March 16, 2005

LOS GATOS, Calif. -

· Black Velvet Alumni Rowing Event Gallery

The Santa Clara rowing program celebrated its 40th anniversary at the annual Black Velvet banquet on February 26th. Approximately 100 former coaches and supporters of the rowing team gathered with the more than 60 current student-athletes and coaches for the annual banquet, a Santa Clara tradition which marks the beginning of the spring racing season.

The event included an alumni rowing event which brought many former oarsmen back into a shell for the first time since graduating from Santa Clara University. Among the alumni was an eight composed entirely of original members from the crew of 1965, some of whom had traveled from as far as England and the East Coast to attend the reunion.

A wide spectrum of alumni were in attendance, including two members of the first women's crew, members of the 1982 national champion Men's Varsity Lightweight Eight, and former rowers who were a part of the crew when the boathouse burned to the ground in 1994.

Founded as a club in 1965, the men's crew originally rowed in bay area salt ponds with used shells donated by local rowing clubs before relocating to Lexington Reservoir a few years later. The women's crew was founded in 1976 by long time supporter, coach and alum, the late Jim Farwell (SCU class of 1965). Currently both the men's and women's crews are Varsity level sports at Santa Clara University and continue to receive much of their support from alumni, parents and friends of the program.

Both the men's and women's crews will return to action this weekend with at the WCC Challenge on Lake Natoma. Action will take place throughout Saturday and Sunday.

Founders Club Eight Lineup
Coxswain: Jennifer Bird (Dinan) (SCU 1994)
Stroke: Roger Scott (SCU 1967)
Seven: George Santich (SCU 1966)
Six: Robert McGurk (SCU 1968)
Five: Dennis Woodruff (SCU 1967)
Four: Jerry Paccassi (SCU 1967)
Three: Robert Montgomery (SCU 1967)
Two: Ed Jelich (SCU 1966)
Bow: Tom McGurk (SCU 1965)