51ºÚÁÏÍø

A team of University of North Georgia (51ºÚÁÏÍø) students, faculty and staff won the college division of the , held Sept. 6 at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia. 51ºÚÁÏÍø has won the collegiate division all 12 years it has competed.

51ºÚÁÏÍø tallied a time of 1:04.17 to beat out second-place Clemson University and third-place Agnes Scott College.

Cadet Vincent Furtado, a senior from Anaheim, California, pursuing a degree in modern languages with a concentration in Chinese for global professionals, was grateful for the experience.

"I really enjoyed being a part of the team because of how so many different people came together under the name 51ºÚÁÏÍø, then got in the boat and rowed to win," Furtado said. "Even though we weren't seeing one another daily, when we got into the boat, we acted as one big team, rowing together in sync all the way across the finish line."

Cadet Michael Cypher, a senior from Port Jefferson Station, New York, pursuing a degree in interdisciplinary studies, appreciated the global aspect of the competition.

"I love sports, working out and trying new experiences, so of course I wanted to try dragon boat racing. I enjoyed being able to celebrate and compete with our broader community," Cypher said. "You see videos on social media of competitions across Asia, and so it was a privilege to be able to experience this event right here."

Dr. Rachel Clapp-Smith, dean of the Mike Cottrell College of Business, embraced the opportunity to be part of the team when she heard about it a month ahead of the race.

"It was good to be able to spend time with colleagues and get to know them a little bit," Clapp-Smith said. "This time reminded me of what a great group of people work at 51ºÚÁÏÍø."

The team included students Nikky Cadavid, Abraham Condrell, Cypher, Reuben Dickson, Zachary Furbush, Furtado, Robby Keenan, Brynn Leach, and Walker Peck. Faculty members on the team were Dr. Nancy Dalman, Dr. Adam Davis, Dr. Neal Lin, Dr. Jeanelle Morgan, and Dr. Tianyu Qin. Staff on the team were Howell Buot, Ran Chen, Clapp-Smith, Dr. Sheri Hardee, and Sheila Schulte.