Sports

Oakland Strokes Rowing Team Dominates at Regional Rowing Championships

The team received 155 medals, 11 trophies and the Women's overall title, making this one of the team's most successful outcomes in their 39-year history.

By Melissa Coupin

After three days, 128 races, and 603 crews from three states, the Oakland Strokes rowing team returned from the Regional Rowing Championships laden with hardware, including 155 medals, 11 trophies and the Women's overall title, making this one of the team's most successful outcomes in their 39-year history.

They launched 40 boats of their own in 27 events at the critical U.S. Rowing Southwest Regional Championships held at Lake Natoma near Sacramento, May 3 through 5.  

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The event featured rowers from arguably the most competitive region in the U.S. and identified those high school varsity teams that will move on to Nationals, held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee in early June.

Ten Strokes boats captured gold. After battling all season long, the Women’s Varsity 8+ nosed out neighboring Marin, winning by less than a second for one of the most thrilling finishes of the weekend.

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The most decisive first-place finish came from the Women’s JV8+ who cruised to gold 14 seconds ahead of second-place Marin. Equally impressive was the Women’s Lightweight 8+ who finished 13.38 seconds ahead of Long Beach. 

Other Strokes crews to finish in first were the Woman’s Novice 4+, the Women’s 3rd Varsity 8+(A),  the Women’s pair of Alia Shafi and Zabie Elmgren, Men’s Varsity 4+, Women’s Novice 8+,  Women’s Second Novice 8+ and the Women’s Third Novice 8+, who finished almost ten seconds ahead of second-place Marin. The closest race of the weekend came from the Women’s Frosh 8+; a photo finish placed them 1/100th of a second behind Marin.  

Strokes rowers also captured four silver and four bronze medals.

According to Beth Anderson, program director and head novice women's coach, "The future of the team looks very promising with this group of really strong novice rowers moving into the already strong Varsity program. We look forward to watching them compete and to welcoming a new group of rowers to our team next year. The payoff for so many of these top athletes, who are also top scholars, is they can expect to get recruited to a top college to row." 

Women qualifying for Nationals were: Amanda Rutherford (Piedmont), Alia Shafi (Acalanes), Marie Johnson (Miramonte), Lizzy Pate (Miramonte), Alanah Anderson (Piedmont), Gabby Pascual-Mead (St. Mary's), Caroline Carper (Alameda), Madelynn Prendergast (Head Royce), Indigo Catton (Campolindo), Grace Benson (Bishop O'Dowd), Zabie Elmgren (Oakland Tech), Camille Triebsch (Campolindo), Ellen Pate (Miramonte), Tara Bozzini (Acalanes), and Laura Rosas (Miramonte), Karmi Chan (Miramonte), and Hannah Christopher (Miramonte).  

Men who qualified for Nationals include: Erik Johnson (Miramonte), Tanner Malone (Albany), Luke O'Brien (De La Salle), Sean Sullivan (De La Salle), Marshall Krock (Monte Vista), Josef Starc (Oakland Tech), Cubby Parker (Bentley), Viggo Hoite (Berkeley High), Alec Petty (Piedmont), Allen Hosler (Piedmont), Ben Peterson (Campolindo), Danny Hogan (De La Salle), Elias Morley (Bentley), and Michael Landheer (Piedmont).  

Approaching the end of three years as a coxswain with the team, senior Caroline Carper, of Alameda, commented, "Oakland Strokes is the best decision I have ever made. It has challenged me, pushed me way beyond my comfort zone, and every hard day has been worthwhile. I will miss the great team dynamic and amazing coaches."

For information regarding Oakland Strokes, visit their website: www.oaklandstrokes.org.


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