Competing against 15 regional rowing teams, the Vashon Island Rowing Club entered its first fall regatta at the Tail of the Lake head race at Lake Union on Sunday. Both master and junior rowers competed in a total of 19 races, bringing home five first-place metals, as well as three second-place and three third-place awards.
The men’s junior quad, with Alec Spencer, Yusuf Griffin, Isaiah Mosser-Rohe, and Tate Gill, crossed the finish first in 14:49. Following them, the women’s junior quad with Kelsey Abella, Charlotte Kehoe, Hannah Russell and Ella McConnell placed first with a time of 16:26.
Another women’s junior quad boat also placed first, crossing the finish in 15:39. The boat was rowed by Avalon Keonig, Katelyn Carter, Halimah Griffin and Terra-Jane Ripley.
The novice junior rowers had a strong showing with two first-place wins. The men’s novice quad, with Charles Elliot, Patrick Hanson, Nathaniel Petram and Elijah Sedgemore, completed the 4,000-meter race in 17:08. They popped an oar out of the lock two times and came to a complete stop while refitting the oar and still came in first.
The women’s novice quad, overcoming the obstacle of a broken rudder wire, came across the finish first in 17:27. The boat was rowed by Kirsten Girard, Teagan Lynch, Maya Krah and Brynn Gilbert.
Second-place finishers were Ryan Bingham and Baxter Call, who raced a double.
The magic continued when those two were joined by Ky Burton and Gus Magnuson to row in the men’s junior quad, and their boat also took second place.
Novices Elliot Carelton, William McDonald, Preston Scheer and Charlie Penwick came in second in the men’s novice quad, with VIJC taking first and second in that race.
The men’s masters eight, the women’s novice four and the women’s junior double all came in third place in their races.
In the men’s masters eight were Gary Schoch, John Jannetty, Bob Horsely, Ed Zapel, Mark McKallor, Chad Magnuson, Bruce Morser and coxswain Rayna Shinn
In the women’s novice four were Kai Li Scheer, Emma Dubois, Maiselle Kearney and Mary Lawrence.
In the women’s junior double were Amelia Ada and Shannon Lipe.
The rowing club had 19 new junior rowers join this fall, the most new members it has ever seen in a season.
The club’s next event is this at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Jensen Point Park in Burton, when the masters and juniors will have a friendly competition for the One Guinea Pig Cup. The juniors will be competing to get the cup back from the masters after last year’s race.
— Marianne Metz Lipe is the publicity chair for the Vashon Island Rowing Club.
