At only our 4th State Championship, we raced a Junior 8+ which led the field winning the 2021 State Championship! Our Junior 8+ consisted of Juniors and Sophomores Audrey Vilendrer, Alisa Rosenblat, Gabriella Shires, Thalia Schneider, Mckenzie White, Stella Toro, Jenna Keith, Carys Rey and Haylie Salce. They worked hard all year – rowing on the water, erging on land, lifting weights and running. At earlier races, this boat had shown some speed and we were all excited to see how we could do at States.
In their heat, they led the field, finishing their race with many boats of open water. This gave them confidence going into the Final but you never know if your competition will come back on you. In the Final, their competition was indeed tougher off the start but they stayed on it and consistently opened up their lead, wining by over two boat lengths.
During an uncertain year with COVID, this win was extremely gratifying. They stayed focused all year despite their challenges. It all came together at States and their focus and hard work paid off!