Name: Mike Size
Row Club or Varsity: 4 years club
Years with UB Rowing: Fall of 1994 through Spring of 1998.
Memories: Too many to count; thank goodness there were no camera phones in the ‘90s. Strangely, most of my fondest memories have nothing to do with the competition on the water. It’s meeting Todd Vogt and Ian Coveny at the UB Crew table at the Freshman Orientation, the 2-mile run to start the season each year, boathouse pranks, arguments, house parties, Spring Break in Augusta, GA, getting sentimental in the boat after my last collegiate race, Buffalo Bills’ fundraisers, working in the Student Association to boost UB Crew’s profile, pickup basketball with guys from the team, being coached by Joe Krakowiak and Tom Mazzone, West Side, Tonawanda Creek, the great bonds I developed with my teammates, moving into a house with guys from the team, and so on and so on. There are so many rowers and coaches who have helped to influence the person that I am today, I just want to reference a few more, Pucella, Cusano, Matesic, Flash, Deshan, Steve, Matty, Mark, Jeff, Miles, Nick, Grubka, Jen Allen, Jen Waring, Kristy, Nicole, Katy Frank, Mac, Cheryl, Gabby, Defo, Rob, Ron, Neil, Dorn, Kreizer, Higgins, Papke, Adrien, Howie and everyone else. I’m forever grateful to everyone for their support and influence. Thank you!
UB Crew Accomplishments: I loved my time at UB as the club president for 2 years, and I’m proud to say that the men and women that I rowed with are still my closest friends. I was fortunate to start in ’94 and to cross paths over four years with some of the best rowers to come out of the program, in my opinion. We were deep on the women’s program, men’s heavyweight, and men’s lightweight programs. My teammates and I won the Dad Vail JV LW 8 event in ’95, and third at Dad Vail in ’98 in the LW V 4+. The NYS Collegiate regatta was cancelled two of my four years, but in ’98 we won the men’s LW4+ with a time that would’ve won the Men’s HW 4+. I’m also extremely proud of being a small part of the push to take the women’s club program to the varsity level. It was so well deserved and deeply upsetting that UB has reversed course.
Major: Communications
Current occupation: I own a National Business Valuation company named for my favorite sport, Portside Advisors. I also teach Financial Management at the University of Montana. Husband of 16 years to my beautiful wife and Dad to two amazing daughters.
Advice to current student athletes: Have a purpose. This applies to your time in school and after you graduate. I used to tell the guys in my boat that it’s a waste get up at 5:30 AM and not put in our best effort. Showing up is only the first step, and it’s not good enough. Getting up early and putting in work won’t produce the results you desire if there’s not a purpose. Set a goal, do purposeful work, and do more than your competition. It helps to have fun while you’re doing it.
Advice to alumni: Donate your time. Donate your money. Those were the things that we needed the most when we were in college. I’d love to see UB Rowing gear for alumni to help raise money for the club.