University of Tennessee Athletics
World Championships a Building Block for Baker and Malzahn
October 14, 2015 | Rowing
KNOXVILLE -- Despite not racing for the same country at the 2015 Junior World Championship, rowers Pari Baker and Hannah Malzahn both shared a unique experience that they will remember forever. It’s an experience that has helped them stand out in their first few weeks at Tennessee.
The two freshmen did not know each other before going to Brazil as Malzahn is from Edmond, Oklahoma and Baker hails from Mississauga, Ontario in Canada.
“I found out Hannah was going to Tennessee when they posted the articles on the Tennessee athletics website. When I was in Rio I wanted to find her and introduce myself,” Baker said.
The two did not compete against each other directly as Malzahn was the coxswain for the United States in the women’s 8+ race and Baker was in the third seat for team Canada in the women’s quadruple sculls race. That doesn’t mean they weren’t keeping tabs on how their future teammates were doing.
“I looked at the results and I wanted to know how Hannah did,” Baker said. “When it came to my race, we paid close attention to the American team.”
Neither the American 8 nor the Canadian quadruple sculls went into their events as favorites, but both were able to outperform expectations thanks in large part to the Volunteer duo.
Malzahn captained her crew to a bronze medal, in what she describes as “one of the most surreal moments of my life.”
The Americans won their first heat by a boat length despite only training as a crew for two weeks before departing for Brazil. The United States outraced Italy, Netherlands and Australia to claim the automatic berth to the finals. The USA hasn’t had much success in the eight in the past, but thanks to Malzahn’s leadership they were able to push past Australia and onto the medal stand.
“Whenever we got to Brazil everything started clicking together,” said Malzahn. “We went into the final with nothing to lose, so we just went for it. It was neck-and-neck the entire way. In the last 750 meters, I told my crew that they had to sprint. We started pushing ahead and at the very last second we passed Australia to the finish line. No one could breathe and I looked up at the results board; next to bronze, and it said USA. It was amazing, it still gives me goosebumps.”
Things were similar for Baker and the Canadian team as they had to fight against expectations from within their own team.
“One of the things our coaches did was to create workouts where they could judge based on our time where we would place at Worlds,” Baker said. “Our crew was the one Canadian crew where they said we wouldn’t make it to the finals.”
Baker and her three teammates were able to qualify for the finals by winning their heat over New Zealand, Argentina and Brazil. The team then barely edged out Switzerland to finish in second place in the semifinal and earn that coveted spot in the finals.
“It was just a great experience because we didn’t think that we could do that,” Baker said. “When we were racing the A final, we had nothing to lose,” said Baker. The team ended up with a sixth place finish.
For both of them it provided an experience they won’t soon forget.
“Whenever we lined up for the heat, you hear them call off the countries and you hear them say United States of America, and I’m wearing my USA uniform and hat,” Malzahn said. “It gives you goosebumps because you are representing your country and not that many people get to do that. You see it in the Olympics and you never really think I am going to represent the United States someday.”
“My favorite part was the first day of the rowing competition when we got to the site and saw all the different countries,” Baker said. Instead of seeing a club name, there are flags from Germany, United States, and Great Britain. I thought it would hit me on the plane ride, but when I was there wearing my Team Canada gear it really hit me. The whole idea that you are representing your country in a sport you love to do.”
Baker and Malzahn have carried that love for the sport over to their work with the Tennessee team.
“Pari just brings a great competitive approach to workouts and crews and pieces on the water and on land, Tennessee Head Coach Lisa Glenn said. “She is willing to work hard no matter what.”
“Hannah has gotten some great experience and has a really good feel for the boat,” Coach Glenn continued. “She does a good job of figuring out how the boat is moving and helping to facilitate. She does a really good job of being intuitive about the movement of the boat.”
“If we do have a hard set here, I think back to what we did over the summer,” Baker said. “If I could do that, I can do this. I think the experience helped me adapt. When it came to training we were given different coaches who were used to different techniques and different race plans. It made us more coachable and makes it easier for us to approach the new environment at Tennessee. I think we are now getting in a groove when it comes to training.”
“I had to learn how to translate what coach says to the crew, because as the coxswain I am basically the coach for my crew,” Malzahn continued. “This summer I had to learn three different coaches and their styles after working with one coach throughout high school. Every coach has a different way to teach, a different style. I had to adapt and learn what my team likes to hear. This summer I had to relearn what makes people go, and I am applying that while learning all of my new teammates’ tendencies.”
Baker and Malzahn have been among the early standouts as they were both selected among six student-athletes who will compete at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston this weekend.
