Orchard Lake St. Mary’s crew stays a program of tradition

By Christian Davis
C & G Sports Writer

ORCHARD LAKE — Jack LeBlanc has earned a lot of medals throughout his lifetime, but there’s only one he wears around his neck, his gold medal for winning the 1947 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta with the Ecorse High rowing club. 

“You always remember the tough ones,” he said while waiting for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s rowing team to arrive for practice at the team’s boathouse, which was dedicated in his name in 2002.

LeBlanc’s love for rowing led him to St. Mary’s in 1976, when he and close friend Judson Ross, a former rowing coach at Wayne State University, began the Eaglets’ program with “two old boats.”

Since then, St. Mary’s has become one of the premier programs in the Midwest, winning 14 state titles, seven Midwest championships, and a national championship in 1998.

LeBlanc, a West Bloomfield resident, ran the program from 1978-95. Kevin Van Houten took over from him and coached from 1995-99, and Michael German was the headman from 1999-2006.

Now a new era has begun, as John Ray took over the program last August.

“He’s doing a good job,” said LeBlanc, who still occasionally helps out at practice and whose grandson, Kevin LeBlanc, is now one of the assistant coaches at St. Mary’s.

Ray, an assistant with the program for eight years before taking over, said he tries to bring his passion for the sport to his coaching style.

“It’s pure joy, that’s what it is,” he said. “If you’re not a happy warrior, you don’t belong in this line of business.”

As of press time, St. Mary’s hadn’t competed in an event, but Ray said he likes what he sees out of his team thus far.

“We have a lot of spirit,” he said of his 61-man squad. “This is the kind of sport where you’re going to put them under a lot of pressure, and they’re holding together pretty well.

“They’re working hard and keep coming back for more.”

Ray also knows that he has an old hand to turn to anytime he has a question.

“He’s forgotten more about rowing than I’ll ever know,” Ray said of LeBlanc. “He has a great eye. He can look at a crew and tell you exactly what they need.”

St, Mary’s senior James Shubert said the fact that LeBlanc still has a relationship with the team shows just what kind of tradition St. Mary’s rowing has built.

“It’s been great having him,” Shubert said of LeBlanc. “He’s a founder, and without him we wouldn’t be here. You hear something new every day being around him.”

“I tell them to follow through everything they do, and do it perfectly,” LeBlanc said. “You have to care about the other rowers. That’s why we’ve been No. 1.”

St. Mary’s races for the Hebda Cup at 8 a.m. April 28. The race is sponsored by the Wyandotte Boat Club.

You can reach Christian Davis at cdavis@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1062.