CINCINNATI KIDS: The Mercer Junior Rowing Club’s (MJRC) men’s varsity eight (foreground) races to victory in action earlier this spring. This weekend, Princeton High senior Cameron Orcutt will be aboard as the boat competes at the USRowing Youth National Championships on Lake Harsha, near Cincinnati, Ohio.

PHS’ Orcutt Headed to Rowing Nationals, Hopes to End MJRC Career With a Bang

Bill Alden

After deciding that he wasn’t big enough to make an impact for the Princeton High football team, Cameron Orcutt turned to rowing.

But on his first day of practice with the Mercer Junior Rowing Club (MJRC) in 2004 as a PHS freshman, Orcutt was left wondering whether he had made the right move.

“The first day, our coach made us run five miles, I had never run more than one mile before that,” recalled Orcutt. “That was really tough. It was a big shock; it was a trial by fire.”

Orcutt stuck with the sport and has come a long way since that rocky first day. He made the MJRC men’s varsity lightweight four as a sophomore and then competed with that boat at the USRowing Youth National Championships on Lake Harsha, near Cincinnati, Ohio.

This weekend, Orcutt is headed to Cincinnati again, rowing for the men’s varsity eight as it goes for national glory.

In reflecting on his progress as a rower, Orcutt views his sophomore season with MJRC as a turning point.

“I did rowing the whole year,” said Orcutt, who had played lacrosse in the spring of freshman year. “I really got the hang of it; sophomore year was the lightning bolt moment for me. I think sophomore year set me up for junior year.”

Orcutt’s experience at the nationals last year deepened his love of the sport. “It was a life experience,” recalled Orcutt.

“There were so many good rowers; it was so amazing to be around them. It was one of those things you don’t forget. Once I got a taste of nationals, I wanted to come back.”

But struggling with injury early this spring, Orcutt almost didn’t get the chance to make the return trip to nationals.

“I wasn’t rowing earlier this spring; I had tendinitis in both knees,” said Orcutt. “I started back on the second varsity for a while. I seat-raced my way into the first varsity. I first rowed with them at the regionals.”

While he may be a latecomer to the top eight, he has picked up on the boat’s competitive fire.

“Even on an off day when everybody isn’t in synch, we still seem to do well and post a good time, “ asserted Orcutt.

“If we put things together; I think we can reach the grand final. Our goal is to reach the grand final and get a medal.”

The boat is putting in extra work as it looks to find that higher gear. “It is crew first right now,” said Orcutt, whose boat will be joined at the nationals by the men’s lightweight four.

“We are doing two-a-days. When you wake up at 4 in the morning, it just shows that you care. It’s not just getting in the extra work, doing that brings us together, it’s about camaraderie.”

Orcutt, who will be rowing at Boston University after graduating from PHS, believes MJRC has helped him get his act together on and off the water.

“I feel it has affected me in all aspects,” maintained Orcutt, noting that other senior members of the MJRC are headed to schools like Harvard, Columbia, MIT, Lehigh, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, and Trinity College.

“I feel that if it weren’t for the sport, I wouldn’t have gotten the good grades I got and I wouldn’t be going to BU. After nationals I need to sit down and thank my coaches (Nick Andersen and Colin Farrell) profusely. The coaches are great, I know that those guys know their stuff.”

Next fall, Orcut will be primed to show his stuff at BU. “I have always been a Boston sports fan,” said Orcutt, who also looked at Dartmouth, Brown, Holy Cross, and Northeastern.

“I had a connection with the northeast because all of my relatives live up there. I just like Boston; every time I have been there, it has been a great experience. I went on my official visit to BU and I really liked the kids. They were a nice group; they have the highest team GPA of any sport at the school and they all finish school in four years.”

This weekend, though, Orcutt will be focused on finishing his MJRC career with a bang.

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