While many teens may find sleeping in a good choice before heading off to school or on weekends, there are some — like Bishop’s School senior Ally Dougherty — who seem to be going a mile a minute. In her case, it is the sport of rowing that keeps her moving. Dougherty is enjoying her final year at The Bishop’s School, while entertaining offers from several colleges for a rowing scholarship. La Jolla Village News recently caught up with Dougherty, who is a member of the San Diego Rowing Club, to discuss how she got her start in rowing, what she enjoys most about it, what a typical week of training is like and where she goes from here. La Jolla Village News: How did you get involved in rowing and how long have you been at it? Ally Dougherty: A family friend of mine introduced me to the sport halfway throughout my sophomore year and I instantly fell in love with the sport. LJVN: Is the San Diego Rowing Club made up of kids from all over San Diego or other counties too, and are you the only team member who attends a school in La Jolla? Dougherty: I am the only Bishop’s kid that rows for San Diego Rowing Club, but I have tried to do some recruiting. The early-morning hours turn many potentials away. The club consists of high schoolers from all over San Diego. It’s nice because I immediately made friends from Torrey Pines, Mt. Helix and Mt. Carmel. It is such an eclectic group of girls — I love it. A few of my teammates drive close to an hour to get to Pacific Beach. LJVN: What is a typical week like for you as far as your rowing schedule? Dougherty: Fall season is a little less intense than winter and spring. We practice five days a week, with the occasional morning workouts. Once winter training begins, we start with six days, and as spring starts, we have six-plus practices a week. The week prior to our races we practice our boats in the mornings at 5 a.m. and return for 4 p.m. practice. Our coach, Guillermo Lemus, has all of the girls come for double-day practices over our spring breaks to do weights, erg [ergometrics?] and row singles. Rowing is basically a year- round sport — we only have July and August off. LJVN: How has The Bishop’s School helped you to get ready for college? Dougherty: Bishop’s has provided their junior and senior classes with amazing college counselors. They have helped me every step of the way through this long process. Along with the counselors, I believe the education Bishop’s has provided me thus far has prepared me the most for next year. The teachers are outstanding and every student that goes to Bishop’s is there because they want to learn and grow. It is truly an amazing atmosphere. LJVN: What do you see for yourself as far as rowing in college and what you might major in? Dougherty: I plan to major in either architecture or landscape architecture. I took a summer course at USC in architecture and fell in love with the field. I will most definitely be rowing next year and look forward to being on a bigger team. I am positive the intensity level will increase, but I am always up for a challenge. LJVN: Are there any opportunities for Olympics down the road and would that interest you? Dougherty: I would love to some day be in the Olympics, but my height and weight are kind of a disadvantage for me. It helps to be in the six-foot range with a little extra weight. I do hope to go and see the Olympic team race in person some day. LJVN: Anything else people should know about Ally Dougherty? Dougherty: I have gotten into all of my top four college choices — Cornell, Berkeley, USC and U of Michigan. All of them are top Division One college rowing schools with amazing programs. (Dougherty has decided to attend Cornell University). — Editor’s note: Know of an interesting senior athlete at The Bishop’s School, La Jolla Country Day School, La Jolla High School or University City High School? If so, email: [email protected].
