This past weekend at the 2018 New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, MA, the girls varsity rowing team finished its season, coming in fifth place overall in a field of thirteen competing teams from across New England.
The Big Green earned their seed in the Grand Final races through the morning qualifying heats in the girls second and first boats, with both crews facing off against impressive power from Greenwich, Nobles, and Windsor to cross the line for gold (2V4+) and bronze (1V4+). A genuine feat for the girls varsity second boat, which improved dramatically through the season to earn that coveted position, crowning weeks of dedication and persistence. For the defending New England champions, Deerfield’s girls first varsity, the loss to Nobles and Windsor in the final meters was certainly disappointing, for a mere six seconds separated gold from bronze in that nail-biting race. Their cumulative season effort and accomplishments did not go unnoticed, as the first boat crew was invited to participate in the 2018 US Rowing Youth National Championships to be held June 8-10, 2018, on Lake Natoma in Gold River, CA.
The girls third boat put in a good fight in their qualifying heat in a tight race with five other crews, but fell short in the final surge to place in the top three to cross the finish and move on to the finals. An amazing experience full of invaluable lessons to carry forward for this primarily novice group.
The fourth boat ended its season with one of its best races to date, even though it also did not place in the top three of its qualifying heat. Coach Onufrieff commented that the team saw significant progress and achieved some outstanding performances.
Click here for the complete NEIRA Championships results.
Rewatch the 2018 NEIRA Championships races here and watch the awards ceremony by clicking here.
Stay tuned as we cheer on the girls first boat as they compete at the 2018 US Rowing Youth National Championships in a couple of weeks!
