When Jennifer Hale received her freshman rooming information, she discovered that she would be spending a year with Lauren Crocker.

She expected to be in the same boat with Crocker about a lot of things: shopping for courses, decorating the room. What she didn't expect was to be rowing in the same boat as her roommate.

Actually, that may be stretching things a bit because Hale rows in the first boat while Crocker strokes the second, but as co-captains of the Radcliffe heavyweight crew team and four-year roommates, the South House residents are a team on land and at sea.

Neither had rowed before coming to Harvard, so they did not indicate on their rooming applications that they were interested in the sport. They say they are happy, however, that fate brought them together.

"The whole time it helped to have a crew roommate," says Hale, adding, "If you go out and have a bad day, it helps to have someone who understands to talk to."

"One of the reasons that we're co-captains is that we'll be there for each other," says Crocker.

Teammates say that Hale and Crocker complement each other as co-captains. "They're both outgoing. Jenny leads by example and Lauren keeps morale high," says Marianne Romak, who rows in the first boat.

"Jenny and I come at rowing from two different ends of the spectrum. Jenny is a much better athlete than me. She provides the talent example I can't provide," says Crocker.

On the other hand, "Lauren taps into the j.v. personalities and inspires people more than I can," says Hale.

It's no coincidence, really, that the two were chosen co-captains. Last spring, after the team decided that it wanted two captains and after it selected Hale as one, Crocker seemed a natural for the other slot.

"It's really key that they're great friends. People knew that when we elected them," says senior Ellen Kennelly.

The pair may compliment each other as co-captains, but Hale has had to contribute her share of the leadership from the shore this season. She injured her shoulder last year and has not been in a boat since June.

Rowing against Princeton in the second-to-last regular-season race of last year, Hale tore a muscle. Despite the pain, she rowed in the Eastern Sprints and the Nationals.

She continues to attend all the practices because she says she feels she "owes a lot of people a lot of time and energy."

"I also come to practice out of self-interest. Just watching helps me improve my technique," says Hale.