Capping a strong fall season, New Trier High School rowers won nine races Saturday, October 29 at the Blake Haxton Fall Invitational Regatta in Columbus, Ohio. The Novice Girls won all of their races, netting five gold medals total.
The second annual edition of the invitation-only regatta, held on the Scioto River at Griggs Reservoir in Columbus, hosted 216 entries from 14 teams in 12 cities and five states throughout the Midwest. Conditions early in the day were challenging with chilly temperatures and heavy fog postponing the regatta’s start by an hour.
There were 24 races, of which New Trier crews won 9. Underscoring the team’s depth, those victories were achieved without New Trier’s strongest varsity rowers, who did not attend the Blake Haxton Regatta after participating in the Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, Mass. on Oct. 23.
The girls’ teams won gold medals for first-place finishes in the first novice eight, the second novice eight, the first novice four, the second novice four, the third novice four and the second varsity eight.
The boys' team won gold medals for first-place finishes in the second novice four, the third novice four and the second novice eight.
Taking second place were the boys' second varsity eight, as well as the first and third novice eights. The boys’ third varsity eight took third as did the girls’ third novice eight.
Girls’ Novice Coach Hope Poor noted, “In just ten weeks, the novice girls went from barely knowing how to row to sweeping all five novice events. They rowed so well that their competitors were overheard saying, ‘There's no way those girls are novices!’”
"I'm extremely proud of the entire novice boys’ squad,” said Boys’ Novice Coach Charles Richardson. “Coming off a rough couple of weeks of practice and multiple lineup changes, the kids were geared up to perform well and they did not disappoint. Of the six entries in five events, the boys came away with five medals, including three golds, and I could not be happier.”
The Haxton regatta is named in honor of the former captain of the Upper Arlington, Ohio, High School team. Several years ago, his legs were amputated to save his life from a rare flesh-eating bacteria.
The regatta is a 5400-meter “head” race, in which boats race against each other and the clock, beginning in a sequence about 15 seconds apart. Different than many fall head races, the boats raced “Henley” style, in which two boats are aligned side-by-side down the course.
Girls’ Head Coach and Program Director Rose Marchuk said, “The strong finishes from our novice crews will translate into a bright future for New Trier Rowing. Absent the boys’ and girls’ first varsity eights, the remaining varsity competed extremely well in tougher events than they would normally race in. With such great team depth, the spring season looks promising.”
The team will resume competition in the spring, when the events change from long “head” races to shorter “sprint” competitions, where teams race side by side, typically six lanes across down a buoyed 1,500 to 2,000 meter course.
Blake Haxton Regatta First-Place Finishers:
Event # 8: Girls 1st Novice 8+
C Hannah Elsman
8 Grace Gagliardi
7 Katie Lashmet
6 Maria Breen
5 Heidi Conaghan
4 Carina Carr
3 Katie Hochschild
2 Isabelle Daellenbach
1 Natalie Denby
Event #9: Girls 2nd Novice 8+
C Hannah Slowey
8 Menley Denham
7 Amy Meltzer
6 Jacqui Gossard
5 Caroline Taylor
4 Amelia Barron
3 Greta Olson
2 Emily MacAdam
1 Abby Joyce
Event #11: Boys 2nd Novice 4+
C Kevin Quinn
4 John Wiegand
3 CJ Damico
2 Kenny Michalec
1 Tom Lanphier
Event #12: Boys 3rd Novice 4+
C Charlie Black
4 Quin Fitzpatrick
3 Mikey White
2 Alex Cottingham
1 Josh Kuppersmith
Event #18: Girls 2nd Varsity 8+
C Lindsey McClure
8 Sophie Lee
7 Molly Tatosian
6 Caroline Going
5 Elizabeth Phillips
4 Hannah DePorter
3 Hilary Gould
2 Jasmine Truong
1 Brookelyn Czuma
Event #20: Girls 1st Novice 4+
C Hannah Elsman
4 Menley Denham
3 Katie Lashmet
2 Grace Gagliardi
1 Katie Hochschild
Event #21: Girls 2nd Novice 4+
C Talia La Schiazza
4 Carina Carr
3 Heidi Conaghan
2 Amelia Barron
1 Natalie Denby
Event #22: Girls 3rd Novice 4+
C Kate Edmonson
4 Isabelle Daellenbach
3 Amy Meltzer
2 Jackie Streur
1 Abby Joyce
Event #24: Boys 2nd Novice 8+
C Kevin Quinn
8 John Wiegand
7 Carl Damico
6 Quinlan Behles
5 Thomas Lanphier
4 Kevin Song
3 Hugh Rabjohns
2 Kenny Michalec
1 Alex Cottingham
