ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
THOMAS HOSKINS

Crew is one of the more unrecognizable sports at Cape Henry. The Dolphins varsity rowers often walk the hallways unnoticed, but their training efforts and regimen are often times more challenging than any other varsity sport. To compete on the crew team an athlete needs to have the mental toughness to challenge themselves everyday to push the envelope further and further, and this week’s Athlete of the Week, sophomore Thomas Hoskins, embodies that spirit.

The crew team is a small group who works very hard in the shadow of other athletic programs, and Thomas is no exception to that rule. Thomas competes as a member of the men’s varsity 4 boat, but at the same time he competes for a community hockey team outside of Cape Henry athletics. Often times the conflicting schedules pose challenges that few other student-athletes have to contend with, but Thomas has lived up to the billing successfully.

“Thomas participates in a community hockey league, and he ranks as one of their top skaters,” head crew coach Rebecca Leonard said of Hoskins. “Not only does he excel on the ice, he has never missed a crew practice—

including extended practices held for his boat only.”

And this past Saturday was no exception. With both a hockey tournament and crew regatta scheduled for the same day, Hoskins lived up to his commitments to both teams. Participating in his final hockey tournament of the season during the first part of the day, Hoskins skated through multiple games, but that didn’t seem to affect his performance in the boat. Rowing with the varsity 4 in the EVSRA regatta on Saturday at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Hoskins helped the varsity 4 power its way to an open-water, 1st place finish.

“Academically, Tom is a hard worker and achiever,” Leonard finished. “He also participates with the Robotics club. He excels and manages his education and athletics admirably, and still remains a positive and influential person at the same time.”

Hoskins is one of a number of young, hard workers on the crew team, but despite their youth the Dolphins are finding early success. A good portion of last weekend’s success is due to the effort and commitment of Hoskins, and his teammates are hoping that success continues.