The Vashon Island Junior Crew team left Vashon Island at 4:50 a.m. on March 20 to join around 1,100 other rowers at the 2010 Green Lake Spring Regatta.

Thirteen teams competed from as far away as San Diego. Hard work, dedication and great coaching resulted in one of the most successful days in the Vashon club’s history. Under the direction of Coach Sam Burns, Vashon Island’s junior team took gold in eight of the 13 heats they entered.

Starting off the day with a first place win in the junior women’s novice eight were Mia Croonquist, Emmie Kehoe, Katelyn Carter, T.J. Ripley, Hannah Scheer, Charlotte Kehoe, Marcella Wergin, Ella McConnell and coxswain Sarah Warner.

The junior men’s novice four of Ryan Bingham, Gus Magnuson, Tate Gill, Raphael Torres and coxswain Mari Hamper won first place by a huge margin of 22 seconds.

The winning continued as Avalon Koenig, Meaghan Connors, Alaina Williams, Marja Haflinger and coxswain Olivia Sayvetz earned first place in the junior women’s quad category.

Yusuf Griffin and Isaiah Mosser-Rohe, in their double, missed the medals but competed hard.

Coxswain Sarah Warner led the men’s junior quad with Nolan Shinn, Ky Burton, Sam Warner and Alec Spencer to another win.

Competing in the open category were Mia Croonquist, 13, and Alaina Williams, 17, who finished fourth.

In the junior women’s novice four were Mia Croonquist, Emmie Kehoe, Katelyn Carter, T.J. Ripley and coxswain Hannah Scheer; they had a convincing debut and won first place.

Vashon was still on the podium with Thane Gill, Steve DeWalt, Will Kicinski, Tim Hansen, Wade Hankin, Gus Magnuson, Ryan Bingham, Raphael Torres and coxswain Olivia Sayvetz earning third place in the junior men’s eight.

Vashon’s junior women’s four won first place with coxswain Sarah Warner, stroke Avalon Koenig, Meaghan Connors, Alaina Williams and Marja Haflinger.

Sweeping down the course were Tate Gill, Ian Peterson, Jose Antonio D’Avila, Alex Soriano and coxswain Mari Hamper in the men’s light four.

Experienced crew members Thane Gill, Steve DeWalt, Wade Hankin, Tim Hansen and coxswain, Olivia Sayvetz won first place in the men’s junior four by 14 seconds.

Marcella Wergin and exchange student Jose Antonio D’Avila, brand new to the team, didn’t win any ribbons in mixed doubles but rowed well.

Vashon Island Rowing Club Master’s results were as follows.

In a quad were Holly Zapel, Amy Griffin, Lisa Huggenvik and Debby Jackson, who placed second.

In the master’s men’s quad, beating Greenlake’s home team by 14 seconds, were Ed Zapel, Bob Horsley, Mark Ripley and Scott Englehard.

Taking second place were Bruce Morser, Colby Atwood, Steve Haworth and Jeff Hoyt in the men’s masters four. Francis Hattery coxed the master’s eight, consisting of Holly Zapel, Ed Zapel, Lisa Huggenvik, Amy Gilman, Debby Jackson, Gary Schoch, Eric Gill and Su DeWalt.

In a women’s double, Su DeWalt and Janet Williams placed third.

In another master’s double, and also placing third, were David Hattery and John Jannetty.

The crew team’s next race is on Saturday, April 10, at the Northwest Sculling Regatta at Lake Stevens.

— Janet Williams is the parent of a junior crew member.