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2005-2006 Varsity Girls'
Crew
Coach: J. Robinson
Girls Crew began their ’05 -’06 season in mid-March with a return to the cabins by Turkey Lake, the crew’s spring training camp in Orlando Florida. Fifty athletes tried out in Kent and thirty-five - half of whom were new to rowing - went on to run, row, and erg in the Florida sun. With a week of practice behind them, the squad raced in the Hood Cup. Unfortunately, wind and rough water dictated a reversal of the course and ultimately the cancellation of some races.
The girl’s third boat season began slowly, as might be expected with a crew of novice rowers. They lost their first few races against far more experienced crews. But as the season progressed, the novice rowers found their rhythm. Racing in fours at Founder’s Cup, they dominated the competition. The next week at the Connecticut Championships they cleared the field again. Although the boat was scarred by injury in the final weeks of the season, the girls willed themselves to a stirring bronze medal performance at New England’s.
The girls in the second boat defined the phrase “any seat, any boat, anytime.” Plagued with a variety of injuries throughout the season, they dug deep when it counted and with a most spectacular sprint from 5th place at New England’s, they earned themselves a bronze medal.
The first boat had a good deal of turnover during the year. With three returning “oars” we rotated through a new group of eager but young athletes. The boat rowed easily through early competitions with Community Rowing (Boston) and Greenwich, Simsbury and Sacred Heart, yet during the Andover race they had an injury and lost a closely contested sprint. We then went on to see some fast crews in Delaware including our host and long term friend and rival St. Andrew’s School. We also saw some fast boats out of Virginia. A highlight of our mid-Atlantic run was a Sunday morning race against the Mercer and Cincinnati junior club programs as well as Lawrenceville School - whom Kent defeated.
Back in New England, the first eight separated into two 1st place fours for The Founders Regatta and the girls came very close to taking the point trophy. Next up was a match race against Phillips Exeter in Worcester which they won. They also won again against local schools in the Connecticut Championship. As the season came to an end they lost to a another Exeter boat in a race on the Charles River in Boston and then came in 3rd (behind Andover and gold medalist Exeter) in the Grand Finals at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association regatta in Worcester. The first boat and the entire crew can be proud that every boat medaled this year.
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Phone: 860-927-6111