On Thursday, April 22, Vashon Island Junior Crew traveled to Brentwood College in Mill Bay, British Columbia. The VIJC rowing team did so well that two of their boats were invited to row Windermere Cup Opening Day regatta, an invitation-only regatta, held annually at the University of Washington. This year’s Opening Day was held May 1.

Brentwood is the largest high school regatta in North America. It was estimated there were 5,000 participants and spectators. The year’s regatta was a celebration of 40 years of racing.

The course is 1,500 meters long (just short of a mile) and ends right in front of all of the cheering spectators. There were 39 teams competing from as far away as Tempe, Ariz.

On Friday were qualifying heats. Usually a team must earn first or second to advance to the finals. In the girls’ junior sculling quad were Marja Haflinger, Alaina Williams, Meaghan Connors, Avalon Koenig and coxswain Olivia Sayvetz. They won their heat and went on to earn third place in the finals.

In the boys’ junior novice sculling quad were Tate Gill, Raphael Torres, Gus Magnuson, Ryan Bingham and coxswain Mari Hamper. They earned first place in their heat and also won first place in their final.

Continuing the winning were the girls junior novice sculling quad consisting of TeraJane Ripley, Katelyn Carter, Emmie Kehoe, Mia Croonquist and coxswain, Hannah Scheer. They won first place in their heat and first place in their final by 23 seconds.

Vashon continued to do well in the heats. Both of the team’s boys’ junior sculling quads placed third.

In heat A were Alec Spencer, Ky Burton, Sam Warner, Nolan Shinn and coxswain Sarah Warner.

In heat B were Tate Gill, Isaiah Mosser-Rohe, Yusuf Griffin, Alex Spencer and coxswain Sarah Warner.

On Saturday, coxswain Olivia Sayvetz directed the boys’ junior eight — Raphael Torres, Sam Warner, Ky Burton, Wade Hankin, Tim Hanson, Will Kicinski, Steve DeWalt and Thane Gill — to a fifth-place finish.

In the lightweight junior boys’ sweep four were Tim Hanson, Wade Hankin, Steve DeWalt, Thane Gill and coxswain Olivia Sayvetz. They finished second in their heat and third in the finals.

In the boys junior sculling double were Sam Warner and Nolan Shinn. They raced well and finished fifth in their heat.

The boys junior sweep four with Wade Hankin, Tim Hanson, Will Kicinski, Steve DeWalt and coxswain Olivia Sayvetz placed fifth.

Placing fourth in their sweeping race were Marja Haflinger, Alaina Williams, Meaghan Connors, Avalon Koenig and coxswain Sarah Warner.

In the boys’ junior sculling double were Isaiah Mosser-Rohe and Yusuf Griffin, who placed fifth.

Raphael Torres, Tate Gill, Gus Magnuson, Ryan Bingham and coxswain Mari Hamper placed first in the boy’s junior novice sweep four qualifying heat and third in the finals.

TeraJane Ripley, Katelyn Carter, Emmie Kehoe, Mia Croonquist and coxswain Hannah Scheer won first place in the junior novice sweep four heat and won second in the finals.

The boy’s junior lightweight sweep four consisting of Tim Hanson, Wade Hankin, Steve DeWalt, Thane Gill, and coxswain Olivia Sayvetz took second place in their heat and third in the finals.

Athletes and parents thanked Steve and Joanne Kicinski for driving the team’s trailer, Leslie Ferriel for providing food and snacks and coach Sam Burns for his dedication to the team. Vashon Island Junior Crew is a cooperative program between Vashon Park District and Vashon Island Rowing Club.

The junior rowers’ season will end with the USRowing Northwest Junior Regional Championship at Vancouver Lake, Wash., on May 14 to 16.

— Janet Williams is a crew mom.