‘Learn to Row Day’ Slated for Saturday at Rogers Lake, All Welcome
OLD LYME —On May 19, was your quiet Sunday evening interrupted by a cacophonous police escort of two school buses to the Fred Emerson Boathouse? It was the Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) crew celebrating yet another success at the Connecticut Public School State Championships.
The Fred Emerson Boathouse, now in its third building opened in 2017, has been an incubator for rowing excellence for over 50 years. Started in 1965 on Blood Street by Fred Emerson, the organization initially known as Blood Street Sculls has cultivated national champions and Olympians since its inception.
Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) crew operates out of the Fred Emerson Boathouse and is supported by Old Lyme Rowing Association (OLRA).
On Sunday, May 19, the LOLHS crew competed in the Connecticut Public School State Championships on Lake Waramaug in Litchfield. Lyme-Old Lyme High School crews won the four varsity races in four-person boats, returning the Hart Perry Points Trophy for excellence in fours to LOLHS.
Lyme-Old Lyme High School garners much of its excellence from our opportunity to introduce middle school students to the sport of rowing in the Summer after their 7th and 8th grade years. The Novice Boys Four includes three athletes, who learned to row in OLRA Summer programs, preparing them to start their first year of competitive rowing in July after their 8th grade year. Still in their first year of competitive rowing, these freshmen came on the high school rowing scene as talented oarsmen.
Having recently won Connecticut State Championships, they represented LOLHS at the prestigious NEIRA regatta on May 25 in Worcester, Mass.
Eight LOLHS graduating seniors are planning to continue rowing in college. College choices include Division One (U. Tennessee, U. Connecticut, U. Rhode Island and U. Southern Florida) and Division Three (Colby College and Bryn Mawr College) as well as Wentworth University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. It is generally believed that making the transition to collegiate life, with the healthy lifestyle and strong friend group afforded by crew increases the probability of collegiate success.
Readers are recommended to look out for a banner at the corner of Grassy Hill and Boston Post Roads, honoring LOLHS/OLRA 2024 Olympians. Liam Corrigan will stroke the US Men’s Four and Ben Washburn will stroke the Para Mixed Four.
Join OLRA at the Emerson Boathouse for Learn To Row Day on Saturday, June 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Summer programs for middle school students are currently open for enrollment.
Visit www.oldlymerowing.org to introduce your Middle School student to a passion, which will likely open doors, and keep them healthy for life.