Back in September, Bromfield Acton-Boxborough rowers set their sights high, aiming to work toward qualifying for the 2012 Youth National Regatta. The crew has been training with this goal in mind ever since.
Last weekend, three Bromfield Acton-Boxborough boats reaped the benefits of their efforts with outstanding performances that earned them a trip to the Youth National Championship Regatta to be held in Oak Ridge, Tenn., June 8-10.
The top three places in each final at the Northeast Regatta, held on Lake Quinsigamond last weekend, earn bids to the youth national regatta.
The racing began with Olivia Maclean racing in the single, qualifying easily for the finals. Maclean had only a thirty minute turn-around to race in the single final on Sunday. She finished a strong fourth, just one place away from a qualifying bid. “Livvi did a great job and had a very strong performance,” said coach Holly Hatton.
The women’s varsity eight posted the fastest times in both the preliminary and semifinal heats. The crew of coxswain Amanda Sundheimer and rowers Caroline Hart, Sylvia Sarnik, Molly Hart, Olivia Maclean, Tola Myczkowska, Heidi Nocka, Elizabeth Wilkey, and K.C. Faulkner pulled long and strong making a statement that they were contenders.
The field boasted two of the top programs in the country with boats selected from 30 to 40 top rowers. With just 17 Bromfield Acton-Boxborough varsity rowers on the team, they were the decided underdogs.
The crew qualified for the National Regatta with a solid third-place finish in the final. In typical fashion, though, the girls left dissatisfied that they were not more of a threat to the two national contenders that placed ahead of them, Community Rowing and Connecticut Boat Club. The three crews have been trading victories throughout the season.
The lightweight wo- men’s varsity four had a bumpy performance in the heat. Regardless, coxswain Polly Lauer and Lilla Kis, Ki Jung Lee, Emily Hedison, and Caroline Turnbull performed well enough to advance to the finals on Sunday.
The girls returned for the finals, ready to show the crowd what they could really do. They placed second going away from the rest of the field. “This is the first lightweight crew that Bromfield Acton-Boxborough has attempted to qualify for Nationals, and their success bodes well for the future,” Hatton said.
Bromfield Acton-Boxborough’s men’s eight featured a new lineup that was a combination of first and second varsity rowers that included a handful of novice rowers. Coxswain Karina Edwards, Matt Robinson, C.J. Root, Ben Wilmot, Alex Boyd, Kevin Immerman, Kyle Hayes, A.J. Higgins, and Nick Walker did not allow their lack of experience and practice as a crew to get in the way of an impressive performance in the qualifying heat.
Coach Pat Scott complimented the stroke seat, Matt Robinson, saying, “He has shown great leadership in the stroke seat, and I think a big part of their success this weekend should be credited to his ability to keep them focused and grounded out on the course.”
The crew placed fifth in the final.
The men’s varsity four with cox Julie Dexter, Sam Ginouves, Pat Ware, Matt Chambers, and Taylor LeBlanc set out to finish second or higher after taking bronze for the last two years. The crew knew coming in that Community Rowing was the team to beat, and there were no surprises. CRI bested the team in both the semi final and the final, with Bromfield earning the silver medal and a bid to the national regatta.
Coach Scott made special mention of rower Taylor LeBlanc saying, “In 8 years of coaching, I’ve never seen an athlete make so many drastic, positive changes. He didn’t want to be the reason we missed out on Nationals…I am thoroughly impressed with Taylor and the rest of the crew.”
The Massachusetts Public School Championship regatta is next up for Bromfield Acton-Boxborough on Sunday on the Merrimac River in Lowell. Members of the community are welcome to join the team under the blue and white tent near the finish line.
Back row: Coach Ned Foster, Sam Ginouves, Matt Chambers, Taylor LeBlanc, Pat Ware, Coach Pat Scott. Middle row: Molly Hart, Caroline Hart, Sylvia Sarnik, Tola Myczkowska, Olivia Maclean, Heidi Nocka, Elizabeth Wilkey, KC Faulkner, coxswain Julie Dexter, holding coxswain Amanda Sundheimer. Front row: Coach Holly Hatton, Emily Hedison, Lilla Kis, coxswain Polly Lauer, Ki Jung Lee, Caroline Turnbull. (Courtesy photo)
