to impress this year, hot off one of the most successful recruitment periods in recent history. Michigan, meanwhile, aims to continue their dominance, having won the oar every year since 1995. While Michigan’s rowing team has the undeniable upper hand, OSU’s influx of talent and a rejuvenated varsity may provide the spark necessary to bring Michigan’s dynasty to an end.
The race’s location alternates between Ann Arbor and Columbus every year. This year the race was held on O’Shaughnessy Reservoir in Columbus and followed a modified format from the typical fall 5-kilometer races. This race would be a condensed 3.2-kilometers, with a typical head-race format (a head race is a time-trial style format where boats are launched sequentially rather than all at once with the winner being the boat with the fastest time).
Below I have compiled a course map with relevant landmarks labeled. These landmarks were used for rough timing and distance purposes with the docks ~500 meters and the powerlines ~2000 meters from the start. Rowers were grouped into boats based on their experience and skill, with experience being differentiated by novice/varsity and skill being differentiated by the label 1 or 2 (1 being the best).
1st Novice 8 (1nov8)
OSU hoped to capitalize on the key race category of the novice 8, where teams of eight rookie rowers face off. Many of the novices in the boat, fresh from high-school rowing success, gave the OSU team cause for high expectations. In practice sessions, their boat had shown both speed and excellent teamwork. Michigan’s 1nov8, 2nov8, and 3nov8 teams joined OSU’s 1nov8, forming a heat of 4.
The race started with a bang as OSU’s 1nov8 hung right behind Michigan’s 1nov8, overtaking them at the docks with only a tenth of a second to spare. But by the powerlines, their speed began to falter – Michigan overtook them and gained a 2 second lead. The blue-and-gold only built speed as the rivals hurtled towards the finish line, and in the end, Michigan’s 1nov8 won with a time of 10:49.0, OSU placing 2nd by a mere 7.6 seconds.
Nevertheless, however, OSU’s 1nov8 put on an incredible showing in defeating Michigan’s 3nov8 by 43.3 seconds and their 2nov by over a minute.
2nd Varsity 8 (2V8)
The second varsity event, in which the B-teams of more experienced rowers compete, followed quickly after the defeat of the first novice 8 race. OSU’s 2v8 competed in another heat of 4 with Michigan’s 2v, 3v, and 4v. Michigan’s 2v8 got off to a flying start and never looked back, with their 3v not far behind. OSU’s 2v8 had a rocky launch, with Michigan’s 3v overtaking them with their 4v only 4.4 seconds behind. The OSU team put up a desperate fight, and fought Michigan’s 4v to a dead heat – but by the time they reached the power lines, they could see they’d lost. Michigan’s 2v held onto their lead, finishing the race with a time of 10:08.5 and their 3v and 4vs following close behind. The defeated OSU team finished 4th by 54.1 seconds. Despite their tough loss, the boat put up a valiant effort and pushed until the very end.
2nd Novice 8 (2nov8)
The second wave of novice boats kicked off soon after. With only 3 boats in the heat (OSU’s 2nov8 and Michigan’s 4nov8 and 5nov8), the tense race sparked with energy. The race began with a bang, with OSU holding a razor-thin 0.8 second margin over Michigan’s determined 4nov8 in second. Michigan’s 5nov8 clung behind in third, 2.1 seconds late. This time, however, OSU took no prisoners, expanding its lead to 1.8 seconds over Michigan’s 4nov8 by the powerlines. Despite the rowers in all three boats working at near-identical speeds, OSU’s 2nov8 took the victory in their category by a margin of 4.8 seconds – the first OSU win of the day.
1st Varsity 8 (1V8)
The race’s main event had now arrived: the electric 1v8 race, where the best of both universities laid their talent, skill, and raw willpower on the line. The teams boarded their boats in rapt suspense, ready to prove themselves fit for the oar.
Michigan took an early lead, but OSU followed in hot pursuit – only allowing Michigan a 6.4 second lead at the docks. By the powerlines, things began to look grim for OSU, with Michigan more than doubling their lead to 16.1 seconds. The Buckeyes gave it their all, fighting against the Scioto as they pushed themselves to their very physical limits. In the end, Michigan won with a blazing final time of 9:49.3, 37.6 seconds quicker than OSU – but OSU’s 1v8 demonstrated incredible speed and potential despite their loss. They hope to return the favor, come the national championships in May.
After a long day of racing, Michigan came out on top, continuing their winning streak in the event for another year. However, I wouldn’t quite count out the Buckeyes just yet. Their incredible novice class may open the door for an impressive performance at the national ACRA (American Collegiate Rowing Association) championships in the spring, and their work lays the foundation for an even more competitive varsity in future years. I am confident continued recruitment and growth of the team will transform OSU’s rowing program into a force to be reckoned with. In time, we may even see the Buckeyes get the oar. But until then, the Buckeyes bide their time – building their forces for their skirmish with Michigan at ACRA in May.
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