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Row New Yorkers pulled hard at this past weekend’s Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia. Before the onset of Hurricane Sandy, we sent varsity and novice crews to row in the shadows of historic Boathouse Row on the Schuylkill River. All our competitors and staff returned home safely before the hurricane’s arrival on Monday. Manhattan Varsity Program Director Tom Eichler has submitted the follow recap of the weekend’s race. Queens Director Mike Eichler’s report is forthcoming.

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The Row New York Manhattan squad concluded their fall racing at the Head of the Schuylkill this past Sunday. Despite some challenging conditions, the purple and black remained focused on their task at hand and had some solid performances.

In the girls’ 4+, the boat of Lauren Feiner (c), Julia Vennitti (s), Isabel Meade (3), Aviva Pastor (2), and Sophie Sanders (b) placed 22nd in a field of 33 boats. While the crew had hoped for a better result, the athletes in the crew are excited after having all made big strides physically this fall, and will all be making a push for a seat in the varsity 8+ come spring.

In the boys’ 4+, Nate Drucker (c), Jack Chemtob (s), Wes Gordon (3), Josh Ntukidem (2), and Theo Fataliev (b) crossed the line in a time of 18:44.2, but had a tough time navigating the course, receiving a penalty for a buoy infraction that added 1:40 to their time. I was impressed with the way the young athletes conducted themselves in the race. It was the first race this year for three of the five members of that crew, and they were extremely aggressive down the course, led by an excellent effort from Jack Chemtob in stroke seat.

The boys’ 8+, consisting of the top two fours that competed two weeks ago at the Head of the Passaic, had their steering broken as they approached the starting line, and was unable to race. Coxswain of the 8+, Suzie Zubkoff, made a smart decision and displayed a great deal of competency and maturity to handle the breakage and guiding the 8+ back to the dock. It is a disappointing way to end the racing season for them this fall, but it will keep them hungry for improvement during the winter.

The girls’ 8+, including Rachel Livermore (c), Mackenzie O’Connor (s), Ally Cipolla (7), Carly Hochman (6), Alex Cirone (5), Johanna Burstein (4), Emlyn Knox (3), Phoebe Smith (2), and Betsy Yang (b), finished 18th in a field of 43 boats. While the girls were happy to have beaten a number of crews, they were certain they were capable of a better effort, and did not have the race they wanted. This is a testament to the standard the girls are holding themselves to this year, and their desire to improve.

The parents provided a fantastic amount of assistance to the coaching staff on Sunday, as well as the days before and after the race in gathering food, coordinating rides, and providing information. Without their help on Sunday the staff and athletes would not have been able to return to NYC in such a timely fashion, so they deserve enormous thanks.

Row New York will continue with on-water practices until the weather forces them indoors for the winter, where the kids will throw down some kilometers on the erg and build their fitness, mental toughness, and team unity, and lay the foundation for a successful spring racing season.

 

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