Photo by John T. McLeod

Tessa Spillane, head coach of the Blue Crew, has made a promise to the nine class of ’20 rowers who were unable to complete their senior spring of competition: They will row at the Head of the Charles Regatta in an alumnae 8+ race wearing the Wellesley blue. The HOCR was canceled this fall due to COVID-19, so now Spillane is looking to the future for their chance to wear the W one more time. The entire team was ranked second in the nation for Division III last spring, in part because they came in second at HOCR in 2019 (shown here). They had big dreams for the end of the season.

“Last year’s team was one of the best teams I have coached in my time here at Wellesley. They really functioned in a cohesive and competitive way, and I give a lot of credit to the red hot class of 2020 for fostering that kind of environment,” Spillane says. “Even as they have mourned the loss of their final season racing in blue, they have advocated for, motivated, inspired, guided, and educated their younger teammates, preparing them for what will be expected of them as this significant torch passes.”

This photo includes five of the ’20 crew team members: Sooji Kang (cox), Rhiannon Mulligan, Frances Dingivan, Faye Washburn, and Maria Iannotti. Not pictured are classmates Alison Carey, Olivia Holbrook, Eve Montie, and Emmet Odegaard.