The Newport Aquatic Center's junior crew raced to victory Sunday
in the 2.5-mile course in the Newport Autumn Rowing Festival hosted
by the NAC.
Despite a delay of over two hours in starting because of fog, the
NAC rowers made an impressive showing with five gold medals, three
silvers and two bronze.
The women's junior crew varsity eight was the first to take home
gold with a time of 17:49. Sara Wales, Anne Kircher, Esther Lofgren,
Laurie Dabney, Jill Austin, Dana Hunt, Meredith Irby, Jean Geddes and
coxswain Lauren Lorman formed the crew.
Wales, Dabney, Lofgren and Geddes, along with coxswain Aly Raymer,
captured the women's varsity four in 19:05. "I'm extremely pleased
with our overall result -- (it's) a solid start to the season," NAC
Coach Christy Shaver.
In the Masters Division, NAC's Debbie Petty took first place in
the women's lightweight singles (25:16), and in other women's
singles, former NAC junior team rower Emily McKay took second place
(22:40). Also finishing second was the women's junior crew novice
eight of Ashley Vale, Shelby McKenna, Melissa Tommarello, Erica Van
Steenis, Marlo Sciarra, Nancy Balt, Mia Ito, Tiffany Lucas. The crew
was coxed by Annika Overby and timed in 19:17.
In the men's division, the novice eight NAC "gold" boat of Alex
Powell, Tony Trevino, Zack Cooper, Aaron Cohen, Trey Lawrenz, Joshua
Vann, Will Rhoton, Ryan Stieve and coxswain Erika Gambill won first
place in 17:49.
In the men's lightweight singles, former NAC junior crew rower
Nick D'Antoni took first in 20:57. NAC also had two third-place
finishes with the men's junior crew eight varsity boat (16:31) of
Clark Brooks, Ryan Stieve, Blake Foster, Jeff Soukup, Graham
Brant-Zawadzki, Morgan Sabo, Michael Dabney, Brandon Dillman and
coxswain Nick Troop, and the men's junior crew novice eight "blue"
boat. Rowers in the latter, which finished in 18:50, were Jonathon
Wavell, Hunter Benvenuti, Taylor Harris, Chad Wavell, Reid Clark,
Erik Oatman, Zack Buttolph, Robin Thorley and coxswain Trent Sladics.
NAC's next appearance will be at the Long Beach Christmas Regatta
Dec. 8 at Marine Stadium in Long Beach.
* The Orange Coast College crew's varsity eight finished tied for
third in the men's open race at the Newport Autumn Rowing Festival.
OCC's A boat, with Nick D'Antoni, Oscar Correa, Chris Lentini,
John Zeiser, Will Harris, Tobias Wacker, Tom Redoutey, Ryan Costelloe
and coxswain Sierra Caldwell, completed the 2.7-mile course in 15:35,
matching the time posted by the Stanford B boat.
Stanford's A boat won the event, not run head to head but in a
time-trial format with boats starting seven minutes apart, in 14:49,
followed by the UC Davis A boat (14:57).
D'Antoni won the lightweight single event in 20:13 and Orange
Coast's novice boat won its race in 15:53, besting 16 other crews.
The OCC novice winners were 58 seconds faster than second-place UC
Davis. The OCC B boat was eighth in the novice eight race.
The Pirates will compete next in the San Diego Fall Classic,
scheduled Sunday on Mission Bay.
