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Sparked by Michel's Leadership, Hun Boys' Crew 6th at Nationals

By Bill Alden

Kevin Michel knows the rush that comes from scoring a goal in a soccer game.

Over the last few years, Michel has found the back of the net numerous times for the Hun School boys' soccer team.

But it is Michel's involvement in the sport of crew that has brought him the deepest satisfaction athletically.

Recently, Michel capped his Hun rowing career by helping to lead the lightweight four to a sixth-place finish at the 71st Scholastic National Regatta held on Lake Mercer in the Mercer County Park.

In reflecting on that regatta, Michel acknowledged that crew has a special hold on him. "Crew is the ultimate team sport," asserted Michel, who served as the Hun boys' crew captain this spring.

"There are no stars, everyone has to work together. It's different than in soccer. In soccer you usually have some star players who are in control of the game."

Michel first got enamored with rowing as a middle schooler when he watched his older brother, Jay, compete in the sport.

"We trailed around at his regattas," recalled Michel, whose brother has gone on to compete for the Naval Academy lightweight program. "Those regattas put the sport in an important light. My brother loved it and I wanted to follow in his footsteps."

Starting to compete in rowing himself in his freshman year at Hun, Michel acknowledged there was an adjustment period.

"I had to learn the general ropes of rowing," said Michel, who will take his rowing to the next level this fall when he competes for the lightweight team at Yale. "I had to get close to my teammates and learn what it took to get four guys on the same page."

This season, the lightweight four has certainly gotten on the same page. "We've won a lot this spring," said Michel, who is joined on the boat by Jon Brown, David Mirsky, and Phil Hanson.

"Sometimes you row so long and you don't always see the results. We have a great bunch of guys and we really came together." Michel liked the way the boat came together in the Scholastic nationals. 'We didn't really know what to expect," said Michel, referring to the regatta which attracted 3,800 rowers to Lake Mercer. "We did great on Friday. We got first in our heat which put us in a good semifinal. We got second place in the semis. We wanted to win but we were pleased to make it to the finals. To be the sixth fastest lightweight four in the country is something special."

For senior boat mate Brown, having Michel aboard helped to enhance his crew experience. "Kevin is a great guy, he's a great role model," said Brown, a former baseball player who will be continuing his rowing career at Washington University in St. Louis.

"It was great experience. It was only my second year of rowing. It's big to be part of such a great boat. I love our boat. We spent 30 hours a week training and it was great to see our work pay off."

Michel, for his part, plans to utilize that same work ethic as he looks to make an impact at Yale.

"I went there for a rowing camp after my sophomore year and I fell in love with the place," said Michel. "I'll be working out on a daily basis this summer. I want to make it a great freshman boat and then go from there. It's a different level; it will be a tough challenge."

Based on how Michel performed during his Hun crew career, he should be up to that challenge.