Rowing for college

Question
I am currently a junior in high school and a varsity rower on the local clubs team. My best 2k was over the summer and was a 7:30. On the 7.5k that I did today at practice, my average 500m spilt was 2:16. What should I set my 2k goal to be to get a rowing scholarship to a well known school like Syracuse University? And what also can I do to make myself stand out to college recruiters?

Answer
Hi David: If you want to be in the middle of the pack for 16-18 year old Heavyweights, you need a 2K time of 7:00.  This is according to the Concept II Database.

It's really hard for me to tell you what schools will give what type of scholarships based solely on erg scores.  There are many factors that go into what determines scholarships.  Racing experience, participation in National Camps, physical potential, etc. -- and not just erg scores -- factor into this equation.  You'd probably need to crack 6:30 on the 2K to get a coach to bite on a candidate with little or no on-water experience.

I'd say your participation in club and High School rowing is the best thing you can do to get recruited.  Try getting experience in rowing both sides, as well as sculling.  Also try rowing  in a variety of boats like fours and pair and get experience stroking a boat.  If you can build up a strong resume of successful racing results, then you may want to try for a scholarship; otherwise, you can easily go out for any crew as a walk-on.  

Good Luck/AP