51³Ô¹ÏÍø

University of North Georgia (51³Ô¹ÏÍø) President Bonita Jacobs christened a boat for 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's rowing team and watched it sail on its maiden voyage at the Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia, on March 25.

The boat was named "Truth and Wisdom-Bonita Jacobs," giving a nod to the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Corps of Cadets motto and Jacobs, who will retire in June.

"President Jacobs was key in elevating the group from a club sport to a sports team and received naming rights," Derek Leonard, executive director of Campus Recreation and Wellness and student facilities, said. "It's customary in the rowing world to christen and name boats, and we felt like she deserved to be the first one that we named."

A sport team is classified as a departmental organization within Campus Recreation and Wellness and receives dedicated departmental support. Rowing is one of three sport teams within the department, with competitive cheerleading and eSports being the other two, Leonard said.

“The rowing program has been a long desire of President,” Dr. James Conneely, vice president for student affairs, said. “Since we have the premier rowing facility in the country and a campus in Gainesville, it makes sense to have a team. Through the support of the students and the Board of Regents, it became a reality. The program has students from multiple campuses, cadets, experienced and non-experienced rowers. 

The rowing team has competed in regattas against teams including Emory University, Georgia State, University of Georgia, Clemson, and Georgia Tech. It consists of students and cadets who practice at 6 a.m. multiple times each week under the direction of Charles Huthmaker. There are men's and women's teams which row in two-, four- and eight-person boats out of the 1996 Olympic venue on Lanier, Leonard said.

"Charles has been so instrumental, and I give him all the credit in the world. He came on board, we got on the water for the first time in October and then by April we're competing in our first tournament," Leonard said. "That's incredible progress and we have not been around a year yet. I think the sky's the limit for this group."

The team competed in its first regular-season regatta March 25, and Huthmaker deemed it "a huge success.”  On April 15 the team competed in the Southeast Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) championships in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where the women's novice team came in ahead of Auburn University, Texas A&M University and Murray State University and the men's novice team crossed the finish line ahead of the University of Georgia and Louisiana State University.

A friendly match race against Berry College and the University of the South will close out the 2023-24 season at the end of April.