The Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) crew team, as a whole, has had a very successful season this spring; theirs is a story of which movies are made; an unlikely bunch with the heart, skill and determination of champions. They medalled at the Founder’s Day regatta for the first time, winning four state championship titles (Girls and Boys 1st and 2nd boats). Then, through the state championship, all four boats qualified to participate in the National School’s Championship Regatta in Virginia this weekend, June 6-7.
After competing at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association championships (NEIRAs) against the top private schools in New England, the 2nd Boy’s Boat brought home bronze and the 1st Boy’s Varsity Boat won silver, qualifying them for the prestigious 2015 Youth National Championships being held in Sarasota, Fla., June 11-14.
Despite a tight budget, LOLHS plans to contribute towards the team’s travel expenses with additional fundraising efforts underway such as today’s carwash to assist with transportation and lodging costs. The team would be grateful to receive any tax deductible contributions which can be made payable to “Old Lyme Rowing Association”, earmarked “NEIRA” and mailed to 6 Stonewood Drive, Old Lyme, CT. 06371
The 1st Boys Varsity four of Liam Corrigan, Harry Godfrey, Jeremy Newton, Josh Swanski and coxswain Tom Crisp, won silver at the Head of the Charles regatta last October against a competitive field of 85 international participants, rowing as the Blood Street Sculls. They have now gone on to demonstrate that they are as successful in head to head sprints as they are in 5K time trials.
Coached by Louis Zubek and Steve Baranoski, the LOLHS boys and girls 1st and 2nd boats will row for the National School’s Championship title in Virginia, hoping to improve on the silver and bronze medals that they won last year.
When these boys return from Florida, Corrigan and Newton are off to National Selection Camp to seek selection for the US National Team to travel to Rio this summer for the World Rowing Championships. Corrigan will return briefly to graduate from LOLHS before returning to Pittsburg.
Godfrey, a dual American:Finnish Citizen is off to Finland to perform his National Service, Swanski will be taking up a place on the Division 1 rowing team at Marist College in New York and Crisp will be teaching robotics at The Country School and sailing before entering Colby College in Maine.
Visitors are always welcome to watch the team train on Roger’s Lake.