University of Massachusets Athletics
Meet The Minutewomen: Destefano
February 28, 2016 | Rowing
AMHERST, Mass. - In this week’s feature of Meet The Minutewomen, get to know co-captain Nicole Destefano of the UMass rowing team. The Berwyn, Pennsylvania native is one of eleven seniors on the 2015-16 roster. Destefano graduated from Conestoga Senior High School in 2012 as a three-sport athlete in rowing, basketball and field hockey. She was then recruited by UMass for the fall of 2012, and currently majors in biochemistry.
In her rookie season with the Minutewomen, Destefano competed as a member of the JV 8+. She earned a bronze medal at the Yankee Cup with a time of 7:50.71 before clinching back-to-back first place finishes against Holy Cross and UConn in head-to-head regattas. Destefano also sat seventh seat in the JV 8+ at the 2013 Atlantic 10 Championships.
Throughout her time with UMass, Destefano has represented the maroon and white in three Head of the Charles appearances, including a second-place victory in the Club 8+ with a time of 16:47.5 in her junior season. She also helped the Minutewomen defend their Dad Vail Championship title in the spring of 2015 with first place finishes in the opening heat and semifinal rounds. UMass took home the Evelyn Bergman Trophy as Destefano’s Varsity 8+ boat outpaced the field in the Dad Vail Grand Finale. The co-captain finished last season competing at the 2015 NCAA Championships in Gold River, California as a member of the Varsity 8+.
When did you begin rowing?
During my freshman year of high school.
How did you get involved in the sport?
At lunch in high school a bunch of girls on the team were walking around with a sign-up sheet and I knew one of them, so she stopped at my table and I signed up.
Who is your most admired person and why?
My dad. We’re a lot alike so he’s always pushing me to be better.
Why did you choose UMass?
Rowing had a huge impact on why I chose UMass. I went on a few official visits. I liked UMass, but I still wasn’t convinced I’d love it, or even that I knew what I wanted at all. So I kind of took a shot in the dark and ended up loving it here.
Do you have any superstitions for before or during regattas?
In high school I was superstitious about braids in a boat. We raced in quads and if there weren’t at least two I’d throw my hair into a braid, otherwise we’d have a bad race. I still like to have my hair braided if there aren’t enough power braids, but I’m not as superstitious about it.
What are your goals for the spring season?
A-10 Championships and going to back NCAAs. I really want to go back to NCAAs and advance further than we have in the past. Just being there is great, but I think we can be better and I’m really excited to see that.
How are you preparing for the spring season?
Lots of erging. We’ve increased the amount of dry land workouts we’re doing this year and I think that has put us in a really great position as a team to gear up for our championship season.
Can you give us a reflection on the 2015 fall season?
This past fall the team itself is what I’m most happy about. We had some really great results as far as racing is concerned, but we’re all just a giant family right now. I know people say that a lot, but I really do mean it. You can just feel everyone pulling for more than themselves; I think that’s incredibly important for a team.
What are your plans for after college?
Right now I want to take a break from school and possibly coach and work in a hospital to get enough experience to go to PA school.
If I could be on any reality TV show, it would be:
Cupcake Wars
If I did not row, I would:
Be sleeping
Favorite meal:
Breakfast. Scrambled eggs with avocado on toast.
I am unbeatable at:
Watching Netflix
The actress to play me in a movie would be:
Sandra Bullock
If I could live anywhere, it would be:
Probably Boston
Favorite kids’ toy:
Bop-it. I used to be really good at it.
Favorite dessert:
Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked ice cream
If I could have any 3 celebrities as dinner guests, they would be:
Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Lawrence and Miles Teller
My biggest supporters are:
My parents. They’ve come to pretty much every one of my regattas in the past eight years.
Funniest person on the team:
Hadley Irvin
The teammate I would choose to cook a pregame meal:
Abby Norwood
Favorite ice cream flavor:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Best dancer on the team:
Haley Eovine
You would be surprised to know:
I love doing people’s makeup, even though I rarely wear it to classes myself.
