By PAT CALL

For The Beachcomber

Vashon’s junior crew attended the Green Lake Frostbite regatta Saturday, Nov. 7, and then was joined by the masters at the grand finale Head of the Lake event on Sunday.

Vashon won four events in Sunday’s big race, a first for the club.

On Saturday, the junior crew pulled off a rare accomplishment, entering 16 races and medaling in all of them with seven gold, six silver and three bronze finishes. First-place finishers were four women’s boats: the varsity, under-16 and novice fours and the novice 8+; two men’s boats: the novice eight and third varsity four; and a mixed double.

The mixed double event is somewhat unique to the Frostbite, and Vashon usually has an entry that is comprised of two rowers who traditionally have never rowed in that boat together. This weekend’s race was no exception, and the two had some added thrills when, with about 20 meters to go, the leading double caught a buoy with an oar and pivoted sideways to the course directly in front of Vashon’s boat. Remarkably, Vashon’s duo was able to swerve instantly, avoid a collision and glide across the finish line for the win.

On Sunday, with the master’s joining in, Vashon entered 14 events and medaled in 10.

The four winning crews were two masters boats: the mixed eight and single Mark Ripley. Two junior crews also won: the women’s double (Virginia Miller and Maddie McEachern) and under-17 coxed quad (Katrina Heffernan – stroke, Caprial Turner, Tabitha Illerbrunn, Mei Vandervelde and Ellie Lande – cox).

Second-place boats were the women’s under-17 eight and the men’s masters double, under-17 double and junior coxed quad. Third place finishers were the junior women’s four and the masters mixed D quad.

Coach Richard Parr said, “Both juniors and masters performed extremely well this weekend. In particular, our coxswains (Lisa Huggenvik, Ally Clevenger, Olivia Mackie, Lucca Shattuck and Ellie Lande) assumed hero status decked out in … wetsuits without … exercise to keep them warm.”

— Pat Call is the father of a junior rower.