The men’s junior 4+ heads to the race line. From front: A.J. Higgins, Charles Watt, Kyle Hayes, Liam Mackin, and coxswain Anya Plucinsky (not visible). (Courtesy photos)
Three boats from the Bromfield-Acton-Boxborough (BAB) rowing team traveled to Rancho Cordova, Ca., last month to compete in USRowing’s three-day 2014 Junior National Championship Regatta, June 13-15. All three notched solid performances in a highly competitive field of racers.
Both the mens’ junior 4+ and womens’ junior lightweight 4+ placed sixth in their final events, while Molly Hart finished 13th in the women’s junior single sculling event. The men’s boat was rowed by A.J. Higgins, Charles Watt, Kyle Hayes, and Liam Mackin and coxed by Anya Plucinsky. The women’s boat was rowed by Courtney Oka, Sylvia Sarnik, Anna Dawley, and Meghan Glade and coxed by Amanda Sundheimer.
The women’s junior lightweight 4+ flex their muscles. From left: Amanada Sundheimer (coxswain), Meghan Glade, Anna Dawley, Sylvia Sarnik, and Courtney Oka.
Teams from all over the nation gather at the nationals to compete in the grueling three-day progression of races, which include initial heats, repechage, semifinals, and a final, all of which are raced over a distance of 2,000 meters or roughly 1.2 miles, the equivalent of 25 Manhattan city blocks.
A bit of culture shock
“Racing at nationals is a little bit like culture shock,” said BAB Program Director Holly Hatton. “Back home you’ve been one of the top crews in the region. Once our athletes hit the racecourse at [California’s] Lake Natoma, they found out right away there were a lot of very fast crews out there. It can be very intimidating.”
More than 1,500 athletes competed in this year’s event, according to USRowing, the event’s sponsor. The rowers came from 133 clubs and high school rowing programs from 106 cities in 26 states.
Crews win a “bid” to participate in this prestigious national event by placing among the top three boats at one of 12 regional district championship regattas. BAB crews earned theirs at the Northeast District Junior Championships held earlier in Lowell, Mass., where BAB crews dominated the junior and lightweight 4s events. The men’s junior 4+ cruised to first place in a show of strength over open water in the competition. And the women’s junior lightweight 4+ left no doubt in anyone’s mind they would be contenders in California as they rowed to a first-place finish in their event. Bromfield junior Molly Hart, who had picked up sculling oars in earnest only weeks ahead of the qualifier, earned her bid with a solid third-place finish in the women’s junior sculling event.
Bromfield sculler is first to reach nationals
At nationals, Hart placed sixth among women’s junior single scullers in the initial heat for her event, and she came away with a 13th-place finish in her final race. Hatton had nothing but praise for Hart’s effort, “She had only practiced a handful of times in the single before securing a qualifying spot at regionals. Racing the single scull is a highly specialized discipline. Competing on the national level against girls that row the single every day, and holding her own, was a testament to her athleticism and talent.”
BAB 4s also reach finals
The women’s junior lightweight 4+ finished second in its initial heat on Friday, the first day of racing. The top finishers in this event’s heats progressed directly to semifinals, with the rest relegated to the repechage heats on Saturday. The Bromfield-Acton-Boxborough crew earned its slot in the semifinal race with a first-place finish in the morning heats.
In an exciting and hard-fought semifinal race, their second race of the day, the lightweight 4+ came from behind to sprint past two competitors in the final 250 meters. The effort paid off with a third-place finish that earned them a spot in the ‘A’ final on Sunday.
Also on Friday, the men’s junior 4+ progressed directly to Saturday afternoon semifinals with a strong second-place finish in their initial heat. They continued their impressive showing on Saturday with a third-place finish in their semifinal race that propelled them into the ‘A’ final.
Both the men’s and the women’s crews concluded their competition with sixth-place finishes in their coveted ‘A’ finals. Men’s varsity Coach Pat Scott said, “After taking second at regionals, they wanted to prove they were the superior boat. Unfortunately, they didn’t get a chance to race their nemesis again. But they clawed their way through heat after heat into the grand final. As the only public high school boat in that race, the boys have every reason to be proud of what they accomplished, and I am incredibly proud of them.”
“I am so proud of the focus and intensity our crews brought to this championship,” Hatton added. “To come away knowing you have given your very best, it’s such a rewarding experience. Our athletes in the coxed fours brought their ‘A’ game to their racing and reached their respective ‘A’ finals, the highest ranking in these two events our team has ever achieved.”
Hatton also expressed her appreciation for the groundswell of support the team has received: “Thank you to all the parents, school officials, Bare Hill Rowing Association, and the town of Harvard for helping our young athletes strive to reach for their goals.”
