The course at American Lake was at its very best this past weekend as the Burton Beach Rowing Club (BBRC) took to the water for their second regatta of the fall season. Commencement Bay Rowing Club put on a well-organized event for what was probably the most competitive Fall Classic ever.

Coming off of a really strong performance by the entire club at Seattle’s Tail of the Lake the previous weekend, Burton went with some different combinations and the much-anticipated return of alum Mabel Moses.

Moses did not disappoint, rowing to victory in the Open Women’s single. Then she partnered with 15-year old Davis Kelly for a win in the Mixed Open Double sculls. After the race, the pair was full of mutual praise.

“Mabel’s experience just shows — we didn’t really have to say a word to each other — [and] it just went so well,” said Kelly. Moses was equally enthusiastic about her partner in the event. “Davis took off just so powerfully I was a bit scared we wouldn’t be able to do this for the whole 20-minute race. But he just kept it up,” she said.

Another well-earned victory came from the girls quadruple sculls, with Kate Kelly, Ros Belscheidt, Ava Lorentzen and bow Olivia White dominating the course in a time that was faster than the majority of boys’ boats. Kelly, Belscheidt and Lorentzen were also joined by sophomore Jewel Wass de Cezge and cox Olivia Sherman for a bronze in the Junior Women’s Coxed Four behind two very solid entries from Sammamish.

A breakthrough performance came from the young boys quad sculls of Kelly, Jordon Rutschow, Brian de Loach and Joe Barnes. Barnes did his usual superb job of navigating the course and the boat finished with a bronze medal in a large field behind powerhouses Oregon Unlimited and Olympia, and over a minute ahead of the fourth-place boat.

Burton also achieved a silver medal in the Junior Varsity Girls Double of Wass de Czege and White, who were chased to the finish by BBRC’s youngest crew of Keziah Rutschow and Dexy Richmond, whom coach Richard Parr thought showed skill well beyond their years.

Rounding out the day was another top-notch performance, with Junior Varsity double of Dylan Carmody and Simon Grant, who powered to a great fourth place in a field of 14.

Next up for BBRC is a trip to the biggest fall rowing event in the country, the annual Head of the Charles in Boston.

— Lisa Lorentzen is a parent of a rower and BBRC club president.