CHECKING IN WITH ... ZACHARY PASQUIN

(Editor's note: The Day will be publishing a profile of a spring athlete for each day during the canceled high school athletic season) School: Stonington High School Class: Senior Sport: Crew Position: Seat one or three College choice: UConn Chosen major: Kinesiology and pre-med Favorite sport besides crew: Football Athlete you grew up admiring: The closest I get to a sports figure is The Rock (Dwayne Johnson). Although he isn't a professional athlete anymore, I admire his personality. Checking in with Zach: "The bond that I have created with the team is like family. I have never been on any other team that was so well connected. The sense of togetherness is unimaginable. We spend two hours a day practicing and then up to eight hours together during regattas. It's an extremely time-consuming sport, but our love for the sport and bonding is why we all continue to row." What you need to know about Zach: Pasquin is a co-captain for Stonington, where he was in a novice boat for just three weeks as a freshman before he was elevated to the Bears' first varsity boat. Pasquin, 5-foot-9, can usually be found in the bow. "I am short to be a rower. Most rowers are at least 6 feet," he said. "The taller someone is, the more leverage they have, which increases the power and length of the stroke . ... It's an extremely difficult sport. The combination of strength and endurance along with technique and matching the other seven guys in the boat takes a lot of time and experience." He calls the best moment of his career the finish of a dual meet last season with Glastonbury. "We were neck-andneck the whole race until the end, when we came together as a boat and beat them by two boat lengths," he said. Pasquin plans to row for the club team at UConn and has chosen his major with hopes of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. His favorite restaurant in town is the S&P Oyster Restaurant and Bar in Mystic. Pasquin and his teammates (as well as Stonington coaches, administrators and alumni) recently fulfilled a 1 million-meter challenge on ergometers from their homes to raise money for the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center. "Coach Sally (Machin) and John (Thornell) did a terrific job organizing and publicizing the event, which made for a great turnout totaling over $7,000 and close to 1.3 million meters (more than 800 miles)," Pasquin said. "... I am extremely proud of the team for not only showing up to practice, but giving it their all every day in order to be fully prepared for the spring season."

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZACHARY PASQUIN Stonington’s Zachary Pasquin was part of a the crew team’s million-meter challenge recently, raising more than $7,000 for the Pawcatuck Neightborhood Center. He will attend UConn and plans someday to become an orthopedic surgeon.