The Deerfield girls’ rowing team traveled to Hookset, NH to compete against Bedford High School. The weather and water conditions on the Merrimack River made for fast racing: sunny, warm, tailwind and tail current! A big thanks to the host school, Bedford, for organizing and running this race!
Full race results can be found here.
5V
The crew of Melody Zhao ‘26, Sarah Henderson ‘26, Caylah Yang ‘26, Valerie Trevino ‘26, Charlotte Brooker ‘26, Edie Huffard ‘25, Anneke Wittink ‘25, Izzy Cericola ‘24, and Maggie Monroe-Williams ‘26 raced in the 5V event to finish the race schedule! Deerfield faced two entries from Bedford High School, their 5th and 6th boats. This race had the best conditions of the morning as the wind had come down and the water was flat. As in the 4V race, Bedford used an aggressive start to gain an early advantage over Deerfield. The girls from DA raced hard but found it difficult to make up ground on their opponent. By the end of the race, Bedford had established a sizable lead, crossing in 4:55 ahead of Deerfield in 5:07. This group is eager to prepare for their final race against St. Paul’s and Exeter!
4V
In the first race of the afternoon for the girls’ team, the crew of Leela Portny ‘25, Emily Rice ‘24, Anneke Wittink ‘25, Allie Kostiuk ‘25, Maggie Monroe-Williams ‘26, Holly Bernstein ‘26, Harmoni Dobbins ‘26, Izzy Ramirez ‘25, and Mary O’Shea ‘25 raced against Bedford High School. Bedford jumped out to a quick start against Deerfield. The girls from DA had a difficult time managing the challenging wind and water conditions and never found a sustainable rhythm to their rowing. Nonetheless, they fought hard and remained competitive with a very determined and skilled crew from Bedford. By the finish, Bedford clocked 4:54, ahead of Deerfield’s 4:57. It was a gutsy row from DA and they will be eager to return to practice this week ahead of their final race of the season at St. Paul’s School.
3V
The next race was the girls’ third boat of Emily Bruno ‘25, Vivian Monopoli ‘26, Hazel Patton ‘26, Alexandra Fierro ‘25, Olivia Port ‘26, Ariana Djunic ‘26, Mia Senturk ‘24, Elizabeth Richards ‘24, and Liv Boe ‘25. This group had a great row against crews from Bedford High School and Amoskeag Rowing Club. After a quick start, they rowed strongly through the middle of the race and established a lead on their competitors. Deerfield raced hard all the way to the finish line, crossing in a time of 5:01. Bedford crossed in 2nd (5:08) and ARC in 3rd (5:48).
2V
Deerfield’s 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 raced a quality opponent in Bedford. After a strong start by both teams, Deerfield managed a one length margin over Bedford. Through the middle of the race, Bedford made numerous attempts to gain on Deerfield, with DA countering each one. In the closing stages onf the race, Deerfield was able to extend their margin with a successful sprint sequence. Deerfield crossed the finish line in a time of 4:55, ahead of Bedford in 5:04.
1V
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 raced against the crew from Bedford. Deerfield had a great start, leading by nearly a length after the opening strokes of the race. However, Bedford remained persistent and did not allow Deerfield to get away easily. It took a series of pushes through the middle of the racecourse for DA to separate from Bedford. Towards the finish, DA closed well and managed to increase their margin slightly. They crossed the line in 4:35, ahead of Bedford in 4:52.
The racing in Bedford was a great experience for all, especially as it allowed our entire program (boys’ and girls’ teams) to race together again at the same event. The team is looking forward to its racing against both St. Paul’s School and Exeter on May 20! Many thanks to the parents who were able to travel to Hookset and view the racing! Go Big Green!