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91 A er finding success in the fall and a winter trip to Florida for training, the University of Iowa women's rowing team is primed for the 2015 spring season, equipped with all the necessary tools for success. In the fall, Iowa was given exposure to regattas with a variety of sizes and intensity levels. e team started at the Head of the Des Moines regat- ta, followed by a scrimmage at Big Ten foe Indi- ana, and closed the fall against multiple collegiate programs at the Jayhawk Jamboree hosted by the University of Kansas. "I think the fall results allowed them to take a step forward in how they think about themselves as a team," UI second-year head coach Andrew Carter said. "ey entered each of the races in a new frame of mind, which helped. "ey took the pressure off themselves and ex- tended their training norms into the competitive arena. To use an analogy, they didn't grip the soap so tight this past fall. As a result, it didn't fly out of their hands." e Hawkeyes kicked off their training aer winter break with a trip to Florida. e team averaged around six hours on the water and churned out an average of 28 miles of rowing per day. "e Florida trip is invaluable in many ways," Carter said. "Selection to the travel squad is com- petitive, we have no distractions while there, and the group is in tight quarters so they grow close. ese and other factors enable us to make huge strides in a short amount of time. You can imagine that a lot of progress can be experienced in that time and over that distance." e Hawkeyes will be on the road for all six of its regular season spring competitions. e possibility of travel complications and other performance- reducing factors has inspired Carter to use these potential situations to help strengthen the team mentally. "Scenarios are presented that require a response and I use those opportunities to teach. With the group doing so well with their physical and techni- cal development, they need to allow themselves to gain confidence in their demonstrated abilities," said Carter. "ey need to allow themselves to be as good on race day as they prove they are in train- ing. If we get them to that place, they may surprise everyone but me with their results." While Carter is preparing the team for the ungov- ernable, the main focus and overall objective is strong competition performance. "On the mental side, we continue to work on rac- ing skills," said Carter. "Of course there are the physical, technical, and strategic considerations in rowing competition but the mental preparation to manage those demands is an area of major focus for us." e Hawkeyes open the regular season in DeLand, Florida, with regattas against Old Dominion on Feb. 18 and Central Florida and Old Dominion on Feb. 21.