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127 T he No. 11 University of Iowa rowing team is having a record season, including the highest national ranking in program history and a good chance at a bid to the NCAA Championship. is season is a byproduct of years of hard work and dedication. "I think this season is just another step," said Iowa head coach Andrew Carter. "I've been here four years and in each of those years the team has put in incredible work and positive energy. It seems to be feeding off itself. It was only a matter of time before they took that step beyond where they have been before. It's a natural evolution." e success of this season foreshadows the postseason, next season, and years to come. e Hawkeyes had an unusual two weeks off in the middle of April. In a critical time of year, with only one more regular season race before postseason, a break like that was nerve-wracking. But the two weeks without competition allowed time for the rowers to refocus. e coaches emphasized the process that has enabled the historic season and the rowers understand the importance of keeping their attention on the details. "I think that they've trained hard and they've raced hard. What they needed was the opportunity to get back to the basics and refocus on their preparations," says Carter. "It is easy to get distracted by the attention and recognition they've been getting, and I think they have done a good job managing it so far. Getting back to regular training was helpful." e two weeks off from competition proved useful as the Hawkeyes defeated 15th ranked Syracuse in their final regular-season competition. Now, they have two weeks to prepare for the Big Ten Championships. "I liked what I saw out of our crews in many parts of the race against Syracuse," said Carter. "ey rowed with composure and, for the most part, under-rated the field. at gives a hint that we have room to improve. "We'll be putting in good preparation for the conference regatta. e field at the Big Ten Championships is incredibly deep and talented so that preparation will be key. ey showed again against Syracuse that the foundation is there. Sharpening a few things will give us the best shot at being in the mix in Indianapolis (site of the Big Ten Championships)." e past four years have seen a steady ramp-up in the team's training and technical intensity and the results have steadily followed. With racing success, the Hawkeyes have gained confidence in their abilities and their standards have shied. "I think a lot of it is what we call the top six inches," says Carter. "What goes on in their head? What do they think they can do versus what they thought they could do two years ago? I think those are two completely different things now." e Hawkeyes compete in the Big Ten Championships from May 14-15 in Indianapolis.