Rockford, IL October 8, 2017 – New Trier High School Rowing headed to Rockford, IL to race in the 29th annual Head of the Rock Regatta earning medals in 11 out of their 13 events. New Trier crews faced strong competition; crews from 65 teams including over 1,700 participants came to race the 4,700-meter course. The regatta included head races among high school, college and Masters teams, and from places as far away as Colorado and Alaska. Head races start in single file in short intervals and race against the clock but often provide nail biting, head-to-head competition at the finish line.
New Trier entered 22 boats in 13 races, and won 11 medals overall. The Men’s 1st Varsity Junior 8+, Men’s 2nd Varsity A Junior 8+, Men’s Open Lightweight 8+, Men’s Open 8+, Men’s 2nd Varsity B Junior 4+, and Women’s Novice A Junior 8+ crews all had first place finishes. The Men’s 1st Varsity Junior 8+ finished with their largest margin of victory ever in New Trier program history for Head of the Rock.
Varsity Boys Coach Nate Kelp-Lenane complimented his crew’s performance, "I was very pleased to see the progress this team has made throughout the season. The varsity squad improved their speed on the water and their responsibility on land. The boys’ varsity placed first in all events, except in the 1st Varsity 4+, and in some cases finished more than 40 seconds ahead of the competition. The Varsity 8+ won by the largest margin in recent memory. Seeing the amazing depth of speed with our novices, placing 3rd, 4th and 5th, was also impressive. I look forward to everyone making gains in the next three weeks of the season."
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New Trier crews continued their winning streak placing second and third in five additional races including Men’s 2nd Varsity A Junior 4+, Women’s 1st Varsity B Junior 4+, Women’s Novice Junior 4+, Women’s 2nd Varsity Junior 4+, and Men’s Novice A Junior 8+. Varsity Girls’ Head Coach Rose Marchuk added insight to her crews’ performances. “Although the only winning women’s crew was the Women’s Novice 8+, there were three other women’s’ crews that placed in the top three, and all crews turned in strong performances and developed their racing skills for the unique challenges faced in fall head races.”
Marchuk further explains that, “Racing twice in one day at the Head of the Rock provided a great physical and mental challenge for the Women’s 1st Varsity 8+ crew. They were split into two fours racing in the morning and placed 2nd and 4th of 13 crews racing. Later in the day, battling a punishing headwind, their 2nd Varsity 8+ teammates racing in their first race of the day upset the 1st Varsity 8+ by 13.19 seconds; they placed 5th and 6th respectively with times of 17:38 and 17:51. I am proud of the way the 2nd Varsity 8+ took
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ownership of their race and didn't hold back. This doesn't take away from how the 1st Varsity 8+ did but shows how capable all rowers on the team are of racing beyond their expectations when they put their mind to it.”
New Trier High School Rowing heads into their final weeks of their fall season, and will continue to show how performance and mindset are key to winning. Their next race is October 14th in Chicago at ROWtoberfest, and then they will take their top varsity boats to Boston on October 21st -22nd for the Head of The Charles Regatta, the world's largest two-day rowing event.
