Saratoga rows to 22 state medals
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » After showering their respective mothers with more than 18 medals last year at the conclusion of the New York State Scholastic Rowing Association championship regatta on Fish Creek how could this year’s crop of athletes top it?
They just piled on more medals.
After two days of racing against 69 other rowing teams from across the Empire State, Saratoga Rowing took home an eye-popping 22 medals. They were partnered time and time again across the finish line with Row America Rye, a program with a similar number of rowers, but also have participants from a variety of high schools compared to SRA that draw primarily from Saratoga Springs High School.
Utilizing the traditional measurement of first, second and third across the finish line of the 1,500-meter, 10-lane buoyed course in the championship finals Saratoga captured 13 gold medals, four silver and five bronze. Row
America Rye took home 16 medals over the weekend.
The overall number will increase as the regatta provided the opportunity for scholastic teams; an entry’s participants go to the same high school and ‘club’ teams that allow a variety of athletes from different schools to compete.
In rowing, the traditional eights are the highlighted events and carry the most prestige and Saratoga Rowing didn’t disappoint.
The SRA women’s varsity eight captured its third straight gold medal early Sunday morning, starting the day off on a high note, covering the 1,500-meter course in five minutes, 7.2 seconds with its second entry following them across at 5:14.937. Cascadilla Boat Club was third at 5:21.957, Niskayuna fourth at 5:25 and Shenendehowa at 5:26.
Not only did the Saratoga boats earn medals, but Niskayuna and Shenendehowa weren’t doused with cold water as Sunday’s race was also a qualifier for the May 25 and 26 Scholastic Rowing Association of America national championship regatta. As the top four scholastic finishers, SRA, Niskayuna and Shenendehowa earned a berth as Cascadilla, is a composite or club entry.
The SRA boys closed out Sunday’s water races, it was a fitting end on a beautiful Mother’s Day for racing as Row America Rye, Saratoga Rowing, Chaminade and St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute finished within four seconds of each other breaking the finish line as a high-powered quartet of speed, splash and spirit.
While the SRA girls varsity eight continued its streak, the Saratoga boys missed out by 2.272 seconds of breaking one – a 17-year drought in the men’s varsity eight category.
Hopes were high for the Saratoga entry, especially after winning the category two weeks ago on the same water at the Saratoga Invitational against nationwide competition.
“The people in that junior eight is really a combination of our junior quad and a junior double so they spend a lot of time in small boats,” boys varsity coach Brad Maxwell said. “We’re on this path of probably moving to prioritizing the eight, potentially even next year, but the skills that they are learning in the small boats are transferring over to the eight.
“Getting a win like this would be such a big ego boost and show us that we can be competitive in the eights. I think beating huge crews like CRI and Cincinnati and Row America Rye, it really shows that our guys are able to move big boats pretty well.”
The loss wasn’t devastating for the SRA entry, knowing that it was a close race and both entries, Saratoga and Row America Rye qualified for the USRowing Youth Invitational regatta June 8 to 10 in California.
The silver medal will be a nice addition as the SRA men’s varsity and junior quad, along with the varsity and lightweight doubles all captured gold medals Sunday, all rowers in the first varsity eight.
As the door closed on the competitive rowing season on Fish Creek, the qualified crews will now focus on competing at the national level in New Jersey May 25 and 26, June 8 to 10 at Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova, California along with competitive races at the Stotesbury Cup in Philadelphia next weekend before facing international competition at the Canadian Schoolboys June 1 to 3.