SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara women's rowing kicks off the 2015-16 season with its lone race of the fall on Saturday. The Head of the Lagoon will be held in Foster City.

Coaches have to wait and see what kind of shape the team is in after two and a half months away from campus. The Broncos made sure to stay on top of their conditioning and the results are already showing.

"The team did a lot of really great work over the summer," said Santa Clara head coach John Wojtkiewicz. "As usual we focus on a lot of aerobic volume and distance over the summer months and our recorded distances are higher than ever."

With rowing being a perishable skill, it is important to get back in the boats and get comfortable on the water again.

"When we arrive back on campus in the fall we're always focused on getting our technique back and improving on what we know," said Wojtkiewicz. "As we're refining the technical aspects of the sport, we're prepping for our one race of the fall at the Head of the Lagoon. The splits have been solid so we're looking forward to a strong performance at that regatta."

The Broncos are again a very young team with just three seniors and seven juniors. Despite all the youth, they have some important experience joining the team in freshmen Elizabeth Ventresca, Darryl Fallon, and Erin Ronald.

"We have three experienced freshmen on the team, and already they are making an impact," said Wojtkiewicz. "Elizabeth Ventresca and Daryl Fallon are in the mix for top boats at the Lagoon. Erin Ronald unfortunately sustained a back injury over the summer and has been out for most of the fall, but we're looking forward to getting her back in just a few weeks."

As the program continues to grow, Wojtkiewicz is excited about where the team is at this early point in the season.

"The whole team has stepped up," said Wojtkiewicz. "We have deep cohesion across the entire varsity squad. Every day I see everyone performing and putting in a great effort. I'm very excited to see what we can do this year!"