Gov. Jim Doyle was on hand Friday when UW-Madison held the grand opening of its new 52,000 square foot, $8.56 million Crew House.
The facility features a plethora of new additions that, according to UW-Madison Athletic Department Spokesperson Paul Capobianco, will help the university's three crew teams better compete with the nation's other top-tier squads.
Capobianco also said the Crew House's new moving water tank, which will simulate lake movement, is one of the numerous valuable assets now at the team's disposal. The facility also houses new workout facilities and offices for the teams' coaches, according to Capobianco.
The house will also greatly assist in boosting the teams' morale, Capobianco said, since the new Crew House is a vast improvement from its predecessor.
\In the past, [the Crew House] was like a bunker, basically, and [team members] would come to practice and go home,"" he said. ""Now, they just love coming here so they're just hanging around the boathouse, and it just gets them more excited about rowing.""
Aside from the benefits the current crew-team members will reap from their access to the new facility, Capobianco also pointed out the Crew House will undoubtedly help in recruiting new rowers to UW-Madison.
""Obviously the building will be phenomenal and someone coming in there will be excited to come to Wisconsin to row,"" he said.
UW-Madison sophomore and crew team member Stacey Nelson was impressed by the new facility.
""When I walked in I thought it was amazing,"" she said.
