One of the guys

Washington crew has always been about tradition. Husky rowers have won Olympic gold medals and numerous national championships ,and own a well-deserved spot in Husky history. But take a close look at this year's team and you might notice something not so traditional. Seated at the back of the men's varsity four is junior Lacy Doolin. She is in her second season as the coxswain for the men's crew team and has her sights set on another winning season. Last year, she helped lead the men's four to an undefeated season, including a gold medal at the Pac-10 championships.

The coxswain's role on the team is to steer and command the boat. She sits at the stern end and has control of rudder cables that she uses to steer from one side to the other. She also has a computer on board telling her how fast they're going and stroke rates. Doolin loves being able to push the guys to their extremes.

"My favorite part of races is definitely motivation," she said. "I try to get the guys fired up and as angry as I can. You have to let them know where they want to be and what they're going to have to do to get there and make them go. That's the great part about it ... go, go, go! That's what's fun."

Growing up in Sarasota, Fla., Lacy coxed for both the men's and women's crew teams in high school before coming to Seattle.

"I originally came out to cox for guys when I was 12 years old because I saw all these pictures of guy rowers and I thought they were cute," Doolin said. "I thought I could meet cute boys if I came out, and I got hooked."

Needless to say, she was quite the natural and worked her way into one of the best programs in the nation. However, she has always been under some pressure for being a girl on the guy's team.

"It's hard, it's really hard," she said "I've definitely had temptations to switch to the women's team because I'm a girl and it seems that's what I should do, but it's the last thing I want. The hard part is the question of where do I really fit in and I guess the answer is that I don't fit in, and I don't really want to fit in."

These days it's tough to find a woman who is willing to put up with all the rigors of competing along side men, but Doolin has taken it all in stride and come out on top. In fact, she has found rowing with men very invigorating and a wonderful learning experience.

"I think that after doing this for so long nothing can surprise me anymore," she laughs. "Nothing gross is gross to me anymore and nothing smells bad anymore. It's all stuff I'm used to and now I can have all the guys come over and have a good time. They're my best friends and I wouldn't change where I am in the world."

Doolin has put in her fair share of hard work in her time at Washington and has garnered a lot of respect from both teammates and coaches.

"We're proud of Lacy," says men's varsity intern Michael Callahan, who helped recruit Doolin while she was in high school. "She's a hard worker who has a lot of energy and passion for the sport. Her job is like the quarterback position on the football team. She's calling the plays and she's directing what happens during a race. The guys have to respect her and when it comes down to it, it's what she says that goes and they can't question what she does."

The guys on the team have accepted Doolin as an equal and just another member of the team. She has earned her spot on the roster through hard work and perseverance, and seems poised to help this team win races and possibly a national championship.

A society and justice major at the UW, Doolin plans to pursue a career in criminal profiling after she finishes college.

"I've always wanted to work for the FBI, but my honest goal ... I just want to be a chef. I'm a great cook and I love to cook, so if I could go somewhere and be some four-star chef, that would be great."

Whatever Doolin decides to do, she'll always be "one of the guys."