Tomorrow and Saturday, Bateman and the Hawks will set their sights on the 120 other boats competing in the 71st annual Dad Vail Regatta, which the Hawks' Varsity 8 last won 3 years ago. Bateman was a freshman in that boat, having served as a member of the Varsity 8 throughout her entire collegiate career.
"It's tough to row three really good races in a row," women's crew coach Gerry Quinlan said. "We're seeded third - Sacramento State is fourth, Buffalo is second and Grand Valley State is first. But there's so much parity on the women's side. When we won, we were seeded seventh. Since Debbie won it her freshman year, it'd be great to go out winning. We've been working for this since the first day of practice in September."
Bateman started rowing her freshman year of high school in Longport, N.J. She was a three-sport athlete then, participating in cross country and swimming as well as crew.
"The sports she chose in high school require discipline and endurance," Quinlan said. "She's very driven in everything she does, and it shows. She's just such a great leader. The other girls model themselves after her. Whether it's running, biking or swimming, she always wants to win, to do the best. When girls get down, she picks them up and pushes them in a natural way. With only one full-time coach, she's the go-to for a lot of our underclassmen."
Quinlan chose Bateman as a co-captain back in her sophomore year, and she has been one ever since. An incident last year during the San Diego Crew Classic demonstrates that despite the individual honors she has accumulated - all-conference in 2008 and '09, as well as A-10 Women's Rowing Student-Athlete of the Year for both years - Bateman focuses solely on the team's results.
