Stonington boys, EL girls win state rowing titles

Three boats from two local schools captured state titles during the 17th Connecticut Public School Rowing Championships on Sunday at Lake Waramaug in New Preston.

Stonington's boys won two races, the Varsity I and Varsity II eights, while East Lyme won the girls' Varsity I eights. All three boats qualified for the national championships next month in Philadelphia.

"The kids were ecstatic," coach Tyler Page told the Westerly Sun. "We are definitely bringing the program to a higher level. From stroke one in the fall, through winter and spring all of the guys bought into what we were trying to accomplish."

The Varsity I boat was seeded first and the Varsity II boat was seeded second. Both beats finished ahead of Simsbury in the finals.

Stonington's Varsity I boat included coxswain Joshua Abston, Jonah McCue, Brendan McCann, John Drago, Clayton Andrews, Max Bundesmann, Samuel Bunger, Adam Rugh and Adrian de Castro.

The Bears' Varsity II boat included coxswain Alysha Johnson, Nicholas Denis, Calvin Hansen, Ryan Kilcoyne, Matthew Planchon, Luke Monteiro, Andrew Rosenberg, D. Wells Burchenal and Joseph Burchenal.

Rowing for the East Lyme girls' Varsity I were coxswain Bianca Barroga, Julia Lefurge, Katie Long, Rasa Kervelevicius, Alexandra Stewart, Gretchen Stelter, Allison Christensen, Lauren Alexandrescu and Kristina Fenton.

The Vikings' Varsity I boys' eight placed first in the petite final and featured coxswain, Sarah Thomas, Will Christensen, Benas Kervelevicius, Daniel Rubio-Ejchel, Clayton Cushing, Jaden Lilburn , Nick Hahn, Gavin Fennell, and Greg Stewart.

— Day Staff Reports