Junior crew brings several medals back from Canada

Vashon Island Junior Crew (VIJC) traveled to Victoria, B.C., last weekend to take part in one of North America’s largest high school crew competitions, the Brentwood Regatta. Competing with 36 teams from Canada, Washington and Oregon, VIJC entered 34 preliminary heats on Friday and Saturday and secured its place in 13 final races. Vashon boats medaled in nine of the races, placing first in four.

By Marianne Metz Lipe • May 1, 2012 2:22 pm
Courtesy Photo Gus Magnuson (left) and Ryan Bingham were in one of four Vashon boats that won gold medals at the Brentwood Regatta last weekend. Magnuson and Bingham rowed a men’s double.
Courtesy Photo Gus Magnuson (left) and Ryan Bingham were in one of four Vashon boats that won gold medals at the Brentwood Regatta last weekend. Magnuson and Bingham rowed a men’s double.

Vashon Island Junior Crew (VIJC) traveled to Victoria, B.C., last weekend to take part in one of North America’s largest high school crew competitions, the Brentwood Regatta. Competing with 36 teams from Canada, Washington and Oregon, VIJC entered 34 preliminary heats on Friday and Saturday and secured its place in 13 final races. Vashon boats medaled in nine of the races, placing first in four.

Winning the four gold medals were the JV men’s quad, with Liam McConnell, Ben Zaglin, Charles Elliott, Julian Baca and coxswain Rayna Shinn; the men’s double with Gus Magnuson and Ryan Bingham; the novice women’s four, with Bryn Gilbert, Kirsten Girard, Maya Krah, Teagan Lynch and coxswain Ally Clevenger; and the novice women’s quad with KaiLi Scheer, Anne Gaspers, Kalie Heffernan, Girard and Clevenger.

Two silver medals were won by the women’s eight, with Hannah Russell, Shannon Lipe, Anna Ripley, Girard, Gilbert, Lynch, Krah, Halimah Griffin and Shinn; and the men’s quad with Baxter Call, Tate Gill, Magnuson, Bingham and Shinn.

Bringing home the bronze were the novice men’s quad with Ethan Rumberg, Nathaniel Petram, Patrick Hanson, Elliott and Zaglin as coxswain; the men’s quad with Jack Mask, Call, Gill, Hanson and Zaglin; and Magnuson in the single men’s race.

Tom Kicinski, the coach for this regatta, said he was incredibly impressed with the VIJC’s performance.

“When I rowed for Vashon, nobody medaled at Brentwood,” he said. “This has been a huge shift in this team.”

Kicinski said the crew’s performance was especially impressive considering the high level of competition at the regatta.

“This regatta appeals to the best crews in the (Northwest) area, all the big schools, and they have some good programs, especially the host school,” he said.

Two VIJC boats, the women’s high school eight and the men’s quad, were invited to and will compete at the high-caliber Windermere Cup races, part of the annual Opening Day events at Lake Union this Saturday, May 5.

 

— Marianne Metz Lipe is on the publicity committee for the Vashon Island Rowing Club.