Princeton University Athletics
Nick Mead '17
A Different Kind Of Rower: Nick Mead '17
August 30, 2023 | Heavyweight Rowing
There are all different kinds of rowers that row at Lake Carnegie.
Princeton rowers
Alumni
U.S. National Team members
Olympians
One of the people that fits all those marks is Nick Mead '17.
Mead had been preparing for the 2023 World Rowing Championships, which will take place September 3-10 in Belgrade, Serbia. He is one of 74 athletes who will represent the United States as he tries to help the men's four boat, along with Liam Corrigan, Justin Best and Michael Grady, qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"We've actually hadn't had a ton of time together because we were spread out through the country most of the year," said Mead. "It all came together quicky and we wanted to see at World Cup II if we had the speed to hang with Olympic and World Champions. We posted a good result, but we're little bit further back from Australia and Great Britain than we wanted to be."
Mead was part of the United States' four that won bronze at the World Rowing Cup II in June. Since that event, the U.S. ran some seat races and adjusted the lineup ahead of the World Rowing Championships.
With the hard work that goes into being a U.S. National Rower, Mead manages his rowing career on top of working full time for Peloton in supply chain operations.
Mead and his teammates lived in Princeton for the summer in a hotel. They'd wake up, come to Lake Carnegie, row 24 kilometers before going back to the hotel to work remotely from 9-5. After work, it's back at the lake for another 24 kilometers.
"Racing in the four is a little more cerebral," said Mead who saw time with the United States' eight as well as the boat he's currently on. "It's a little twitchy, harder to balance, row correctly and takes more skill. With that the races are longer, so you must be more strategic in the middle for when you're going to push or hold off other crews. The fours are definitely a new challenge for us, and the United States has not put together a medal winning four since the London Olympics (2012).
Mead had a fantastic career at Princeton as he helped to the 2V to a silver medal at the 2014 IRAs before helping the varsity eight to bronze in 2015 and 2016. He also won four Eastern Sprints medals, led the team to two Rowe Cup trophies and was a team captain during his senior season in 2017.
"I came during a time when the team was gradually getting better and better," said Mead. "I think the big 'We made it over the hump' moment was sweeping Harvard at home during my sophomore year in 2015 (the first time Princeton had won the Compton Cup since 2006). That's when we knew we had a good group of guys and coaches and things were looking up."
Mead mentioned how Princeton head coach Greg Hughes helped his development while at Princeton. "The main takeaway was how to train and how to train effectively," said Mead about Hughes. "I think the team has a good training program. I started dropping tens of seconds off my times and I got really fit at Princeton. More importantly, I learned how to push my training and when to take a step back."
During his sophomore and junior campaigns at Princeton, Mead started to make big jumps in times. Hughes was one of the first coaches Mead had that told him about the national team and the possibility of it.
Mead made the U-23 team in 2016 before eventually moving to the national team in 2017. He made the Olympic Team for Tokyo in the eight that finished fourth. He was one of three alumni in the varsity eight final with Tom George '18 (Great Britain) and Tim Masters '15 (Australia). George's boat won the bronze. The night prior, Fred Vystael '16 picked up a bronze for Denmark in the 2-.
Two months after the Olympics, Mead was named the USRowing Male Athlete of the Year.
Not bad for the Princeton Boathouse.
"It's really cool," said Mead when discussing all the international success that Princeton rowers have had. "Every time we go back to a World Championships, World Cup or Olympics, I'm surrounded by my teammates from college, and it's a fun reunion. It's cool to see a lot of them have a ton of success at the next level. It makes me cognizant of the fact that I got better here because I was surrounded by really good international athletes."
Princeton rowers
Alumni
U.S. National Team members
Olympians
One of the people that fits all those marks is Nick Mead '17.
Mead had been preparing for the 2023 World Rowing Championships, which will take place September 3-10 in Belgrade, Serbia. He is one of 74 athletes who will represent the United States as he tries to help the men's four boat, along with Liam Corrigan, Justin Best and Michael Grady, qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"We've actually hadn't had a ton of time together because we were spread out through the country most of the year," said Mead. "It all came together quicky and we wanted to see at World Cup II if we had the speed to hang with Olympic and World Champions. We posted a good result, but we're little bit further back from Australia and Great Britain than we wanted to be."
Mead was part of the United States' four that won bronze at the World Rowing Cup II in June. Since that event, the U.S. ran some seat races and adjusted the lineup ahead of the World Rowing Championships.
With the hard work that goes into being a U.S. National Rower, Mead manages his rowing career on top of working full time for Peloton in supply chain operations.
Mead and his teammates lived in Princeton for the summer in a hotel. They'd wake up, come to Lake Carnegie, row 24 kilometers before going back to the hotel to work remotely from 9-5. After work, it's back at the lake for another 24 kilometers.
"Racing in the four is a little more cerebral," said Mead who saw time with the United States' eight as well as the boat he's currently on. "It's a little twitchy, harder to balance, row correctly and takes more skill. With that the races are longer, so you must be more strategic in the middle for when you're going to push or hold off other crews. The fours are definitely a new challenge for us, and the United States has not put together a medal winning four since the London Olympics (2012).
Mead had a fantastic career at Princeton as he helped to the 2V to a silver medal at the 2014 IRAs before helping the varsity eight to bronze in 2015 and 2016. He also won four Eastern Sprints medals, led the team to two Rowe Cup trophies and was a team captain during his senior season in 2017.
"I came during a time when the team was gradually getting better and better," said Mead. "I think the big 'We made it over the hump' moment was sweeping Harvard at home during my sophomore year in 2015 (the first time Princeton had won the Compton Cup since 2006). That's when we knew we had a good group of guys and coaches and things were looking up."
Mead mentioned how Princeton head coach Greg Hughes helped his development while at Princeton. "The main takeaway was how to train and how to train effectively," said Mead about Hughes. "I think the team has a good training program. I started dropping tens of seconds off my times and I got really fit at Princeton. More importantly, I learned how to push my training and when to take a step back."
During his sophomore and junior campaigns at Princeton, Mead started to make big jumps in times. Hughes was one of the first coaches Mead had that told him about the national team and the possibility of it.
Mead made the U-23 team in 2016 before eventually moving to the national team in 2017. He made the Olympic Team for Tokyo in the eight that finished fourth. He was one of three alumni in the varsity eight final with Tom George '18 (Great Britain) and Tim Masters '15 (Australia). George's boat won the bronze. The night prior, Fred Vystael '16 picked up a bronze for Denmark in the 2-.
Two months after the Olympics, Mead was named the USRowing Male Athlete of the Year.
Not bad for the Princeton Boathouse.
"It's really cool," said Mead when discussing all the international success that Princeton rowers have had. "Every time we go back to a World Championships, World Cup or Olympics, I'm surrounded by my teammates from college, and it's a fun reunion. It's cool to see a lot of them have a ton of success at the next level. It makes me cognizant of the fact that I got better here because I was surrounded by really good international athletes."
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