Absegami High School Girls' Varsity 8 Invited to Michigan Regatta

The girls' varsity eight will be in select company next month, as they will be one of six high school crew teams to participate in the Lubbers Cup on Spring Lake in Michigan.

It is the first time high school teams are invited to the event, which featured exclusively college teams for the first 16 years.

The girls and the St. Augustine varsity eight will travel by bus to Cedar Rapids (Mich.) on April 14.

“We are very excited to be the only girls (in the area) to get to go,”
Absegami coxswain Katie Reyes said.

Reyes will be joined by Gabriella Miranda, Christie Young, Adrienne Pedersen, Briana Riccelli, Colleen Rennie, Falon Irwin, Bethany Warlich, Jenna Sterling, and Abigail Buffy.

“We are pretty much excited to be racing out of New Jersey and out of Philadelphia,” Reyes said. “We are excited to be racing. We will be the first
boat to be racing there from Absegami.”

When Great Valley State University crew coach John Bancheri got the go
ahead to invite high school teams, he immediately thought about South Jersey, where he grew up.

Bancheri, who rowed at Atlantic City High School, got in touch with Sue
Peterson at the Atlantic County Rowing Association (ACRA), and asked for the best two teams.

“We have such a good relationship with the ACRA,” said Bancheri. “I’m a shore boy and every time we come to the Dad Vail (Regatta), we train at Lake Lenape. And the ACRA and Sue Peterson and the entire group have been so good to us. (St. Augustine coach) Ray D’Amico has always been good to us. They opened up their homes and put our kids up for many years. You take care of us, we take care of you.”

The Absegami girls are coming off a season that saw both the varsity eight and second boat excel, as well as the junior eight. Although the team lost last year’s seniors, the boats have combined to make this year’s varsity eight, which has high expectations.

“I think we will have a good showing,” Absegami girls' coach Brad Young said. “We will hold our own. I think they will see what the East Coast is made of. We will represent them well. We have a good group of kids with good spirit. I think they will do well.”

“We get to see how it is competing against other teams we don’t get to see at our nationals,” Reyes said. “We will see what the competition is like up north.”

The Grand Haven-Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce is taking care of accommodations, meals and functions for all the teams. Rockford High School is sponsoring Absegami and is loaning the Braves a boat.

Absegami and St. Augustine have to pay for transportation, which will cost
$6,800. The two teams have come together and will host a Beef and Beer for adults at King Pin Lanes from 7-10 p.m. on March 30 in Egg Harbor Township.

The athletes and everyone else 20 years old and younger can take part in the Beef and Bowl event at the same time. Tickets, which are $25, can be purchased through the Absegami and St. Augustine crew programs or the ACRA.