Tag: Rowing

May 10-11, 2025

Look at me representing my school at states in the doubles category!

Day 1 was about racing in the quad boat in the men’s varsity 4x. We were the first boat down the course, setting the pace for everyone else. The morning races were time trials, with each boat going off every 10 seconds. We finished 7th in time trials, which got us into the finals.

In the finals, the top 10 boats raced together with a full start. We fought hard and earned a bronze medal. We were proud of that, but also disappointed that we missed a chance to go to nationals—only the top 2 boats qualified.

Day 2 was for smaller boats, and I raced in a double. Same format: time trials in the morning and finals in the afternoon. We finished 23rd overall and 11th among schools. It wasn’t our best result, but it was good to compete at this level.

This was officially my last race on the Saratoga Fish Creek. I’m happy with how it ended, and I said goodbye to Saratoga feeling good about it. I’ve seen this course in every kind of weather, and now it’s time to leave it to my teammates.

Results:

• Mens Varsity 4x – 3rd
• Mens Varsity 2x – 23/11

April 26-27, 2025

This year’s East Coast Clash of Titans, the first regatta of the spring season, definitely delivered on the drama—mostly thanks to classic upstate New York weather. First, it was dry. Then it rained. Then it rained harder. And just when everyone was drenched and over it, the sun decided to show up for a minute.

I raced in the bow seat of the quad boat both days, and I stuck with that position throughout the regatta. We tried different boats and some different lineups, but I stayed in my spot to keep things consistent and get the best results possible in real race conditions.

To be honest, our boats aren’t exactly in the best shape this year, and the weather made it hard to get as much practice on the river as we wanted. As a team, we all know we’ve got some tough competition coming up this season—but hey, bring it on.

Results:

• 4/26/2025 – racing on Carolina 7th
• 4/27/2025 – racing on Sutton 4th

April 2025

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Well, this spring season we’re definitely in a pickle. Last fall, we had four senior boys in the team, which made a perfect quad. Now we’re down to just three.

In rowing, three is not a good number. You can’t make a boat with three people.

And you definitely can’t just blend the three seniors into other high school boats. If you put a senior in any boat, it automatically gets bumped up to the senior/varsity category. That means racing against tougher competition—usually U19 teams.

So the only option is to move a junior or sophomore into the senior boat to fill the fourth seat. But that’s a double whammy. First, the younger rower has to be close in size to a senior, otherwise the boat will be unbalanced. And second, if the underclassman is as strong as a senior, then that’s one less key rower for the junior boat.

You might be wondering: Why did the other senior leave? Because most seniors want to ease up in their last semester of high school or focus on their AP classes.

Then you might ask: Why are you still there? Because I’m in it till the end. I didn’t come this far to quit now. I want that last medal, to earn the right to say I did it.

October 2024

Before and after each race, we have to de-rig the boats—basically, we remove all the screwed parts and joints, leaving only the bare shells. Each part is carefully labeled and stored for the journey. Then, the team lifts the shell, and the “acrobats” balance on the trailer racks, securing the boats. We tie them down meticulously, adding colorful ribbons to each end to make them stand out in traffic.

When the trailer finally arrives back at our boathouse, we unload the boats and piece them back together, ready for our next practice.

We take great care of these boats, knowing full well they’re irreplaceable.

October 2024

Come on, you can’t tell me you don’t adore the goofy fish logo for this year’s regatta—it’s like Halloween’s unofficial mascot with freaky teeth!

This year’s regatta ran October 26th and 27th, drawing a huge crowd as one of the season’s top fall races. We had 127 teams—mostly clubs—and a whopping 1633 race entries. Why throw around numbers? They help show just how competitive things got out on the water.

Representing our high school team, we raced in singles on Saturday and in larger boats on Sunday. And for once, the weather was on our side! A big step up from last year’s soggy, bone-chilling experience. Mornings were brisk while we rigged, but we warmed up with some trusty hot chocolate. By noon, it hit the 50s or low 60s—perfect racing weather, if you ignore the headwinds which couldn’t help but make things interesting.

I had my turn over the race course 3 times. Once on a single, once in a quad (4-person boat), and lastly in an eight. All in the U19 Varsity category, which makes me both proud and slightly disadvantaged, since I am actually still 16 years old.

October 2024

September and October are always busy months for our rowing team. We train intensively to sharpen our skills and regain our strength after the summer break. Coaches test us both on the erg and on the water, searching for the best combinations of teams and boats.

Most weekends during this time are filled with races, and on the rare free weekends, we have extra practices.

This weekend is the Head of the Charles in Boston, and I’m packed for a two-day trip. With three AP classes, two dual enrollment courses, and other electives, I have a lot of homework to tackle, so my laptop and notebooks are coming along.

In short, it’s another weekend filled with adventure and fun with my teammates, while squeezing in study sessions whenever possible. It’s all about carefully balancing and juggling everything I need to get done.

October 2024

Did you know that Quinobequin is the Native American name for the Charles River?

This year marked the 11th Head of Quinobequin, or “Head of Q” for short, organized by the Cambridge Boat Club along the Charles River in Boston. It’s an event exclusively for single rowers.

The race spans 3,000 meters upstream against the current, making it a challenging course.

This year’s race took place on a cold day, though luckily the rain held off until the race was finished. The course itself is difficult, with sharp curves forming S shapes, and the narrow width adds an extra layer of complexity. On top of that, it’s a head race, where boats start one after another with only brief intervals, requiring rowers to be mindful of passing rules and give way to faster boats.

Overall, rowing on an unfamiliar course, navigating tight spaces, and managing the crowded conditions threw me off, and I didn’t perform as well as I’d hoped. However, I took away valuable lessons on race strategy.

September 2024

The fall season always starts with the Head of the Hudson, organized by the Albany Rowing Club, where we race on the Hudson River. According to the event site, this year’s competition featured 36 clubs and 221 boats.

The day began with a crisp 55 degrees, warming up to a pleasant 70 by afternoon. It was a sunny autumn day—ideal for rowing.

We were picked up from high school at 6:45 a.m., and after arriving at the venue, we quickly rigged our boats. We spent the morning cheering on our teammates and waiting for our turns on the water.

I competed in both a quad and an eight, winning medals in both races.

Results:

• Men’s Junior 8+ – 3rd
• Men’s Junior 4x – 3rd

Every year, the Hammer Award goes to the teammate who’s smashed through all the challenges – whether it’s mastering new positions in the sculling team or making the most improvement throughout the year.

The coaches all agree on who deserves the award, and the winners are announced at the end of the year.

I was awarded the 2024 Boys Varsity Team Hammer. It may look like a plain old hammer, and it is, but to us it’s a symbol of hard work and dedication. It’s those early morning practices at 6 am, those late-night sessions that don’t end until 6:30 pm. It’s all the calluses and blisters on my hands. It’s for cutting my 2K time down by 35 seconds to 7:10.