The lessons taught in Weld Boathouse have not had just a little impact on them, either.

About a fortnight ago, Zalta was named one of the two new producers for next year’s run, the 158th of the company, but first in its new, temporary home away from its 12 Holyoke home of yore.

Don’t think that her time at the head of the shell didn’t have anything to do with her success in the business office.

“Crew taught me how to do the balancing act balancing coaches and rowers,” Zalta said. “You’re on the river and you are balancing talking to the people right next to you and you have the weather and the current and the speed, where you are in the course, the race plan, people’s safety. You’re balancing a million and one factors at the same time, and yet you can’t drop the ball.”

Kruger agreed.

“And so I think that that’s what probably will be most useful, your ability to mediate and sort of work your way in between all these different personal problems and relationships and make a solution out of it,” she said.

Despite the great times had at the Pudding, the pair are really not thrifty in their praise of Radcliffe.

“Once you’re part of Radcliffe, you’re always part of Radcliffe,” Zalta said. “They will always welcome you back. The coaching staff are the most caring set of women. [Novice coach] Cory Bosworth is the most amazing person ever. [Head coach] Liz O’Leary is a fabulous, fabulous coach, so supportive of who you are as a person. And so while we’re not doing crew, that boathouse will always be there, and we’ll always be able to go back, if you need anything, they are there for you. So it’s not like a normal sport that you can leave behind; crew always stays with you.”

—Staff writer J. Patrick Coyne can be reached at coyne@fas.harvard.edu.