The Bromfield Acton-Boxborough rowing team divided, but ultimately did not conquer, at two regattas on Sunday, Oct. 17. Three scullers raced in the Head of the Quinobequin in Boston, while three 8s and a 4 ventured to the New Hampshire Championships George Dirth Memorial Regatta in Pembroke, New Hampshire. The team’s top result was a sixth-place finish for the girls second varsity 8 racing in the first varsity race.
The sun sparkled on the water at the disparate venues. The Head of the Quinobequin is a 3,000-meter youth singles race modeled on Italy’s KinderSkiff regatta and named with a native American word meaning “meandering,” an apt description of the river that winds its way past Harvard Square to Boston Harbor. The New Hampshire event hosts 48 clubs and teams in a 3-mile head race on the Merrimack River. That contest is named in memory of an Amoskeag Rowing Club member.
BA-B’s scullers, all juniors from Acton, registered at the race and rigged and launched their boats themselves. None reached the proverbial podium, but all were sanguine as they loaded the trailer after the finish. “It was a really great opportunity to be out on the Charles,” said Rachel Walker. Holly Hatton, the team’s rowing program director and the head coach of the girls varsity side, called their finishes strong. “Both girls started at the very back of the pack and had to do a lot of passing,” she explained. “Every time you pass it takes a little off your overall speed.”
Their boatmates had a scheduled day off on Sunday. As a result, it was BA-B’s second and third varsity crews facing first varsity boats. “Our guys went in knowing they were up against some stiff competition but they raced hard,” said Gary Piantedosi, head coach of the varsity boys. Hatton had the same take on the girls 2V8 in the 1V race: “If I look at the times for the second 8 event, we would have come in second. So they actually did a nice job.” She added, “What I have been most impressed about the girls team is how well they work together.”
This weekend the Head of the Charles River Regatta, America’s largest rowing competition, returns to Boston, and BA-B will be there. The team is scheduled to finish its fall season at the Head of the Fish in Saratoga Springs, New York, on Oct. 30 and 31.
Head of the Quinobequin
- Mens U17 1x: Charles Maxwell, 15:02.3 time, 23rd place
- Womens U17 1x: Eliza Straayer, 15:21.6, 7th place; Rachel Walker, 16:08.9 time, 18th place
New Hampshire Championships / George Dirth Memorial Regatta
- Mens Jr 4+: A Flight: William Pharo, Aditya Balchandra, Stanley Yuan, Derek Uhrich, and coxswain Ben Bluth, 18:44.1, 13th place
- Mens Jr 8+: A Flight: Nikhil Suri, Abraham Rahman, William Thomas, Milo Whitbeck, Adam Castriotta, Jorgen Johannesen, Leo Sullivan, Noah Stein, and coxswain Ben Bluth, 16:29.1, 12th place
- Mens Jr 8+: B & C Flight: Trevor Magnus, Aidan Lemke, Josh Whitney, Myles McCormick, Darren Quek, Jeffery Chang, Sam Goldgar, Kyle Sharma, and coxswain Nathan Kushner, 18:31.7, 12th place
- Womens Jr 8+: A Flight: Sanjana Rao, Mia Hartley, Nosara Maxwell, Sydney Collet-Callahan, Nina Manglani, Yolander Yang, Evelyn Huang, Norah Greene, and coxswain Sophie Thompson, 17:22.1, 6th place
Jill Maxwell is a Bromfield Acton-Boxborough team parent.
