Every weekend at 6 a.m., Wichita State rowers report to the Little Arkansas river in the heart of downtown for their two-hour practice.

When the weather prohibits it, they take it indoors at the Heskett Center to get on a rowing machine, called an “erg.”

Rowing is year-round for the Shockers.

“Rowing is just mind over matter,” said Brittany Neigenfind, a sophomore and second year rower. “You’re part of a team that can’t do it without you.”

Right before the holidays, Shocker rowing lost their assistant coach. But that didn’t stop practices or training.

“Old graduated rowers came back,” senior John Jamison said. “It was pretty seamless despite a major loss.”

They kicked off the 2015 competition season earlier this month with the annual indoor Shocker Sprints in the Heskett Center. Shocker Sprints is a competitive way to see where everyone is at after the holidays and to get everyone ready for the traveling season.

For freshman Colton Hall, he is ready to travel with the team.

“I knew I wanted to be competitive in college. This was the best way to do it,” Hall said.

Hall said he wanted to play basketball, but found he wasn’t fast enough. Rowing was the second option.

This year, the Shockers have added a new invitational regatta to their schedule. WSU will attend the John Hunter regatta March 28 in Gainesville, Ga.

“We are a tight-knit community, we train together, we hang out together,” Neigenfind said.

Shocker Rowing will compete again in the ACRA national championships in Gainesville May 23 and 24. WSU has placed in the tournament the last five years.