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

PHILADELPHIA- In its third race, the Conestoga crew girls took first in all but one of their events. Sophomore Francesca Green won first place in the novice singles event. The girl’s JV double of Sabrina Luthra and Kelsey Hadden-Leggett faced tough competition in the JV double race, placing forth in their heat. The girl’s novice quad of Rory McCue, Nicole DeStephano, Ally Siegly, and Maggie Dwyer won first place by an whopping 21 seconds. The girl’s JV quad of Katy Kiely, Augusta Harris, Elizabeth Moran and joined this week by Marissa Caldwell placed first in their race. Sherean Ali, Priyanka Kapadia, Grace Kerschensteiner and Sara Rudman also competed in the same heat. With open water, senior Megan Connell and junior Elizabeth Dunkel beat the competition by nine seconds. Sophmore Emily Apathy joined seniors Caroline Fregeau, Shelby Johantgen and Emily Lavender to place first in the varsity girl’s quad event.

The novice boy’s quad took first this week, rowed by Blake DeVliger, Kevin Haddad, Nick Nalbone and Mike Tucker. In their first race of the season, freshman boy’s quad Ricky Groves, Sam Hudson, Mike DeLucca,and Stetson Miller achieved  second place by a heart-pounding 0.4 seconds. Drew Bailey and Max Frey competed in the boy’s JV double event. Matt Needles, Jack Wright, Tim Hersh and Jack Hoban took first in the JV boy’s quad with Chris Connell, Michael Noone, Duncan McNabb and Matt Ikler also competing in the same event. In the fierce, boy’s varsity double race, Alex DeLuccia and Mike McCarter won second place.

Conestoga was represented well this race. There are only two more races until the winner of the points trophy is decided. Conestoga fights hard in hopes to achieve the glory of winning the cup.

By Augusta Harris
Spoke Correspondent

PHILADELPHIA- The Conestoga Crew Team remained a strong force in its second race of the season.

Michael Noone won fourth in the highly competitive JV boy’s single race. Sabrina Luthra and Kelsey Hadden-Leggett stepped up to the plate this week in the JV girl’s double heat, winning first place. Sophomores Tim Hersh and Jack Wright achieved a second place in JV boy’s double race, only four seconds off the leading boat.

The Conestoga Crew novices rowed in this regatta for the first time. By a wide 19 second margin, Maggie Dwyer, Nicole DeStephano, Ali Siegele and Rory McCue won the novice girl’s quad event. Novice boy’s quad Nick Nalbone, Blake DeVlieger, Kevin Haddad and Mike Tucker faced a close race, placing second by only 0.4 seconds. Novice Francesca Green raced in the varsity girl’s single race. She took third place in the event.

Sherean Ali, Priyanka Kapadia, Grace Kerschensteiner and Sara Rudman finished in a strong third place in the JV girl’s quad. In the same race, Emily Apathy, Augusta Harris, Katy Kiely and Elizabeth Moran walked on the leading boat to take the first place.

In the boy’s JV quad event, Matt Needles, Duncan McNabb, Jack Hoban and Drew Baily obtained a third place. Max Frey, Matt Ikeler, Alex DeLuccia and Chris Connell raced to achieve fifth in the same heat.

Coming off an injury, in his first race of the season, Team Captain Mike McCarter participated in a challenging single’s heat to win a third place in the varsity boy’s single.

Marissa Caldwell and Shelby Johantgen were in a tight race in the varsity girl’s double but took over the lead, winning the race in the ending sprint.

In the varsity girl’s quad, Elizabeth Dunkel, Emily Lavender, Megan Connell and Caroline Fregeau dug deep to win a second place in their race.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

CORRECTION MARCH 23: The results of the boy’s JV quad event were incorrect. In the event, Matt Needles, Duncan McNabb, Jack Hoban and Drew Baily also obtained a third place. Max Frey, Matt Ikeler, Alex DeLuccia and Chris Connell raced to achieve fifth in the same heat.

By Augusta Harris
Spoke Correspondent

PHILADELPHIA–The Conestoga Crew Team started the season strong in the Schuylkill River’s first boat race on Sunday.

The first race of the day started when Matt Needles competed against five other singles in the JV single event. He placed fourth in a very formidable field. In the JV double event, rowers Sabrina Luthra and Kelsey Hadden-Leggett gained a second place by just 1.9 seconds. Alex DeLuccia and Tim Hersch dominated the JV double event, winning first place.

As the afternoon rolled around, so did the first places. Rowing in the former boat of the German national team, Emily Apathy, Augusta Harris, Katy Kiely and Elizabeth Moran took first place in the girl’s JV quad event with Sherean Ali, Priyanka Kapadia, Grace Kerschensteiner and Sara Rudman coming in third. The first place quad won by a wide 12 second margin. Max Frey, Jack Hoban, Jack Wright and Drew Bailey competed in the JV boy’s quad event, winning second place. Michael Noone, Duncan McNabb, Matt Ikeler and Chris Connell came in forth in the same event.

Winning by a boat length, bow Emily Lavender and stroke Shelby Johantgen won the varsity girl’s double event.

On its maiden voyage, the Nat Lord varsity girl’s quad seniors Megan Connell and Caroline Fregeau along with juniors Marissa Caldwell and Liz Dunkel achieved a second place in their race.

Next week, Conestoga moves onto their second regatta of the season.