As they have all season, Peter Tortora, Graham Mink,Alex Buck and Jonathon Rossow dominated the Men’s Quad Sculling Event at US Rowing’s Junior Nationals last week. They easily won their preliminary and semi-final races.
In the final, the boys marched to a 5.8 secondlead over the second place Vashon Island, gaining timesteadily throughout the race, making their quest to earnback-to-back Championships for New Canaan Crew lookeasy. It has been that kind of season for the four boysfrom different schools who compete for New CanaanCrew.
“This may be the most experienced group ofboys we have ever sent to Nationals,” said Coach YanVengerovskiy .
Jonathan Rossow is now a four time National Champion, having won last year in Quads at both Junior and ClubNationals as well as having rowed to victory in the Doublewith Charlie Campbell. Alex Buck was selected to trainat a US Rowing’s High Performance Development Campand competed in Germany last summer.
Peter Tortora earned a silver medal in the single at Club Nationals lastyear finishing just ahead of his team mate Graham Mink who earned a bronze. Together Graham and Peter won the silver medal in the Men’s Double.
“These experiences made them not just stronger, but more confident and it showed in Oak Ridge last week,” continued Vengerovskiy.
Three of the four boys will continue to row in college: Peter, at Yale University, Alex, at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and Jonathon at Columbia University. Graham is a rising senior at St. Luke's School in New Canaan, CT.
There were over 1,500 athletes, 361 crews from over 30 states competing at US Rowings Junior National Championship in Oak Ridge, TN last week making it one of the most competitive regatta’s world wide for teams still in High School. Boats qualify at one of 12 designation regattas in 7 regions nationwide. New Canaan Crewsent 20 athletes to this elite regatta. They all past the preliminary heats to final rounds.
Bea Tobey and Vernoica Hoeft rowed to a second placefinish in the Petit Final or seventh place overall in theWomen’s Light weight double.
Ned Berman, Carson West, Sam Wiley and Billy Curley, with their cox Ashwini Rao took second place in the C final or 14th overall in the Men’s Lightweight 4.
Geoff Cloud, Tucker Klutey Alex Mauboussin, and Steven Gerasimoff placed 3rd in the C final or 15th.
Alex Richmond, Jack Winslow, Alex Vernon, EvanTuriano, Luke Thompson, Billy Curley, Eddy Nilan, MerrittCullman with their cox Frankie Hogan also took 3rd in the C final of the Lightweight 8 or 15th overall.
For more information about rowing contact New Canaan Crew at The Maritime Rowing Club at (203) 854-5492.
