Rowing teams from towns that are larger than Harvard are finding out that what Bromfield may lack in numbers its athletes more than make up for in skill and strength. The latest evidence is two first- and one third-place finish at the Lowell Invitational Regatta Saturday, May 9.
“Bromfield’s men’s boats are shaping up to be some of the best in the state,” said the varsity boys’ crew coach, Pat Scott, commenting on the stunning first-place finishes by both the varsity and freshmen boys’ eights at the event.
The varsity and the freshmen boats competed against 11 varsity and 14 junior varsity boats, including highly regarded Wayland-Weston, Community Rowing, and Essex, in 1.5-kilometer races on the Merrimack River in Lowell. Rowing for the varsity were senior Ryan Andrews, freshman Sam Ginouves, junior Conor Finnegan, junior Mike Child, sophomore Kendall Cotton, sophomore Ian Christie, freshman Pat Ware, junior Brendan Revane, and eighth-grade coxswain Julia Dexter. Pulling the oars for the freshmen were Scott Blackwell, Erik Johnson, Tucker Edwards, Taylor LeBlanc, Matt Chambers, Sebastian Smalanska, Ben Wilmot, and Matt Robinson, guided by 10th-grade coxswain Diana Fox.
“The varsity [rowers] have consistently become faster since September through pure hard work and dedication to their training,” said Scott. “The varsity got into a real dogfight in the final and were able to gut it out against a much bigger crew. They’re relying on rowing well to win races instead of just trying to muscle it through. It shows a high level of maturity for them to go about their racing that way. Both boats have come a long way in the last few weeks and are making the corrections they need to.”
“The freshmen have picked up on [the varsity’s] work ethic and we’re seeing the results of it,” Scott continued.
Freshmen Declan Dean, Michael Shaw, Sam Sprague, John Wesley, and coxswain Austin Parker placed third in the men’s novice four race. Fifteen boys, roughly one-third of Bromfield’s ninth-grade boys, are rowing this season.
A young crew of women rowed to third out of 27 teams in the women’s novice eight. Rowing for this boat were seventh-graders Sabine Neschke and Colleen O’Shea; eighth-graders Sarah Eldredge, Trisha Kelley, Olivia MacLean, and Tola Myczkowska; freshmen MacKenzie Grant and Jillian Saydah; and eight-grade coxswain Polly Lauer.
Two other Bromfield boats, the women’s varsity eight and women’s novice four, didn’t place, but rowed well in their crowded events.
The months of practice aren’t over. “We will be training hard this week and next to prepare for the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic national qualifying races and then states,” said girls varsity Coach Ashley Griffeth.
Bromfield pulls ahead of its competition at the Lowell Invitational Regatta on Saturday. (Courtesy photo by John Sweeney)
