Featured Alumni Of The Month
Starting December 2007, the team decided to it would be a great idea to really interact with the roots of the team: the alumni of UVM Crew. One way to do this would be getting to know the Alumni! Therefore, below are selected members from the crew team from all years. One member profile per month, where you can read a little bit about themselves, their stories, posted pictures, and the like. Thank-you alumni, and viewers enjoy!
- December 2007
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Erme Catino
Graduating Class: 2003
Major: Nutrition and Food Sciences
Current Job: Assistant Director of Admissions at UVM, and soon to be Guest Services Manager at Stowe Mountain Resort.
Hometown: Stamford, CT
Current Residence: Williston, VT
coaches then, John and Steve, suggested I try to compete during the summer at development camp and row as a lightweight. I was still pretty new to the whole thing, but I applied to the NYAC development program, did an erg test, and started to get boated. Rowing with NYAC was a big step, I learned a ton and it enabled me to develop as a rower. That following, year I made the finals at Crash-B's and really got myself into the mix. That following summer I was selected for the lightweight 8 selection camp. It took a couple years, but finally in the summer of '05 I made a boat that went to trials. We raced unchallenged, and had to make the time standard, unfortunetly with no tail wind we came 2 seconds short. It was great accomplishment nonetheless, even filling out the paper work after technically winning trials was pretty cool. Being able to row with top elite level rowers winning big races such as the Canadian Henley and The Head of The Charles was a blast, and winning that race was awesome.
Head Of The Charles: Erme is five seat. Click for a larger version.
How is that you decided to join crew at UVM?
I wanted participate in a sport during college since I was a multi-sport athlete in high school. So, during the activities fair I saw one of the boats near the library and it looked pretty cool and I gave it a shot.
How is it that you got into the elite level of lightweights? What was it like rowing on the National team?During our first year of winter training, we had an erg race at Middlebury, and I won the open novice event which was great. I had never won a race flat out until then, so I was amped. During the spring of novice year, I got moved up to the Varsity and we had a pretty decent spring. The
How has your success on the erg translated to success on the water?The erg is best way to define yourself as fast rower, especially when trying to compete and get involved with the national team camps. That being said, it takes a lot of technique and rowing to be able to translate that onto the water. Every time I thought I was getting better on the water I was being challenged with something new like racing a pair or training in a single. Rowing at The New York AC helped a bunch and we won a few races. During one fall in which we took first place in all the head races (Connecticut, Charles, and, Schullykill), after our erg test I wasn't allowed to erg, but rather row the single. "Nobody got any slower rowing the single," is what everyone told me. It worked out.
What result or event had the most meaning to you as a competitor?There were two. Making the finals at Crash B's my junior year at UVM, was a great personal accomplishment. I was able to identify myself as a fast lighweight in a big competition. Steve our coach at UVM at the time had us on a great training program during that winter and in the spring it paid off huge for all of us on the team because we won New Englands. The other result that had the biggest meaning to me was winning the Charles with the New York AC.
You are taking a break now from elite rowing. How are you filling your time now? Will you ever go back?The break has been nice. My first fall living back up in Vermont, I traveled down to New York for the weekends to race with AC. But since then I have been road cycling and lifting/training with VASTA (Vermont Athletic Sports Training Academy). So I've been keeping form and training a lot, just not rowing. I keep thinking of getting a single and training again and doing some of the fall races so we'll see. I do however have a lead on a single so a comeback might be soon. In terms of lightweight elite racing I would have to move down to Princeton, and I think that time has passed. I really enjoy living up in Vermont and I'm getting married this summer.
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