History of VCU Crew
Crew at VCU began as the enterprise of faculty member, Donald Bowles, along with a handful of energetic boys in an old shell, which was borrowed from a local boat club.
"VCU enjoyed a brief but brilliant six years, rowing from 1966-1972. [2] Donald Bowles, professor of retailing at then RPI's School of Distribution, formed the first VCU [then RPI] crew for the inaugural season of 1966-67. Coach Bowles had been an alternate on the 1926 U.S. Olympic Crew after rowing for Harvard. Alumni recall a daily run from the Shafer Street campus to the 14th Street Bridge: "Everyone would start out together, and there would always be a couple of guys lagging behind. The laggards would hitch a ride and arrive at the boathouse first…Picture us, the '60s hippie gang, running through the middle of three-piece-suit Main Street. People looked at us like we had three heads."
It was no coincidence that as RPI merged with Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University, the dreams of building a great university propelled the crew. After struggling for three years as a student club, the crew's growing stature earned it varsity status, university funding, and a new coach, D.K. Waybright in 1970. With new shells, new equipment, and Waybright's unorthodox and aggressive coaching philosophy, the crew drew support at home and built a reputation on the road. The crew attracted crowds of picnicking students gathering on the banks of the James as the crews rowed from south of the 14th Street Bridge to the finish line at Ancarrow's Marina on the south side of the river. On the road, VCU crews traveled to Washington, Philadelphia, New York, South Carolina, and Miami and acquitted themselves against established crews such as Georgetown, Notre Dame, and even Cambridge University.
May 9, 1972 proved to be the last day of VCU crew at the 14th Street boathouse. A month later, Hurricane Agnes roared through Central Virginia leaving a wake of destruction, including the 14th Street boathouse and VCU's fleet inside.
Crew at VCU would remain a distant but bright memory until the spring of 2002 when a stalwart group of students re-formed the VCU crew to row out of the VBC's Power House in a mottled fleet of borrowed and begged boats. With pluck, a heroic work ethic on and off the water, and some timely assistance from the VBC, VCU Crew has earned a reputation as boating fast crews that compete with Virginia Tech, Mary Washington, ODU, American University, and other regional crews throughout the Middle Atlantic. The crew enjoyed its first two years under the disciplined coaching of VBC oarsman Dan LeBlanc. A Canadian Henley medalist himself and nephew of an Olympic oarsman, LeBlanc instilled a work ethic and dedication to finesse that continues to this day. LeBlanc’s 2005 novice men won gold, Champion of the Chase, at the October, 2005 Occoquan Chase. The Crew is now coached by Yuriy Levitsky. Coach Yuriy, a former captain of the VCU Crew, comes from a long rowing tradition, that includes his father, a nationally ranked Soviet oarsman. Coach Yuriy ’s crews have gained a reputation for superb conditioning which has paid off; their 2007 fall season included 3rd place finishes for both novice men and women at the Occoquan Chase. The novice men finished third only behind University of Virginia’s first and second place winning crews."
**Cited with thanks from the Virginia Boat Club Website-- Author: Paul D. Georgiadis**
A complete list of the club's results since that time can be found in the Results section located in the menu above. VCU Crew Club continues to grow and get better every year, thanks to the support of Virginia Commonwealth University, our coaches and alumni.