06/14 Update: The Lyme-Old Lyme High School Boy’s Varsity Four boat has qualified for the US Rowing National Youth Championship final today at Sarasota, Fla., at 1:01 p.m. The boat’s crew is Liam Corrigan (stroke), Josh Swanski, Jeremy “Remy” Newton and Harry Godfrey-Fogg with Thomas Crisp (cox). The race will be broadcast live on US Rowing’s YouTube channel.
GO LYME-OLD LYME!!
It was not only a perfect day on June 7 in terms of the weather when the crews of the Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) men’s and women’s 1st and 2nd varsity four boats competed in the National School’s Championship Regatta — but the result were perfect too. In an extraordinary result for undoubtedly the smallest school competing — and a public one at that – all four boats won gold medals.
The regatta, held in Fairfax County, Va., on the Occoquan River, is for school rowing programs that qualify from various regional and state competitions to race for a national scholastic title. Clubs representing 13 states qualified and competed this year.
Four LOLHS crews (20 athletes) qualified to represent Connecticut based on their State Championship at the Connecticut Public Schools Regatta in May.
The girls 2nd boat, stroked by Hannah Wilczewski, defeated winning crews from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Kentucky in the finals to take the gold with a time of 5:39.1 for the 1500m course.
The girl’s win was followed with the boy’s 2nd boat, stroked by Peter Fuchs, who were victors over crews from Massachusetts, Virginia, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania in the finals to take the gold with a time of 5:01.6.
After winning the qualifying heat in the morning, the girl’s 1st boat, stroked by Christiana Congdon, won with a time of 5:32.1 against crews from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia.
Similarly, after advancing through the qualifying heats in the morning, the boy’s 1st boat (borrowed from Glastonbury, as the Old Lyme boat was on a trailer to Florida), stroked by Liam Corrigan, completed the sweep by defeating crews from New Hampshire, New Jersey, Washington (D.C) and Massachusetts, with a winning time of 4:55.4.
The boys 1st boat has now arrived in Florida to represent LOLHS this weekend at the US Rowing National Youth Championships — the premier sprint race for Under 19s in the country.
Go Wildcats!
On behalf of the boys 1st 4+ and their parents can we thank everyone in town who has supported and contributed to this season and to helping get the boys to Florida. Whether you have followed their results, had your car washed by the “clean crew” or donated to their trip, your support is so appreciated!
Congrats to the 4 boats winning GOLD!!!!!!!!!! Nice to see the OL crew team is still keeping up a winning tradition!!!!!!!!!!!!! My 2 kids, Chad & Rachel, were involved with the rowing program in OL for many years and it was the best time in all our lives!!
Sacrifice, teamwork, & dedication to a goal always trumps wealthy programs and privilege in the long run. Congratulations to athletes, coaches, and parents for the entire effort & sacrifice.
This is an expensive sport and athletes are expected to contribute most of their own expenses. It should not be the athletes of wealthy parent’s domain. Direct contribution to the schools crew team should be a priority for any Old Lyme resident who supports success and believes that public school programs should be available to all regardless of their parents finances. You do not need to have a young man or woman on crew to support public education.
This is a truly proud moment for Lyme-Old Lyme!
I rowed in the late 70’s for the same team and were nowhere near as good as these young people. None the less, we had fun! To see the team come this far is beyond one’s wildest dreams!!!
Fred Emerson would be proud!
Watch them today in the grand final at 1:00. Go to Youth Nationals 2015 and see it live on line.
They need our support!