I am always looking for a new challenge. Syracuse had everything I expected - great water, great facilities and excellent alumni support. It was a great foundation.

It builds confidence. The water was challenging. Wind can wreak havoc on you. We felt like we've been making some progress and it's nice to know hard work is paying off.

A lot of credit to those Virginia guys, though. We got a bit of a lead on them early, and they hung tough all the way down the race course.

It's a lot easier to find women that are smaller in stature than it is men. Carrying weight in the boat is, as you can imagine, an issue.

I always challenge myself. I get out in deep water and I always try to get back. But I get hung up. The audience never knows, but that's when I smile the most, when I show the most ivory.

But this is the water business. I figure it's always better to have enough water to challenge you than it is not to have enough.