MLCC Girls Compete in Rowing National Championships
The Mountain Lakes Crew Club (MLCC), which is based in Lee's Park on Lake Hopatcong, ended the spring rowing season on a high note with a strong showing at the Row for the Cure regatta on the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, New York, and a tremendous performance at the prestigious USRowing Youth National Championship in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Racing in their second Row for the Cure, the team did well and good, bringing home a gold, two silver and two bronze medals while helping to raise money for a great cause, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The boys novice 8+ boat, with Daniel Admirand, Leo Boerstoel, Zach Conner, CJ Gallo, Luke Graham, Jeffrey Grippaldi, Teegan MacLeod, David Teitel and coxswain Liz Nauss, proved they are ready to pass the novice torch by winning a gold for the Club in their final race of the year.
The girls varsity 4+ (Callie Bouzane, Katie Harrs, Kathryn Oram, Amelia Whiting and coxswain Hayley Diverio) and boys varsity 8+ boats (Matt Abate, Admirand, Scott Bouzane, Conner, Alex Rosen, Matt Walsh, Evan Watson, Brian Wilkens and coxswain Elena Friedberg) both earned silver. The Club also picked up bronze medals in the boys varsity 4+ (Abate, Bouzane, Darian Parsey, Wilkens and coxswain Friedberg) and the girls double, rowed by Becca Gero and Kathryn Oram.
Without question, the highlight of the season – and arguably the highest achievement for the Club in its five years of existence – came at the USRowing Youth National Championship, an invitation-only event that attracts more than 1,500 athletes from nearly 150 rowing programs across the country. Rowers Callie Bouzane, Katie Harrs, Kathryn Oram, Amelia Whiting and coxswain Hayley Diverio traveled to Oak Ridge, Tennessee along with Coach Sandra Bucan to compete in the girls lightweight 4+ event against the best rowers in the nation.
After a third place finish in their opening race on Friday (June 10), the MLCC team won the repechage the following morning to advance to the semi-finals Saturday evening. Their fifth-place finish in semi-finals was enough to get them into the second of three final heats on Sunday, the last day of competition. There, the team put in an outstanding effort to claim fourth place in the heat and 10th place overall.
“It was an incredible adventure for these girls, and their 10th place finish at Nationals is a truly remarkable achievement,” said coach Bucan. “I could not be more proud of them for their hard work and commitment to the program. They all made sacrifices to be here, and the Club owes them a tremendous debt of gratitude.”
MLCC hopes to build on this success and return to the Nationals next year to compete in more events. As Coach Bucan observed, “it’s a great challenge to compete against the very best; it’s great for the Club to be represented here; and it’s a great opportunity for the kids to showcase their talents in front of coaches and scouts from the top college programs in the country.”
After a well-deserved summer break, the Mountain Lakes Crew Club will return to the water in September for the fall season. Anyone interested in joining or learning more about the Club should visit the team’s web site (www.themountainlakescrewclub.com). MLCC is open to all Morris County high school students, and trains on Lake Hopatcong, where the team maintains a boathouse at Lee’s County Park Marina. Sign-ups for the fall season are due by July 29th, and dry land practices will begin in August.
(Womens Open 2x) Becca Gero and Kathryn Oram (bronze medal)
(Mens HS Novice 8+) Liz Nauss, Zach Conner, Teegan Macleod, Leo Boerstoel, Luke Graham, Daniel Admirand, David Teitel, Jeffrey Grippaldi and CJ Gallo (gold medal)
(Mens HS Varisty 4+) Darian Parsey, Brian Wilkens, Scott Bouzane, Matt Abate, Elena Friedberg (bronze medal)
(Mens HS Varsity 8+) Matt Walsh, Brian Wilkens, Matt Abate, Zach Conner, Scott Bouzane, Daniel Admirand, Evan Watson, Alex Rosen, Elena Friedberg
(Womens Open 2x) Becca Gero and Kathryn Oram (silver medal)
(Mens HS Varisty 4+) Darian Parsey, Brian Wilkens, Scott Bouzane, Matt Abate, Elena Friedberg (bronze medal)
(Mens HS Varsity 8+) Matt Walsh, Brian Wilkens, Matt Abate, Zach Conner, Scott Bouzane, Daniel Admirand, Evan Watson, Alex Rosen, Elena Friedberg (silver medal)
(Womens HS Varsity 4+) Katie Harrs, Amelia Whiting, Hayley Diverio, Callie Bouzane, Kathryn Oram (silver medal)
Liz Nauss, Zach Conner, Teegan Macleod, Leo Boerstoel, Luke Graham, Daniel Admirand, Jeffrey Grippaldi and CJ Gallo (gold medal)
From US Rowing Youth National Championship in Oak Ridge, TN (featuring Katie Harrs, Amelia Whiting, Hayley Diverio, Callie Bouzane, and Kathryn Oram):
