New Trier rowing program captures title at Head of the Rock Regatta

New Trier High School Rowing Shines at The Head of the Rock Regatta

ROCKFORD, IL October 9, 2016 – New Trier High School Rowing showcased their skills on the water and medaled in 17 events at The Head of the Rock Regatta on Sunday. The Head of the Rock is the fifth largest head race in North America. Approximately 2000 athletes in over 600 boats from 51 teams made their way to Rockford, IL for the event. Rowers from beginner and club-level teams to high school teams and Division I, II and III colleges, gathered together with over 5000 spectators to showcase the sport of rowing along the beautiful Rock River.

New Trier finished with six 1st place, six 2nd place, one 3rd place and four 4th place medals, and was also awarded Club Points Winner, a first ever for our program. Director of Rowing, Rose Marchuk stated that, “All New Trier crews rowed extremely fast at the Head of the Rock. To be awarded the Club Points Winner for the entire regatta, speaks to the competitive spirit and conditioning of the crews and the tireless dedication of their coaches.”

Varsity Boys Coach Nate Kelp-Lenane was pleased with his crew’s performance, “It was great to see the boys show their speed on the water today. They were able to capture 1st in all the 8’s events we entered. With the tail winds we were able to post record times in the 8’s categories. Given the number of competitors at this regatta it was a solid showing of our top speed and depth. I was exceptionally happy how all crews managed their time and operated very smoothly throughout the races.”

The novice boys team also made their coach proud. Novice Coach Josip Stolar pointed out that, “This was a first real test of the season for our Novice Boys team, and they couldn’t have done it better. Our Novice 8+ came in 1st out of 15 crews in their event leaving Milwaukee and St. Louis behind in 2nd and 3rd place. Our boys rowed strong and controlled the race from the start to the finish.”

There was a lot of talented crews on the river, and it was a great day of competitive racing. Varsity Girls Coach Rose Marchuk highlighted just how competitive it was, “A close 2nd place finish for the Varsity girls in both the 4s and 8s races don't tell the entire story. The morning V4+ race was just 2.8 seconds behind 1st place St. Louis Rowing Club and 21.5 seconds ahead of the 3rd place crew; the afternoon V8+ race was just 1.6 seconds behind 1st place Chicago Rowing Foundation and 11.8 seconds ahead of the 3rd place crew. It really was a race amongst the top two crews battling against the clock in some very fast conditions. Had New Trier rowed a couple stronger, sharper strokes, they could have won these races. The valuable experience gained will be put to the test at the Head of the Charles, the regatta that culminates the varsity season in a couple weeks.”

At The Head of the Charles Regatta on October 22-23, New Trier will join the world’s best crews as they gather on the banks of the Charles River for the ultimate rowing competition.