The T.C. Williams girls’ first 8 sprints down the course, capturing first place and retaining the Ward Wallace Cup, a trophy for the annual race between T.C. Williams and St. Andrew’s. Members include Brooke Teferra (coxswain), Maria Justiano, Claire Embrey, Katie Murphy, Reed Kenney, Amelia Bender, Maura Nakahata, Maeve Bradley and Kyra McClary.
The T.C. Williams girls’ crew team put in a virtuoso performance, winning every race in which they participated, in the Noxontown No. 3 Regatta in Middletown, Del., on April 11.
Winning boats included the girls’ first 8, the girls’ second 8, the girls’ lightweight 8, the girls’ freshman 8, the girls’ third 8, and the girls’ fifth 8. The TC boys spent their Saturday competing in a scrimmage against Westfield and Washington-Lee High School in Bull Run.
The Titan girls faced tough competition at the Noxontown No. 3 Regatta, which hosts some of the best boats on the East Coast. While the TC team finally saw some sunshine after two weeks of poor weather, high winds continued to be a factor for many of the races.
The TC girls’ varsity first 8 powered down the 1,500-meter course, beating a field of tough competitors, including Merion Mercy, National Cathedral School, St. Andrew’s School and Yorktown. Its time was 5:14.8, nearly 5 seconds ahead of Merion Mercy. With this win, TC captured the Ward Wallace Cup, a trophy for the annual race between T.C. Williams and St. Andrew’s. The first 8 boat includes Brooke Teferra (coxswain), Maria Justiano, Claire Embrey, Katie Murphy, Reed Kenney, Amelia Bender, Maura Nakahata, Maeve Bradley and Kyra McClary. It is coached by Jaime Rubini.
The girls’ freshman 8 emerged victorious for the third week in a row, sprinting down the course in 5:55.6. Members of the boat include Camila Cardwell (coxswain), Hope Parsons, Grace Vannatta, Madeline Gyllenhoff, Grace Hogan, Emma Carroll, Tess Moran, Cleo Lewis, and Rachel Sedehi. Titan head girls’ coach Patrick Marquardt guides the freshman 8.
The girls’ lightweight 8 pulled out a last-minute victory over Merion Mercy, a school that has been a top contender nationally in the lightweight category for several years, with a time of 5:35.4. This is the second major victory for the TC boat in two weeks, as it beat the boat from three-time national champion Holy Spirit last week. Members of the TC lightweight boat include Elizabeth Roda (cox), Rachael Vannatta, Olivia Anthony, Sierra Arnold, Abby Prall, Sarah Scroggs, Caroline Hill, Emily De-Bodene, and LeeAnn Richards. The lightweight 8 is guided by coach Jaime Rubini.
The Titan second 8 also put in a strong performance, winning its race in 5:42.0. Members of the second 8 includePaige St. John (coxswain), Anissa Ashraf, Giulia Pastore, Lynn Stevens, Lily Warden, Hannah Posson, Alyssa Forbes, Lauren Kelly, and Harper Jensen. The coach for the second 8 is Gracie Barbara.
The girls’ third 8 showed the talent and depth of the TC team, beating nearest competitor St. Andrew’s by 10 seconds, with a time of 6:07.6. Members of the Third 8 include Vanessa Hernandez (coxswain), Priya Vohra, Ella Benbow, Fatima Chavez, Isabel Montenegro, Charlotte Carey, Jessica Mellon, Tori Cook, and Cecilia Fernandez. Their coach is Gracie Barbara.
The girls’ fifth 8 clinched a clean sweep for T.C. Williams by winning its race in 6:16.1. Members of the fifth 8 include Anne Williams (cox), Brittany Boggan, Catherine Mellette, Osiris Vargas, Jay Falk, Dilma Mejia, Emma Goeas, Lila Greiner, and Chelsea Guevara. Matt Given coaches the boat.
In reporting the results of the race, St. Stephen’s head girls’ coach Wilson Everhart said, “Congratulations to TC Williams for sweeping the 8s races today — a truly impressive performance.”
Competing in Bull Run, the T.C. Williams boys’ crew team had a strong and productive scrimmage against Westfield and Washington-Lee. The scrimmage, which consisted of two-three 1500m pieces for each boat, was held at Westfield's Bull Run facility. The TC boys rowed a lightweight 8, varsity 4, freshman 8, and two novice 8s against different combinations of Westfield and Washington-Lee crews. The race pieces were organized to foster close and competitive racing and tight finishes, which is just how they played out.
The morning was sunny, cool and windy, which made for some bumpy conditions similar to the rest of the spring.
The Titan oarsmen and oarswomen will bring the competition to Virginia next weekend, competing at the Smokey Jacobs regatta in Occoquan. This race should serve as a good indicator of the team's prospects at the upcoming state championships.