Rowers pick up momentum in Saratoga

Bromfield Acton-Boxborough crews braved rowing’s East Coast “Clash of the Titans” on April 25 and 26 and returned with three silver and three bronze finishes. The Saratoga Invitational is one of the largest sprint regattas in the U.S. More than 900 crews representing 37 teams and clubs from across the Northeast raced the 1,500-meter course in 10 lanes across Fish Creek in Saratoga Springs, New York. In a display of consistency, some boats medaled twice. The girls second varsity 4 came in second Saturday and Sunday, and the girls pair took third both days.

Multiple BA-B boats placed fourth or fifth in their fields; the boys first varsity 4 missed a third-place medal by a fraction of a second. “For a public high school program I think it was a strong start,” said Holly Hatton, who coaches the varsity girls.

Clear, calm skies graced the typically windy, wet, and muddy venue. “The conditions were unlike anything I’ve seen at Saratoga,” said Chris Whitbeck, who coaches the novice boys. “There wasn’t a ripple on the creek most of the day, which is usually one of those things that you only see at a very early morning race.” By the end of the day Saturday and on Sunday, there was a light headwind, but the weather was a gift, Hatton said. “I think it gave our crews, who have had limited time on the water relative to their competitors due to Bare Hill Pond’s low water level at the start of the season, a real chance to work on improving their racing skills—both on their race plan execution and melding together on their rhythm,” she said.

Most athletes raced multiple times in bigger and smaller boats. Noah Kim, a coxswain and a captain of the varsity boys, coxed the first varsity 4 and rowed in a double both days. Kim, a senior at Acton-Boxborough, had started as a rower on the team. “After switching from rowing to coxing, one of the first things I realized was that I have a better sense of what rowers are feeling physically and mentally—what they need to hear in the boat when everything burns and when you can’t keep going,” Kim said. “That perspective helps me make more effective calls, build stronger race plans, and communicate more clearly with the boys. One of the biggest advantages of switching between rowing and coxing is that you have a better understanding of technique, which can ultimately make or break a race.”

The team will run its Bare Hill Fun Regatta featuring singles racing for middle school and novice rowers at the town beach on Sunday, May 3. Varsity rowers will next don their blue and white unisuits for the Amber Zapatka Memorial Regatta in Lowell on May 9 and 10.

Jill Maxwell is a BA-B parent and auntie.

Saratoga results

Varsity boys

Saturday

• 2-: Teddy Stoddard and Oscar Maxwell; third place,
• 5 minutes, 43.466 seconds
• U172x: Aidan Abayasinghe and Ben Rosenman; sixth, 5:58.557
• 2x: Patrick Tucker and Hanfang Dong; seventh, 5:41.180; Noah Kim and Mihir Vidhate; 9th, 6:17.574
• 1V4+: Hanfang Dong, Ben Rosenman, Teddy Stoddard, Oscar Maxwell, coxswain Noah Kim; fourth, 5:40.59
• 2V4+: Aidan Abayasinghe, Xander Swydan, Patrick Tucker, Eric Bian, coxswain Mason Wade; sixth, 6:34.516

Sunday

• 2-: Teddy Stoddard and Oscar Maxwell; sixth, 5:56.722
• U172x: Hanfang Dong and Ben Rosenman; third, 5:41.472
• 2x: Patrick Tucker and Noah Kim; ninth, 6:07.616; Aidan Abayasinghe and Eric Bian; fourth, 6:23.87
• 1V4+: Hanfang Dong, Ben Rosenman, Patrick Tucker, Oscar Maxwell, coxswain Noah Kim; fourth, 5:17.554
• 2V4+: Aidan Abayasinghe, Xander Swydan, Teddy Stoddard, Eric Bian, coxswain Mason Wade; eighth, 5:45.760

Varsity girls

Saturday

• 2-: Emily Yang and Braeden Hartley; third, 6:21.156
• U174+: Beth Belanger, Piper Candon, Etta Maxwell, Amelia McCormick, coxswain Yuvika Rao; second, 6:22.135
• 1V4+: Gabby Kim, Ellery Thomas, Annabelle Purcell, Caroline Yang, coxswain Gwynnie Poutasse; seventh, 6:38.665
• 2V4+: Izzi Walker, Simone Taylor, Ava Dawn, Alicia Tang, coxswain Hanna Lem Moustakas; second, 6:23.05; Lily Lem Moustakas, Reval Argow-Sniderman, Maroon Kendrick, Ada Hubbell, coxswain Gabby Shee; seventh, 6:56.757
• 4x: Nix Klein, Bronwyn Lemke, Alice Yang, and Autumn Desclos; fifth, 7:05.730
• 1V8+: Ava Dawn, Beth Belanger, Piper Candon, Etta Maxwell, Amelia McCormick, Ellery Thomas, Braeden Hartley, Emily Yang, coxswain Hanna Lem Moustakas; fourth, 5:26.118
• 2V8+: Izzi Walker, Gabby Kim, Maroon Kendrick, Reval Argow-Sniderman, Annabelle Purcell, Caroline Yang, Simone Taylor, Alicia Tang, coxswain Yuvika Rao; fourth, 5:52.102
• 3V8+: Gwynnie Poutasse, Bronwyn Lemke, Anastasia Bolberova, Alice Yang, Nix Klein, Ada Hubbell, Lily Lem Moustakas, Autumn Desclos, coxswain Gabby Shee; fifth, 6:14.367

Sunday

• 2-: Emily Yang and Braeden Hartley; fourth; 6:9.850
• 2x: Autumn Desclos and Ellery Thomas; 10th, 7:40.285
• U174+: Beth Belanger, Piper Candon, Etta Maxwell, Amelia McCormick, coxswain Yuvika Rao; fifth, 6:11.10
• 1V4+: Gabby Kim, Ellery Thomas, Annabelle Purcell, Caroline Yang, coxswain Gwynnie Poutasse; 5th, 6:12.483
• 2V4+: Izzi Walker, Simone Taylor, Ava Dawn, Alicia Tang, coxswain Hanna Lem Moustakas; 2nd, 5:53.832; Lily Lem Moustakas, Reval Argow-Sniderman, Maroon Kendrick, Ada Hubbell, coxswain Gabby Shee; 5th, 6:28.102
• 4x: Nix Klein, Anastasia Bolberova, Bronwyn Lemke, and Autumn Desclos; 5th, 6:24.038
• 1V8+: Ava Dawn, Beth Belanger, Piper Candon, Etta Maxwell, Amelia McCormick, Ellery Thomas, Braeden Hartley, Emily Yang, coxswain Hanna Lem Moustakas; 6th, 5:30.746
• 2V8+: Izzi Walker, Gabby Kim, Maroon Kendrick, Reval Argow-Sniderman, Annabelle Purcell, Caroline Yang, Simone Taylor, Alicia Tang, coxswain Yuvika Rao; 6th, 5:45.095
• 3V8+: Gwynnie Poutasse, Bronwyn Lemke, Anastasia Bolberova, Ada Hubbell, Nix Klein, Alice Yang, Lily Lem Moustakas, Autumn Desclos, coxswain Gabby Shee; 4th, 6:20.056