The Deerfield girls’ rowing team traveled to Methuen, MA to compete against Andover and Duxbury Bay Maritime School for their second race of the season. The weather provided fair racing conditions: chilly temperature and a moderate headwind on the racecourse that created some bumpy water in the second half of the races. A big thanks to the host school, Andover, for organizing this regatta!
Full race results can be found here.
G2V8
The afternoon schedule opened with the girls’ second boat. The crew of Charlotte Steffensen ‘25, Jane Bannon ‘26, Anna Ogborne ‘25, Alice Zhang ‘24, Evelyn Kunde ‘26, Melinda Aznar Klein ‘25, Elizabeth Kelly ‘25, Fiona Van Nice ‘25, and Jenny Jin ‘24 had a methodical race against determined crews from both Andover and Duxbury. This group used a strong opening 500m push to establish a margin over their competitors. Through the middle of the race, Deerfield was able to extend its lead over both Andover and Duxbury, who remained locked in a tight race. In the final 500m of the race, Deerfield eked out slightly more on their competitors, but had some difficulty navigating the slightly challenging conditions in the final stretch of the race. By the finish, DA crossed the line in a time of 5:45.2, ahead of Andover in 6:08.2, and Duxbury in 6:12.2. The race was the first for Evelyn and was an improved performance from a couple of weeks ago!
G1V8
Next up was the girls’ first boat race. The crew of Emi Takegami ‘25, Lillian Auth ‘24, Tatum Lowe ‘25, Georgia Sackrey ‘23, Natalie Meyer ‘23, Teagan Farley ‘26, Rachel Mark ‘23, Larrabee Pollack ‘23, and Margot McAuliffe ‘24 started their race well. Racing from the outermost lane on the racecourse, the Deerfield crew was able to quickly establish a margin over Andover and Duxbury before a slight turn in the racecourse. Deerfield pulled away steadily from its competitors but, again, had some difficulty in the closing stages of the race as the water became choppier. By the finish, DA had established an open-water lead and crossed the finish line in a time of 5:19.7, ahead of Andover in 5:36.3, and Duxbury in 5:58.6.
G3V8
The next race was the girls’ third boat of Emily Bruno ‘25, Vivian Monopoli ‘26, Hazel Patton ‘26, Alexandra Fierro ‘25, Hasini Pundla ‘24, Ariana Djunic ‘26, Olivia Port ‘26, Elizabeth Richards ‘24, and Mia Senturk ‘24. This crew faced some unexpected challenges right away with Andover clashing oars with 7-seat Elizabeth Richards. Fortunately, the crew maintained their composure and pushed out to a margin that got them clear of any danger. Through the middle of the race course, the crew moved steadily away and was able to manage the rougher water at the finish with skillful rowing. Deerfield crossed the finish line in 6:00.4, ahead of Andover in 6:19.8, and Duxbury 6:50.5.
G4V8
In the final race of the afternoon the crew of Leela Portny ‘25, Emily Rice ‘24, Anneke Wittink ‘25, Allie Kostiuk ‘25, Mary O’Shea ‘25, Holly Bernstein ‘26, Harmoni Dobbins ‘26, Izzy Ramirez ‘25, and Liv Boe ‘25 was able to race for the first time this season, and for many in the crew for the first time ever. This group got out of the blocks quickly and established a sizable lead over both Andover and Duxbury. Using a determined middle of the race, they extended their lead and rowed hard all the way to the finish line, crossing in 6:18.5. Andover finished in 6:41.6 and Duxbury in 6:55.4. It was a fantastic start to the season for our first-time racers!
The Deerfield girls had a great afternoon on the Merrimack River and they look to continue their season next weekend when they head to Saratoga Spring, NY for racing at the Saratoga Invitational!!