By Stetson Miller

SPOKE correspondent 

PHILADELPHIA - Just twenty minutes from Berwyn, the Conestoga crew team competed in the largest high school regatta in the world, the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, last Friday and Saturday on the Schuylkill River. 

On Friday, all crews participated in time trials and semi-finals. Sophomores Rory McCue and Ali Siegele placed third in their semi-final for the girls’ junior double event, but were twelve seconds away from placing in the top two for a spot in the finals. 

The girls’ lightweight double placed fourth in their semi-final, and on Saturday morning, the boys’ senior single placed fifth.  

In the afternoon finals, the boys’ junior double, with sophomore Kevin Haddad and junior Jack Hoban, placed second. They were in first place for the beginning five hundred meters before a crew from Dallas overtook them. 
 
The girls’ freshman quad with Jenny Alcorn, Mary Kate Lyons, Lara Dorfman, and Maddie Amsterdam placed third in their final race. 
 
The boys’ lightweight double placed fourth in their final.

“It was our best race this year and was really close, but the other crews were better,” said senior stroke seat Matt Needles. 
 
In the boys’ junior quad, Max Frey, Jack Wright, Chris Connell and Tim Hersh placed second, and beat the Haverford boat by a close five-hundredths of a second. The two boats have been in close competition since the start of the season. 
 
In the girls’ junior quad, Nicole DeStefano, Maggie Dwyer, Augusta Harris and Sabrina Luthra placed first in their final race, four seconds ahead of the second placed boat. 
 
Both the boys’ and girls’ senior placed sixth in the finals. 
 
All crews that placed in the top three places in the final races received medals. In two weeks, the competition will continue in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where the team will compete at the Scholastic Rowing Association (SRA) National Championships.

By Stetson Miller 

SPOKE Correspondent 

PHILADELPHIA –On a cool Mother’s Day, the medal dock at the novice-only Dr. Robert White Regatta was crowded with ’Stoga rowers. Both boys’ and girls’ novice crews placed high in their respective races.

The morning began with Bucher and Quentin Backstrom’s first-place finish in the boys’ freshman double event. In the afternoon final they placed fourth.

The girls’ novice quad, with sophomore Angela Shao, freshman Liesel Johantgen, junior Stephanie Edwards and freshman Becca Morris, placed first in both their qualifier and final race, taking home a gold medal.

In the boys’ novice quad, sophomores Ben Morosse and Larry Caldwell, junior Chas Carlson and freshman Brian Kane came in first in both their qualifying heat and final race, ending up with a thirty-second lead over the second-place team.

In the girls’ freshman quad event, Jenny Alcorn, Mary Kate Lyons, Lara Dorfman and Maddie Amsterdam ended their season with a first-place finish.

Due to wind, some single novice events were canceled.

Today, the JV and Varsity rowers are back for the largest high school rowing event in the world, the Stotesbury Cup Regatta. More than five thousand rowers will compete in this two-day long regatta.

By Stetson Miller

SPOKE correspondent

PHILADELPHIA – Back at home for racing this past Sunday, the Conestoga crew team faced some tough competition at the Philadelphia City Championships.

After many qualifying races earlier in the day, nearly every Conestoga boat qualified by placing in the top six places.

The first set of final races began in the afternoon, with freshman Orla Rea placing second in the girls’ novice single event. Freshmen Becca Morris and Liesel Johantgen, along with sophomore Angela Shao and junior Stephanie Edwards, placed third in the girls’ novice quad event. In the girls’ freshman quad, Jenny Alcorn, Mary Kate Lyons, Lara Dorfman and Maddie Amsterdam placed first, 12 seconds ahead of the the next finisher. In the boys’ novice quad race, the A boat with sophomores Ben Morosse and Larry Caldwell, junior Chas Carlson and freshman Brian Kane placed first, while the B boat came in fourth.

In the JV races, sophomore Ricky Groves placed second in the boys’ JV single event, while sophomore Kevin Haddad and junior Jack Hoban placed third in the JV double competition. The girls’ JV quad placed fifth, and the boys’ JV A quad placed fourth.

In the lightweight doubles, junior Emily Apathy and senior Liz Dunkel placed second in the girls’ race, as did sophomore Nick Nalbone and senior Matt Needles in the boys’.

The girls’ varsity single with sophomore Rory McCue placed fifth, the boys’ varsity A single with senior Mike Tucker placed third and the boys’ varsity B single with senior Michael Noone placed fifth.

Seniors Marissa Caldwell and Sara Rudman placed third in the girls’ varsity double race. In the women’s varsity quad race, sophomore Nicole DeStefano and juniors Maggie Dwyer, Augusta Harris and Sabrina Luthra placed third.

All boat members that placed in the top three places in the finals got medals, and trophies were handed out to the first place boats.

Click here for a video recap from the event.

Next Sunday is novice-only racing at the Doctor Robert White Regatta.

By Stetson Miller

SPOKE Correspondent 

CAMDEN, NJ – In another away regatta, the crew team represented Conestoga well once again, competing against schools from across the Northeast region. 

The women’s novice single began the day by placing fifth, followed by the women’s novice A quad placing first with sophomore Angela Shao, freshman Liesel Johantgen, junior Stephanie Edwards and freshman Becca Morris. The girl’s novice B quad, made up of freshmen Jenny Alcorn, Mary Kate Lyons, Lara Dorfman and Maddie Amsterdam, finished in third place. 

The first-year rowers also did well, with the A novice quad, made up of sophomore Ben Morosse, sophomore Larry Caldwell, junior Chas Carlson and freshman Brian Kane, coming in first place. The B novice quad, consisting of freshman Nick Bucher, sophomore Aaron Brechbiel, sophomore Cuyler Hamilton and freshman Quentin Backstrom, finished in second place in their race. 

Sophomore Rory McCue finished in third place in the women’s JV single race, and sophomore Ricky Grooves came in second in the men’s JV single race. 

In the women’s JV double event, sophomore Nicole DeStefano and junior Sabrina Luthra shot across the finish line in first with a solid 18-second lead. 

The women’s JV A quad came in third place with sophomore Ali Siegele, junior Francesca Green, junior Sherean Ali and junior Grace Kerchensteiner. 

In the men’s JV races, junior Blake DeVlieger and sophomores Stetson Miller, Mike DiLucca and Sam Hudson came in second place, while the A JV quad with juniors Max Frey, Jack Wright, Chris Connell and Tim Hersh finished ahead of their competition by nearly 40 seconds. 

In the men’s lightweight double, senior Matt Needles and sophomore Nick Nalbone came in second in their first heat, and then fifth in the final. The men’s varsity single placed fourth in its race. 

In the women’s varsity double, seniors Marissa Caldwell and Sara Rudman took third place week. The women’s varsity quad team, made up of juniors Emily Apathy, Maggie Dwyer, Augusta Harris and senior Liz Dunkel placed first in their qualifying race, and then second in the final to finish off the day. 

Click here for a video recap from the regatta. 

Next for the team is the ever-important Philadelphia City Championships, a competition in which crews will compete to qualify for the national races to come in late spring.

By Emily Seeburger, Staff Reporter

“It’s a nice day for rowing,” says crew head coach Paul Coomes as the sun starts to sink below the tree line after a grueling Sunday practice on the Schuylkill River. In that first week of March, the temperatures soared above 60 degrees and the sun blazed over the sidewalks of Boathouse Row, busy with runners and bikers alike, out enjoying the fresh air. 

For Conestoga crew, weather like this is a welcome, although rare, occasion. Throughout the early season, which starts in January, the temperature often fluctuates between the thirties and forties, while the water chills to around a frosty 45 degrees. 

For crew, the water is a home away from home. On the water, things can happen. Like winning races. Like beating records. And things like falling in. Or like getting so cold that one imagines different severities of frostbite, and every other kind of mishap possible on a frigid river. 

“It’s always funny when you hear someone yell ‘crap!’ because you always know what’s going to happen,” junior Blake DeVlieger said. “Their boat is going to flip, you laugh and then you think ‘thank goodness it’s not me’.”

After falling victim to boat flips, rowers have to row off the river, change into dry clothes and then row back out, DeVlieger said. And more often than not, the crew has its oars to blame for the capsizing incidents. 

By Augusta Harris
SPOKE Correspondent

The Conestoga crew team dominated the field as they attended the Scholastic National Regatta on Mercer Lake. Megan Connell, Augusta Harris, Caroline Fregeau and Emily Apathy won silver in the girl’s varsity quad event. Tim Hersch, Matt Needles, Jack Wright, and Jack Hoban won bronze in the men’s JV quad. JV double Kelcey Hadden-Leggett and Nicole DeStefano and JV quad Marissa Caldwell, Katy Kiely, Sabrina Luthra and Elizabeth Moran advanced in their heat and moved onto the finals.Max Frey and Mike Tucker rowed the men’s JV double during the event along with Drew Baily and Mike McCarter, who rowed the men’s varsity double.

Selected members of the team also attended the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association’s regatta in St. Catherine’s, Canada. The girl’s varsity quad won the bronze; rowers included Megan Connell, Emily Lavender, Caroline Fregeau and Emily Apathy. The men’s varsity quad also won the bronze, rowed by Tim Hersh, Jack Hoban, Jack Wright and Matt Needles.

The men’s JV double won third in their semi-final; members of the boat included Max Frey and Chris Connell. The women’s varsity double, Marissa Caldwell and Shelby Johantgen, along with the men’s varsity double, Drew Baily and Mike McCarter, also proceeded to semi-finals, winning forth. Nicole DeStefano and Francesca Green, rowing the JV double, proceeded to the semi-finals as well.

The Conestoga crew singles took on the challenge admirably. Duncan McNabb rowed the men’s lightweight single. Elizabeth Dunkel rowed the women’s lightweight single. Augusta Harris rowed the women’s varsity single and Alex DeLuccia rowed the men’s varsity single. In addition, Sabrina Luthra took on the women’s JV single.

The women’s lightweight double and varsity quad avidly prepare to attend the nation’s most competitive regatta: the Youth National Regatta in Cincinnati, Ohio.

By AUGUSTA HARRIS
SPOKE CORRESPONDENT

PHILADELPHIA- The Conestoga crew team participated in the world’s largest high school athletic event: the prestigious Stotesbury Cup.

The girl’s lightweight double Shelby Johantgen and Elizabeth Dunkel won the gold and the Lawrence Kieffer Trophy.

The boy’s JV quad Matt Needles, Jack Wright, Jack Hoban, and Tim Hersch won silver.

Three crews advanced to the finals. These include the girl’s JV quad Marissa Caldwell, Augusta Harris, Sabrina Luthra and Elizabeth Moran along with the girl’s varsity quad Megan Connell, Emily Lavender, Caroline Fregeau, and Emily Apathy. The boy’s freshmen quad Stetson Miller, Ricky Groves, Kevin Haddod and Nick Nalbone also advanced.

The boy’s varsity double Alex DeLuccia and Mike McCarter progressed to the semi-finals along with the boy’s JV double Duncan McNabb and Drew Bailey. In addition, the JV double of Katy Kiely and Kelcey Hadden-Leggett also made it to semis.

The boy’s varsity quad of Chris Connell, Matt Ikeler, Max Frey and Michael Noone also competed.

The team moves on to the esteemed Scholastic National Regatta on Mercer Lake in New Jersey next weekend.

By AUGUSTA HARRIS
SPOKE CORRESPONDENT

PHILADELPHIA- The girls of the Conestoga Crew team received the points trophy for the Manny Flick/Horvat series this past weekend at Philadelphia’s City Championships. This is the fifth year in a row that Conestoga has won this esteemed trophy.

The team also performed well in the regatta on Schuylkill River. Gold medals went to the girls lightweight double of Liz Dunkel and Shelby Johantgen. The boys JV quad Matt Needles, Jack Wright, Jack Hoban and Tim Hersh also won gold. These teams will move on the Scholastic National Regatta on Mercer Lake in New Jersey. Boys novice quad Mike Tucker, Kevin Haddad, Blake DeVlieger and Nick Nalbone along with Ali Siegele in the girl’s novice single also won the gold.

Silver medals went to girl’s JV quad Marissa Caldwell, Augusta Harris, Katy Kiely Elizabeth Moran and varsity quad Megan Connell, Emily Lavender, Caroline Fregeau and Emily Apathy.

Novice quad Rory McCue, Nicole DeStefano, Francesca Green and Maggie Dwyer won the bronze, off the leading quad by only five seconds. The girl’s JV double Sabrina Luthra and Kelcey Hadden-Leggett won the bronze.

Also competing was the boys varsity double of Alex DeLuccia and Michael McCarter. Stetson Miller, Ricky Groves, Michael DiLucca and Sam Hudson raced in the boys freshman quad. Duncan McNabb and Drew Bailey rowed the JV double. Grace Kerschensteiner, Priyanka Kapadia, Sherean Ali and Sara Rudman competed in the highly competitive JV quad event. Chris Connell, Matt Ikeler, Max Frey and Michael Noone raced in the boy’s JV quad.

A place at Cities in the lightweight double and the varsity quad places the team in a position to advance to the National Regatta in Cincinnati. The novices compete next week in the Dr. Robert White Regatta. The JV/Varsity rowers move on to compete in the largest high school regatta in two weeks, the prestigious Stotesbury Regatta.

By Augusta Harris
SPOKE Correspondent 

   CAMDEN- The Conestoga crew novices went to an away regatta on the Cooper River in New Jersey this week.

   Novice quad Rory McCue, Nicole DeStefano and Maggie Dwyer joined this week with Francesca Green, won the gold. The men’s novice quad also won the gold, rowed by Mike Tucker, Kevin Haddad, Blake DeVlieger and Nick Nalbone. Sam Hudson, Mike DiLucca, Stetson Miller and Ricky Groves competed in the same event. Freshmen Ali Siegele also raced in the challenging, novice single event.

   The whole team regroups next week to compete in their national qualifying regatta: the Philadelphia’s City Championships.