Mateo Vazquez ’21
Sports Editor
Andrew Frankini ’21 is a current senior and the subject of this issue of the Tripod’s athlete spotlight. A four-year starter on the varsity men’s crew team, Andrew heralds from Long Island. While an incredibly accomplished rower, his success cannot merely be defined by his achievements on the water.
On campus, Andrew is a neuroscience major holding a 3.5 GPA. He is currently writing his senior thesis, researching the effects of nutritional supplements on insect muscle growth and their electrophysiological properties. Andrew is the vice president of Tri-Beta (Trinity College’s Biology honor society), a USRowing certified level 2 coach, and is also a lab teaching assistant for PSYC 261, Brain and Behavior.
His on-the-water accomplishments are just as impressive. As a high schooler, he rowed at the Oak Neck Rowing Academy, one of the best high school rowing programs in the country. He decided to take his talents to the shores of the Connecticut River thanks to the support shown by Trinity rowing alumni from his hometown.
At Trinity, he has shown his dedication and commitment to excellence, serving as the stroke seat, the rowing position viewed as the most technically proficient on the boat. Andrew has served as stroke seat for every boat he has aced in. He competed at the Head of the Charles Regatta for three consecutive years–a monumental accomplishment for any rower. Now, in the waning months of his collegiate rowing career, Andrew is happy with his previous success, but is itching for more.
However, his path to success has not always been so easy; in fact, it is his ability to overcome obstacles that he values as his greatest asset. Being a STEM major and a rower is not an easy feat. For Andrew, this was made even harder by the fact that he suffered a critical head injury coming into his first year at Trinity. Despite this setback, he was able to muster the strength, motivation, and perseverance to succeed.
Assistant Rowing Coach Jake Filby told the Tripod that “[Andrew] Frankini is one of the best teammates on the squad, and his commitment to bettering the team energizes us every morning. His impact cannot be overstated.”
But this determined attitude is reflected in everything he does, not just rowing. Andrew’s career as a Trinity College rower may be coming to a close, but he knows that these four years spent here will remain within him for a lifetime. He has already left an indelible mark on Trinity rowing; everyone involved during his tenure knows him as a hardworking and compassionate leader who is always willing to put his team first.
When asked about what he wants his legacy to be at the College, he stated simply that he not only wants, “the fundamental and core values of rowing to remain long after I’m gone, but also for every oarsman on the team to know that we all have each other’s backs when it comes to balancing academics and rowing.”
Andrew is currently seeking a profession in the sciences and plans on pursuing a graduate degree after his time at Trinity comes to a close. If he were to give all underclassmen, upperclassmen, and incoming students a word of advice, it would be this: seek help when it comes to balancing your activities at Trinity. “None of us are in this alone.”
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