Ryan Schanno is featured in the Billings Gazette
By BECKY SHAY
Of The Gazette Staff
The rowing team's information booth caught Ryan Schanno's eye during freshmen orientation at Oregon State University.
"It looked like something interesting," Schanno said in a recent interview.
He's just finished his junior year majoring in graphic design. A starboard member of the Beaver rowing team, Schanno and the other oarsmen are competing in the Czech Republic beginning today.
"It's pretty surreal to look back on it now," Schanno said. "Considering that when I came to college I didn't even know what a crew team was. I've learned a lot."
The team finished 14th in national championships this year. Team members left last week to travel to Europe, where they will compete at the Czech Republic's national championships.
The men started in Prague, Poland, where they put in twice-a-day practices for five days before traveling to Trebon, Czech Republic, for competition. The Beavers will race in the age category "Under 23."
"Teams from the nation (Czechs) are racing for the right to go to the world championships," Todd said. "We're going to go up against future Olympians."
Schanno said the team is up for it.
"I'm very excited to go race and compete with them because I think we can," he said.
Schanno is also excited to compete with teams from another country and get into their cultures.
"After we're done competing, we'll be closer and can talk and associate with them," he said. "It will be easier to understand where they are coming from; we'll share that experience."
The competition is June 30-July 2. Schanno and several of his teammates will spend a few additional days in Europe.
Men's Rowing Assistant Coach Steve Todd said that the team trains year-round, building the strength and precision it takes to row. The season includes about eight competitions with maybe two or three races at each event. A good run may last just a few seconds.
"Hundreds of hours of training go into around an hour of actual competition during the year," Todd said. "So much of the time is dedicated to learning and improving and the day-to-day work, you really learn a lot about yourself."
And it's rough competition considering that in championships the Beavers faces teams from back East where rowing is huge.
"When we get out there, the competition is very fierce," Schanno said.
Coming from the West Coast, where rowing is a lesser sport, the team refuses to be intimidated, Schanno said.
"We try and come off of every race knowing that we pushed ourselves as hard as we could and having no regrets," he said.
They also come off the water with the "unbelievable" feeling of having pushed themselves as hard as they could -- even if that means barely being able to walk.
"It's so competitive, you can push your body to the limit you never even knew you had," he said. "It's unbelievable how hard we can push ourselves."
Schanno described his job as an oarsman as to "put the blade in the water and press as hard as I can over and over again."
As the men do that in near-to-perfect unison, the boat appears to glide over the water.
"Its brute force with style," Schanno said. "Eight people have to work together in complete unison."
Schanno said the sport has taught him "mostly about respect -- for my peers and what they are capable of and for myself, knowing what I can do and I can accomplish."
"The team is based on the competitive spirit," he continued. "In the boat, we have to come together, but, when we're practicing and training, we use the competition between each other to make ourselves faster and better and to make the best boat."
Schanno, who graduated from Skyview High, swam and played tennis in high school. Although Billings doesn't boast good rowing waters. Todd said that Schanno's water skills make him a good fit with the team.
"Ryan came to OSU a good swimmer and with some athletic background," Todd said. "The sport is something that we can introduce and you can get pretty good at in a pretty short time."
At 6 feet, 3 inches and 195 pounds, Schanno is "the right size for the sport," Todd said. And, with one year of eligibility left, Schanno is bringing cohesiveness to the team.
"We're really glad to have Ryan back for another year of rowing, Todd said. "He's going to be a big part of our team and big part of our senior leadership."
Schanno is the son of Raymond and Kathy Schanno. His younger brother, Davy, is a freshman at Montana State University in Bozeman.
