Finding the perfect balance

From dancing in the nutcracker with the Pittsburgh ballet in elementary school to being the coxswain for the Buffalo rowers, senior Kaitlin Buchheit has learned a lot about her sense of balance. This year, she's finding out even more, but now it's balancing her time, working two jobs, and attending full-time classes at UB.

"I've found a good balance. I have enough time to do my homework, work and row," Buchheit said. "I think I'm right where I need to be. I know exactly how much I need to get done to be where I need to be."

Kaitlin is not the only Buchheit that has been on the Bulls' roster for the last three years. Her younger sister Jessica has followed in her footsteps to become a part of the program. The sisters are now racing as a part of the same boat in Kaitlin's final year.

"She sits in the front in the coxswain seat, and I'm in the back in the bow seat, and we joke around that it's a Buchheit sandwich for all the rowers," laughed Jessica. "But this will be our last year together, unless of course we go on to the Olympics together, which I don't think is very likely."

The Buchheit sisters began rowing the summer before Kaitlin entered Amherst High School, when they took part in a rowing camp at Buffalo's West Side Rowing Club. Although they were split up back then, according to Jessica, it's nice to be together in the same boat at Buffalo.

"It's been really great to row with her," Jessica said. "But it's different because we're sisters so we know what each other are going through, inside and outside of rowing."

Bulls head coach Rudy Wieler also notices how special it is to have the sisters in the same boat, and has seen them grow in their time at Buffalo.

"I think that it is really quite novel," Wieler said. "It's really an emotionally neat thing that the two of them can row together in her last year."

Wieler also recognizes the fact that Kaitlin's balancing act is not a simple feat.

"I think that she accepts the fact that this is what she wants to do," Wieler said. "Certainly it isn't an easy task. I give her a lot of credit. She does a good job."

Kaitlin has been a part of several different boats in her four years for the Bulls. However, this season, she has found a permanent home with the lightweight squad where she has led her boats to two first-place finishes. She led the Lightweight 4, to a first-place time at the Head of the Ohio, and while racing with the Lightweight 8, she led her boat to a first-place finish at the Head of the Fish regatta.

"I've rowed with everyone," Buchheit said. "I've rowed novice, heavyweight, varsity, junior varsity and now I'm with the lightweight squad. I definitely feel like I know how to motivate a lot of different people."

Kaitlin might be called by her full name on the roster, but around her roommates and team they just call her "Bucket."

" 'Bucket' is a name that comes from Emilee Norris. she looked at my last name and saw 'Bucket' which it doesn't really look like," Kaitlin laughed. "The nickname just stuck."

Bulls' senior rower Joanne Olsen has been a roommate of Kaitlin's for two years now, and as both are preparing to graduate, Olsen says she thinks they will stay in touch. Although she hasn't gotten to see her too much this year because of Kaitlin's busy schedule, they have some times together they will never forget.

"Bucket is not really in the apartment too much," Olsen said. "I'll miss her, and I'll never forget our freshman year when she busted out dancing to 'Jock Jams' in the locker room. That was a good time. We've been trying to get her to do it again."

The Buchheit sisters and the rest of the Buffalo Rowers will take to the water again next weekend when they head to the Knecht Cup in Camden, N.J. The team's last home match together will take place the following weekend when the boats are launched in Amherst's Tonawanda Creek for the Harvey Cup.