Paddles strike through the water back and forth as they move in synchronization with their dedicated rowers, working together as one. But amidst them all, one rower is ready to soon transition from this high school boat to a collegiate one.
Senior Eliza Kamholz has been rowing for five years, starting off recreationally in middle school and then joining the competitive crew team at the high school and Community Rowing Inc (CRI) in her freshman year. Kamholz has now committed to row at Smith College.
Kamholz said that since she began taking rowing seriously, a long-term goal of hers has always been to be recruited in the sport. However, she said she formally began the recruitment process during her sophomore year and continued through her senior year.
Despite having offers and interest from a variety of school types, Kamholz said she ultimately decided on Smith, a Division III school, which she felt would be the best fit for her.
“I had to realize that I can’t pick my future based on what I think is the most impressive, or what I think on paper what I should do in order to seem cooler or impressive to other people. I have to actually pick what’s going to be rewarding for me,” Kamholz said.
Junior Abigail Jackson has been a teammate of Kamholz’s on the crew team throughout high school. She said she has received advice about the recruitment process from Kamholz.
“I think it was pretty cool to see [Kamholz commit], because she’s been telling me some parts of her commitment through the whole process. So I’ve seen how that’s gone, and it was really great to see that it finally came together, and she found a school that she really loves,” Jackson said.
Varsity head coach Brian DeDominici said that Kamholz handled the recruitment process well.
“She kept track of the pros and cons of each school. She had one or two things kind of thrown at her where she would have an offer that on paper might seem a little better,” said De Dominici. “But when you really take a step back, and you think about what you’re going to get out of the experience, I think she set herself up to handle those situations and those decisions very well.”
Kamholz originally had some mutual interest conversations with Smith in her junior year, but she said she was able to talk with the coaches at the Head of the Charles Regatta that fall for the first time in person.
“[The conversation] was all really amazing. It was a really good fit. And after that initial meeting, I couldn’t stop thinking about the coaches and that team specifically. They really stood out to me in the whole process,” said Kamholz.
DeDominici said his experience coaching Kamholz at the high school level has been great, and her role in the team has been that of a leader.
“[Kamholz] leads by example. She is very in tune with what’s going on with her teammates in terms of either morale or if it’s a difficult time in school for people in general,” DeDominici said. “She’s very good at bringing that up with me and being a liaison between some of her teammates and the coaching staff or captains.”
Jackson experienced the presence of Kamholz both as a rower and as a teammate. She said Kamholz has an enthusiasm for the sport.
“She’s really passionate about rowing, and she always has motivation. She comes to practice every day. She gives it her all. She’s very empowering,” Jackson said.
Kamholz said that when she was going through the recruitment process, she used the motivation of her goals to balance the responsibility of multiple commitments.
“I think the biggest thing about balancing crew and school is just working when you want to work, and resting when you want to rest, and seeing how your everyday work plays into your big picture goals,” said Kamholz. “It’s seeing ‘oh yeah, I’m doing this homework because I want to get into this college because I want to fulfill these academic goals long-term in my life.’”
