Vashon rowers place at Windermere Cup
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Seattle’s Opening Day festivities kick off with masters, juniors and collegiate sprint races at the University of Washington’s Montlake Cut rowing venue. With another weekend of “summer in May” weather, thousands of spectators basked in the sunshine to cheer on their crews which were invited from as far away as Russia to join in the event.
The air was filled with white cottonwood puffs that acted like a visual anemometer showing the strength of the headwind blowing down the course.
Vashon entered three shells to take on the course. The men’s over-60 age group masters eight came in second to a boat from Rhode Island and bested long-time rivals from the local Ancient Mariners club. Masters normally compete on a 1000-meter course and receive an age handicap, but at the Windermere Cup all of the races are 2000 meters with no handicap. Vashon’s boat was stroked by Bruce Morser with Bob Horsley, Ed Zapel, Chad Magnuson, John Jannetty, Mark Ripley, Bob McMahon, Colby Atwood and Lisa Huggenvik.
The junior women’s quad finished third with Katrina Heffernan (stroke), Riley Lynch, Mei Vandervelde, Caprial Turner and Jose Slade. The junior men’s quad of Patrick Hanson (stroke), Connor van Egmond, Fletcher Call, Forrest Miller and Kale Scheer finished fourth.
“Our three entries acquitted themselves well,” head coach Richard Parr said. “The masters men’s result showed how the hard work over the winter and this spring is paying off.”
The junior crew will now focus on the Northwest Regional Rowing Championships to be held at Lake Vancouver May 20 through 22.
— Pat Call is the father of a junior rower.
