Rain didn’t dampen the spirits of athletes Megan Boos, Katey Carpenter, Anna McCormick, Makenzi Paluso, and Delaney Schrenk, who made Avon High School history on Sunday, May 19th, winning the Girls Varsity 4+ Crew State Championship.
The girls competed at Lake Waramaug, in New Preston, Connecticut, against five other teams to win Avon’s first varsity championship medal. Their first place finish (6:09.8) positioned them ahead of second place Valley Regional (6:13.0), the defending champions from 2012. Litchfield placed third (6:14.6), Lewis Mills fourth (6:41.5), E.O. Smith fifth (6:56.0), and Lyme-Old Lyme sixth (7:07.2).
The Connecticut Public Schools Rowing Association (CPSRA) state championship regatta was organized in 1999 and includes crews from almost all public school rowing programs in the state of Connecticut. The regatta was initiated to provide competition for all levels of rowers and all sizes of programs. The CPSRA competition includes both 8+ and 4+ boats, and provides races for novice as well as varsity and junior varsity crews on a 1500 meter course. This year, 13 public-school teams participated in the CPSRA state championships: Avon, East Lyme, E.O. Smith, Farmington, Glastonbury, Guilford, Lewis Mills, Litchfield, Lyme-Old Lyme, Middletown, Simsbury, Stonington, and Valley Regional.
Eric Rosow, head girls’ coach and co-founder of the Avon High School crew program, commented: “Our girls had been rowing very well together and appeared to be ‘peaking’ just as we were heading into championships. Avon never had a varsity boat medal in the finals at CPSRA championships – girls or boys – and I thought this might be our year to make history.”
It was. The girls brought home not only their gold medals, but also the Founder’s Trophy which is awarded to the top Girls Varsity 4+ boat. It will be displayed in the Avon High School trophy case until next year’s championship regatta. The Founder’s Trophy was started in 2006 in honor of regatta director, and Simsbury High School boys head coach, Ann Carabillo. Ann was instrumental in starting the CPSRA championship regatta and facilitating the growth of public school rowing in Connecticut. A state championship plaque will also be on display at Avon High School to commemorate the Girls Varsity 4+ win. “I’m very proud of them. I know that each and every one of them ‘gave it their all’ and rowed very well technically,” continued Rosow, “and that’s all any coach can ask.”
