Dragon Boat team repeats first place

The University of North Georgia (UNG) earned gold in the collegiate division of the 200-meter race in the Atlanta Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia, on Sept. 9.

This is the team's 11th win and appearance in the collegiate event. UNG had a winning time of 1:07.979 over two teams from Clemson University and one Agnes Scott College.

"This was another great team win for UNG. In all three races, we paddled with a consistent and competitive time, having only one practice under our belts. The team was able to work together effectively, which resulted in yet another gold medal," Dr. Neal Lin, team captain and lecturer of biology, said.

New to the team was Dr. Alyson Paul, vice president of Student Engagement and Success.

"I was invited to participate on the Dragon Boat team for UNG along with other faculty, staff and students. Knowing very little about dragon boat racing or Asian culture, this opportunity was way outside my comfort zone and a good reminder of how our international students and others feel coming to UNG," Paul said. "It was a wonderful day getting to compete with our UNG team of both experienced and inexperienced rowers. In addition to getting to know new colleagues at UNG, I also loved visiting numerous booths of the sponsors and vendors focused on Asian culture."

Paul's teammates included Aysia Bittinger, Dr. Ran Chen, Brandon Clark-Davidson, Anna Cronan, Dr. Nancy Dalman, Jaden Clark-Davidson, Dr. Adam Davis, Rueben Dickson, Vincent Furtado, Dr. Sheri Hardee, Yonggang Ke, Pin Wei Lan, Neal Lin, Dr. Jeanelle Morgan, Long Qin, Tianyu Qin, and Sheila Schulte.

The win exemplified the hard work and persistence of each paddler on the boat and the ability to work together as one cohesive team, Lin said.

"There were also other students, friends and family members coming out to the event and supporting us, which we all greatly appreciated. This event is a great opportunity for students, staff and faculty to build relationships between different departments. It's a great cultural event, promoting Asian culture and giving students an opportunity to have first-hand experience," Lin added.

The Dragon Boat team was sponsored by Dr. Christopher Jespersen, dean of the College of Arts and Letters.

The event is touted as Georgia's biggest Hong Kong cultural event of the year.