🛶 Rowing Introduces ‘Morning Phog’

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas rowing team celebrated the naming and christening of its newest boat, the ‘Morning Phog’ on Monday, April 19. Participating in the celebration was not only the current rowing team but Reese Burt [Arnold] who is a former rowing student-athlete.

"The christening of the new boat really completes our celebration of 25 years of the Kansas rowing program. The boat is meant to recognize the milestone for our young program, hence the choice of color, crimson, that will really standout amongst our fleet of blue boats! In 2019 Reese broke the record to become the fastest Kansas rower in history, I had thought at the time she might get to help in the naming of a future boat."

Carrie Cook-Callen, head coach

Reese was granted the opportunity to name and christen the Morning Phog after becoming the fastest rower in Jayhawk history during May 2019. The 2K is a race on the rowing machine, ergormeter, that tests rowers speed as they compete against their teammates to see how far they can push themselves. The previous record was held by Claudijah Lever, establishing it on May 2015.

"It meant the world to me to be asked to name the boat. That boat was the boat that I was supposed to race in last spring and to be able to name it is such an honor. Having my season cut short due to COVID was incredibly difficult but I wouldn’t have had this opportunity had it not happened. I looked at it as an opportunity to make one last mark on a program that has made a huge impact on my life."

Reese Burt [Arnold], former student-athlete

Coach Cook-Callen detailed another boat in the Kansas fleet that was named by Lever after she became the fastest rowing in the spring of 2015, tokened the ‘Quiet Beast’.

"One of the things that has stood out to me about both Lever and Arnold on breaking the record is their excitement for them to be dethroned and for the future of the program to be faster. It speaks volumes about their character and team first mentality!"

Coach Cook-Callen

Reese later described the meaning behind the name, Morning Phog.

"I wanted to include KU’s history and traditions, but also wanted to name it something that was a nod to rowing itself. We often had foggy morning practices and we often joked about ‘beware of the phog’ and ‘the Phog is coming’. So, I thought Morning Phog was the perfect name. Mornings on the Kaw were some of my favorite times to practice even amidst the difficult practices, the mornings were always beautiful and I wanted the name to capture that picture."

Reese Burt [Arnold}

The Jayhawks have started the 2021 season in a truly competitive fashion. Kansas has garnered back-to-back weekly Big 12 Conference honors for Boat of The Week in addition to numerous top-5 finishes. Due up this weekend is a regatta hosted by Iowa and includes Minnesota, Drake, host Iowa and Wisconsin. All three Big 10 schools are currently ranked in the top 20.

Now the question is, who will be the next fastest Jayhawk and earn the honor to christen the next boat in Kansas’ fleet?