The sun beats down on the still water as the sound of oars slices through the surface in steady rhythm, the boat filled with girls pushing through the cold current, their strokes perfectly in sync. The air is cool and damp, carrying the scent of the river and the faint echo of voices calling from boat to boat. While most students are still asleep, for Sarah Newman (’26), a student of Tenafly, this is her morning routine. Every morning, she pushes through exhaustion, her muscles burning as she glides across the water, chasing perfection one stroke at a time.
Since September 2023 during her sophomore year, Newman has left school early to get to rowing practice on time. Every day has been filled with countless hours of drives, sleeps, and practices, all leading up to the big game day race.
Now, as a senior at Tenafly High School, Newman can say that the sweat and tears she poured in have finally paid off. She is set to row in Division I at The University of Tennessee—the start of a new beginning.
Newman started to get noticed by colleges as a sophomore, and soon enough the recruitment process started to feel real.
“I got recognized by Tennessee, May of my sophomore year. But I wasn’t allowed to talk to them yet,” Newman said. But talks began at the end of that school year.. “In February they invited me for an unofficial tour, and they gave me an offer. And then, a week later, I accepted.”
Newman explained that, as a freshman next fall, she’ll have to work her way up on the team. “When I first get there, I’m expected to not be in the top boats because everyone [has] been working really hard to be in the top boats,” she said. “I’m expected to be with the freshman boats, but hopefully I’ll be in a good seat [and] I’m really excited to get all the gear and just be able to go to all of the games as a DI athlete.”
Newman has set many goals for herself, each one pushing her to become stronger both physically and mentally. She continues striving towards excellence to reach the next level in her rowing journey.
“My goal right now is to go to the NCAA as a freshman, and I think being in the 2V8 or the 1V4, that’d be pretty cool if I could do that,” she said. “For … most colleges, their main priority is the 1V8, and so in that boat eight girls that are rowing and one person who’s called the coxswain, yells at the rowers. In the 1V8, that’s normally their faster people and their better tech people. [A] step down from that is 2V8. Then, the step down from that would be the 1V4.”
For Newman, her determination has been a key to her success.
“Especially with all the other sports I’ve done, [rowing] taught me how much passion I need and how determined I need to be,” Newman said. “And when I’m really determined about something, I do get it done.” Newman also shared one of her favorite pieces of advice from her coach.
“You need tough love. You need to be mentally strong,” she said. “When life gets tough, wear a helmet,” her coach has told her. “For me, that means just keep on pushing no matter what’s going on. Leave any emotions you have out the door, and give 110% every day at practice and at work. If it seems hard, it’s gonna be hard for everyone else. So, just do the best you can.”
Balancing rowing and academics wasn’t easy, but Newman has learned how to manage her time and keep her priorities straight. She remains focused on her future.
“In college I’m gonna have a mandatory eight-hours of tutoring a week. I think it’ll be pretty even with studying and with classes. Especially if I want to be a bio major, which I do want to do. I’m going to have a lot of work cut out for me in college,” she said.
These days, as a senior, she sometimes finds it hard to balance athletics and school work. “I don’t have as much time as everyone else to do my homework,” she said. “I have school, then run to practice until 7:30 p.m., and my coach is always telling us to sleep early. So, I only have two hours a night to do homework so I can get enough sleep. In college I’m hopeful that it’ll be better, because my practices start at 8 a.m. It will definitely be more flexible.”
Meanwhile, as Sarah Newman continues to stay motivated and focused on her goals, every stroke in the water is one step closer to the future she’s been working for.
