By Robert Cross
Correspondent
Article dated Dec. 4, 1996

The U.S. national women's rowing team, whose average height is 6 feet, is constantly asked, ``Do you play basketball?''

The National Women's Training Center, located in Chattanooga, Tenn., is home to the 16 athletes training for spots on next summer's Olympic Team.

The women's team had a successful summer with gold medals at the world championships in Finland in the eight and the four.

``We can't rest on our laurels'' said Mary McCagg, a 6-foot-2 member of the world championship eight.

Her twin, Betsy, on Saturday night was named USRowing's female athlete of the year during the organization's national convention at Augusta's Radisson Riverfront Hotel.

The women's team has had a rapid rise to success. Four years ago, the women's eight struggled to make the final, but now they are the team to beat heading to Atlanta.

``Finally after finishing second two years in a row, to win was the result of such a great team effort.'' said Yaz Farooq, the eight's coxswain.

``It is more rewarding to win the world championship than to be athlete of the year. Rowing is a team sport and to win the world championship takes a team effort,'' said Betsy McCagg.

The women can't relax heading toward the Olympics because ``a different country has won the World Championship since 1992,'' said national team member Laurel Korholz.

The team traveled to the men's training center in San Diego, Calif., to spend a month preparing for the world championships. That's when ``we really became a team,'' said Betsy McCagg.

The athletes train on a three-a-day practice schedule six days a week. ``We only practice twice today (Saturday) because it's Betsy's day,'' said Mary McCagg.

``The change of scenery is good,'' said Farooq before the team headed back to Chattanooga today to go back to the same old grind.