Last week the NORC Junior team packed up the boats and headed to Gainesville, GA to compete at the John Hunter Regatta. The 1996 Olympic course on Lake Lanier was an awesome venue, and the grandstands provided perfect viewing for parents and coaches. The competition was tough, but NORC had a great day of racing! Check out the race recaps:
Women's 1x: Katherine
Katherine kicked-butt in the junior women's single event, and used her powerful, long stroke to come in 2nd place! She put up a tough fight for first and crushed the other competitors in her heat. Way to go Katherine!
Men's 1x: Dominic
Dominic looked great in the newly refurbished Who Dat! He held his ground and stayed close to the pack, despite being up against an extremely tough field of competitors. We were very impressed with his ability to fight all the way through the finish line.
Women's 4x: Katherine, Drew, Ally, and Clare
The girls quad powered their way through the race, despite having only rowed together in their complete lineup 2 times! They executed the race plan perfectly, with Clare steering and calling the race, Katherine putting down a solid rate, and Drew and Ally pushing hard as the powerhouses in the boat. Great job girls!
Men's 2x: Bennett and Dominic
Bennett and Dominic were up against a fiercely competitive group of varsity junior doubles, so we were very happy to see them sticking with the pack as they crossed the 500m mark. They pushed hard all the way through the line, and beat a number of boats in the other heats. Way to represent!
Men's 2x: Peter and Connor
Peter and Connor gave it all they had and fought through an awesome race! As Peter's first race, the coaches were extremely pleased to see the 2x rowing clean and strong through the last 500m. A special shoutout to Connor who really stepped it up by making calls, steering the boat, and motivating Peter during the race. We can't wait to see Peter and Connor continue to progress throughout the season.
Men's 4x: Bennett, Jon (substitute from North Orlando Rowing), Connor, and Dominic
This was the race of the day! Like the announcer said while the men's quad passed the grandstands, "New Orleans certainly knows how to make it interesting!" As the team, coaches, and parents listened anxiously to the announcer as the boats started to become visible, making their way down the course, we were excited to hear the NORC was in a solid 3rd place. As the boats neared the 500 meter mark, the boys were looking great! Taking long, strong strokes, Bennett lead the group and picked up the rate at 250m to go. They had a solid lead over 4th place and the team was cheering excitedly....and then they caught a crab! The boat behind them quickly took advantage of the situation, while NORC struggled to recover. Right as they got the oar out of the water, the other boat took the lead. And then the adrenaline kicked in. The boys were on fire, caught up to the boat that passed them (likely at a 40 stroke rate!) and managed to squeak out the win by .2 seconds. It was an amazing recovery, and these boys definitely deserved the medals they got to take home. Way to fight through and never give up!
