SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara men's rowing opens the 2017 season Saturday against UC Davis at Lexington Reservoir in Los Gatos.

The Broncos return most of their Varsity 8 boat from last year when they won their first WIRA Championship and advanced to the IRA Championships for the second consecutive year. They also have more depth than in years past and are looking to have competitive second and third varsity boats as well.

"The team is looking pretty solid at this point," Santa Clara head coach Jay Farwell said. "We have a very solid freshmen class with a number of recruited student-athletes and walk-ons. The walk-ons have done a great job picking things up and getting into the mix."

During the preseason, Santa Clara has been focusing on building boat speed, increasing fitness and, most importantly, staying healthy.

There have been some challenges as well. With the amount of rain in the area over the winter, there has been debris in the water that has kept the Broncos off the water more than usual.

"Preseason has been interesting this year," Farwell said. "Thankfully we have had a significant amount of rain fall and Lexington is full for the first time in many years. Despite storms and debris in the water, I think the team is in a reasonably good spot right now from a training perspective."

The Broncos have also dealt with some technical issues that they are working on. The first race of the year will be a good chance to put their work on display.

"The first race of the season is really about execution," Farwell said. "Expectations are running high this year and we will be looking for each boat to maintain its focus and composure while executing the race plan. For a number of guys on our team, this will be their first race as a Bronco rower."

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