The Women’s Lightweight 8
T.C. Williams sent six boats to Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia and three to the SRAA Nationals Championship in Nashport, Ohio.
The women’s lightweight eight and the men’s junior four advanced to the finals at Stotesbury, where both boats came in fifth overall in their respective races, in a regatta that drew 975 boats and more than 5,000 competitors from around the country.
The lightweight women finished with a time of 5:00.07. First place finisher Mount Saint Joseph had a time of 4:43.90, followed by Radnor, with 4:49.74, and Merion Mercy Academy, with a time of 4:49.77.
The T.C. Williams lightweight men had a time of 4:47.08. First place finisher St. Joseph’s Prep had a time of 4:32.30, followed by LaSalle at 4:32.73 and Gonzaga, at 4:39.71.
The men’s senior four advanced to the semifinal in their race, placing 14th in a race that saw the top 18 advance. The men’s junior four placed 22nd that saw the top 18 advance to the final. The girl’s junior double placed 14th in a race that saw the top 12 advance. The women’s frosh eight placed fourth in a race that saw the top two advance.
The Stotesbury Cup Regatta is held just upriver from Philadelphia’s famous boathouse row, and draws crew teams from around the country, who set up hundreds of tents along the historic river and mingle with other rowers.
The Schuylkill River is notoriously difficult, known for a quick current that primarily affects lanes three, four and five. As luck would have it, the T.C. Williams boats consistently drew the far lanes.
A week later, the men’s and women’s lightweight boats and the men’s junior four traveled to Nashport, Ohio for the Scholastic Rowing Association of America. The men’s lightweight eight placed third in their heat, advancing to the final, ultimately placing sixth with a time of 4:48.96. St. Joseph’s Prep won the race with a time of 4:30.543, behind Belen Jesuit with a time of 4:34.219 and New Trier, with a time of 4:39.211. The women’s lightweight eight placed third in a heat that saw the top two advance, including Mount Saint Joseph. The men’s junior four placed sixth in a heat that saw the top three advance.
The two championships were the final races for men’s lightweight coxswain, senior Clare Williams. “Overall, this season and rowing have been really meaningful to me. The guys I row with inspire me every day to mentally and physically push myself,” she said. “There’s nothing more worthwhile than racing with others who enjoy the sport.”