John Tanguay’s father, Bob, is a respected AAU basketball coach in Hopewell. His older sister, Nellie, was a key component on several outstanding Hopewell Valley Central High girls’ basketball teams.
And then there’s John.
The Hopewell Valley Central High School senior forwent the family hobby and left the court for the lake. On June 10-12, he will occupy the No. 6 seat for the Princeton National Rowing Association’s Mercer Rowing Club’s Men’s Youth 8 plus Coxswain boat at the US Rowing Youth National Championships on Mercer Lake.
“I used to play lacrosse, basketball, baseball and all that, and it wasn’t really working out for me, because I didn’t see myself going far in those sports,” Tanguay said. “The summer before my freshman year I went to a rowing camp at Mercer. I liked it so much that I signed up for the team in the fall and kept going after that.”
And what did the family think of this un-Tanguay-esque move?
“I think my dad was kind of fine with it, he knew I kind of sucked at the other sports,” Tanguay said with a laugh. “He figured you should do whatever you’re good at. Him and my sister are definitely the basketball people. They didn’t know much about crew at all, but they’re getting to learn it and they thought whatever worked for me was fine.”
“And,” he added proudly, “my mom saw how much I liked rowing, so she’s rowing now with the masters program. I think it’s a bit contagious.”
After he attended camp the summer after eighth grade, Tanguay signed up for Mercer’s Novice team in his first official year of rowing. He took to it quickly and got bumped to the varsity in the spring. There are three varsity boats and he was in the Varsity 3 (V1 is the top boat).
By the fall of his junior year he was in the top half of the V2 boat, meaning he was one of the varsity’s top 12 rowers. At the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, he was in the V4 with coxswain boat. Last spring, he made the V1 eight with coxswain and competed in the nationals in Sarasota, Florida.
“We finished 11th overall, not as well as we wanted to do, but it was still a really good time,” Tanguay said. “It’s a great experience, it’s really cool for the sport racing against crews from all over the country, the best of the best in the country. The rowing community is pretty close-knit and relatively small. Everyone kind of knows everyone. I’m friends with guys on a team from Boston, from California, all over. Rowing is a sport it just seems like everyone is so nice. It’s smaller and close-knit, unlike basketball, that’s just ginormous.”
Justin Ochal took over as Mercer’s head coach last year and was quickly impressed with Tanguay’s ability.
“Even in the little time I have known John, he as made huge strides with his technical prowess and strength,” Ochal said. “John is a very skilled rower. He has the ability to make a large impact on a boat’s results. That’s why he is a huge asset to the varsity 8 heading to nationals.”
In all eight seats, each rower uses the same stroke, but they all have different roles. The stroke seat sets the rhythm, the seventh seat translates the rhythm to the rest of the boat, and seats six through three are described by Tanguay “as the engine room. We’re the power of the boat, for the most part.”
A rowing term is “erg”—short for an ergometer, which is a device that measures the amount of work performed. Tanguay’s numbers are impressive. Ochal said “the engine room” is where the team’s strongest athletes go. And Tanguay has one of the top ergs in the program.
“In the last 500 yards of a race I can trust that he is giving every ounce of strength he has left,” Ochal said.
Because of his efforts, his ability and his penchant for being a leader, Tanguay was voted as one of two team captains this season.
Based on Tanguay’s dedication to the team, Ochal is not surprised. Tanguay can often be found doing extra workouts before practice, and Ochal said his teammates look to him for inspiration.
“He comes to practice ready to put the work in and encourages everyone around him to do the same,” Ochal said. “Rowing takes a lot of grit and being able to love feeling pain and to keep pushing through pain. I trust John is doing whatever he can to push his boat across the finish line first.”
Tanguay’s efforts, both in the boat and classroom, are so impressive that will be rowing at Columbia next year. He was recruited by the Lions and is looking forward to Ivy League competition as well as some big collegiate meets back on Mercer Lake.
He still has a big high school event remaining on Mercer in the nationals. Mercer qualified by finishing second to Gonzaga from Washington D.C. in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals, which were also at Mercer Lake. The top three teams advance.
Mercer hopes to have a Top 6 finish at nationals, meaning it would reach the finals.
“There could be an advantage to being home,” Tanguay said. “We don’t have to travel at all. It will certainly be different from practice. When you’re racing it’s totally different seeing all the other boats alongside of you. I know being used to the winds or the conditions at times could help. And knowing the landmarks and the course, knowing how far along the race is, that could help.”
Whatever happens in nationals, Tanguay knows he made the right move jumping in a boat. He recalled liking it instantly.
“It’s not really subjective,” he said. “With basketball or any other skill sport, someone could have talent and you can say they’re better than someone else based off talent or some other reason. But for rowing, it’s really just numbers or who’s pulling harder. That’s why I like it better than other sports. Making your way into the first boat is different from making it on the varsity basketball team.”
Fortunately for the Tanguay family, they have both arenas covered.
,
