October 13, 2017
The Mercer Juniors and Masters competed at the Head of the Housatonic Regatta this on Saturday, October 7, 2017. The crews raced in ideal conditions on the 4.5 mile course at Indian Well State Park in Shelton, Connecticut, and all of the Mercer crews had strong showings.
The Mercer Junior Girls, coached by Matt Carlsen, sent three varsity boats to Connecticut. Their first varsity crew of 8 competed in the 8+ Junior 1V women’s division. Rowers Katryna Niva, Sarah Closser, Elyssa Aronson, Emmanuelle Adamson, Bridget Parker, Kieran Wild, Mia Barkenbush, Sara Hansen and coxswain Maddie Peel finished the course in 14:19.4. Their time earned them a 4th place finish out of 18 boats.
The Mercer Junior Girls had two boats competing in the 8+ Junior 2V division. Their second varsity boat, coxed by Lauren Preston, consisted of rowers Sophie Craver, Julia Berdzik, Catie Vinch-Buck, Morgan Linsley, Jaqueline Armetta, Erin Dobbs, Chloe Couillens, and Eveline Enthoven. Their time of 14:54.7 earned them an impressive first place finish in a field of 20 boats. Following closely behind them was the Mercer Junior Girls’ third varsity boat, who finished in second place with a time of 15:05.2. Rowers Sylvie Tudor, Catherine Dyevich, Caroline Gibson, Erin Heyeck, Kristin Harkins, Olivia Andersen, Maheera Bawa, and Nathalie Verlinde, along with coxswain Helena Wolk, proved that talent runs deep for the Mercer Junior Girls.
The Mercer Junior Boys, coached by Justin Ochal, brought two varsity boats with them to Shelton. Rowers Dana Gajewski, Leon Dang, Evan Kinter, Jack Gallagher, Eli Kalfaian, Herbert De Cokere, Brady Stergion, and Pavel Zhelnin were coxed by Annie Huber in the 8+ Junior 1V Men’s Division. Their time of 13:27.6 earned them a 6th place finish out of a field of 24. The Mercer Junior Boys’ second varsity boat, rowing in the 8+ Junior 2V Men’s Division, finished in the top half of the field in 11th place. Coxswain Lauren Glogoff and rowers Chase Panfili, Andrei Dumitriu, Alex Brodowski, Brian Radvany, Aiden Sarafin, Alex Fradkin, Grant Smith, and John Mongelli finished the course in 14:59.7.
The Mercer Masters, also coached by Matt Carlsen, joined their junior counterparts at the Head of the Housatonic. The Masters Women’s 8+, coxed by Annie Huber, consisted of rowers Kristin Appleget, Sharon Waters, Rebecca Findlay, Terri Gruber McDonough, Cheryl Baldino, Ellen Tormey, Natasha Gajewski, and Cassandra Cohen. They placed 5th out of 9 boats with their time of 15:59.0. The Masters Women’s 4+ was coxed by Lauren Preston. Rowers Kristin Appleget, Cassandra Cohen, Rebecca Findlay, Terri Gruber McDonough finished the course in 18:07.2 to finish 12th out of 14 boats.
The Mercer Masters Men’s 4+, coxed by Maddie Peel, included rowers Miles Truesdell, David Potts, Michael Vaccaro, and Charles Gilbert. Their time of 16:39.0 earned them an 11th place finish in a field of 13.
The top Mercer Junior Rowing Program and Masters crews are now looking ahead to the Head of the Charles Regatta on October 21 and 22. This elite regatta attracts thousands of rowers to Boston each year, and the Mercer rowers are looking forward to proving themselves on the Charles River.
About the Princeton National Rowing Association
The Princeton National Rowing Association, a 501(c)3 organization, operates the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center located on the shores of Mercer Lake, Mercer County Park in West Windsor, New Jersey. The Princeton National Rowing Association is dedicated to operating a world-class training site for our nation’s elite athletes, providing opportunities for area youth to excel in the sport of rowing and to expand rowing in the area through community-based programs. PNRA runs the Mercer Junior Rowing Program which provides rowing opportunities for youth from over 30 area schools and the Mercer Masters Rowing Program which provides rowing opportunities for adults. The center is a home to the USRowing National and Olympic Teams, as well as rowing clubs and schools.
For more information, contact Kristopher Grudt, tel: 609-977-1094, krisgrudt@rowpnra.org or visit www.rowpnra.org.