Competing against fifteen regional rowing teams, the Vashon Island Rowing Club entered their first fall season regatta at the Tail of the Lake head race at Lake Union on Sunday, October 2. Both masters and juniors competed in a total of nineteen races bringing home five 1st place metals, three 2nd and three 3rd place finishes.
The men’s junior quad, with Alec Spencer, Yusuf Griffin, Isaiah Mosser-Rohe, and Tate Gill, crossed the finish first in 14:49. Following them, the women’s junior quad, with Kelsey Abella, Charlotte Kehoe, Hannah Russell, and Ella McConnell placed first with a time of 16:26. Another women’s junior quad boat also placed first, crossing the finish in 15:39. Avalon Keonig, Katelyn Carter, Halimah Griffin, and Terra-Jane Ripley rowed that boat.
The novice junior rowers made a strong showing with two first place races. The men’s novice quad, with Charles Elliot, Patrick Hanson, Nathaniel Petram, and Eli Sedgemore completed the four thousand meter race in 17:08. During their race they popped an oar out of the lock two times and came to a complete stop while refitting the oar and still finished first. The women’s novice quad, overcoming their obstacle of a broken rudder wire, came across the finish in 17:27. Kirsten Girard, Teagan Lynch, Maya Krah, and Brynn Gilbert rowed that boat.
Second place finishers are Ryan Bingham and Baxter Call, who raced a double. The magic continued when those two were joined by Ky Burton and Gus Magnuson to row in the men’s junior quad. Novices Elliot Carelton, William McDonald, Preston Scheer, and Charlie Penwick came in second in the men’s novice quad, with VIJC taking first and second in that race.
The men’s masters eight, with Gary Schoch, John Jannetty, Bob Horsely, Ed Zapel, Mark McKallor, Chad Magnuson, Bruce Morser rowing, placed third, as did the women’s junior double, with Amelia Ada and Shannon Lipe, and, the women’s novice four, with Kirsten Girard, Teagan Lynch, Maya Krah and Brynn Gilbert.
Special thanks to the coxswains Sarah Warner, Rayna Shinn, Delaney Anderson and Ally Clevenger.