After many months of waiting, Gunston Crew finally held their first home regatta, last Friday, May 7, against Episcopal High School. Both teams raced extremely well over the course of the afternoon down the 1,500-meter course. Boats were categorized by racing level with first-year rowers in the novice category, while more experienced rowers made up the JV and varsity categories. Additionally, in order to create a competitive field with smaller lineups, some boats started with a few second head start to create a more competitive racing environment.

With a steady tail wind lending itself to some fast racing, Gunston girls’ varsity 4+ came in second behind Episcopal in two of their races while the boys’ varsity 4+ shot down the course with a time of 5:58.9 finishing in first overall.

Gunston’s novice girls’ varsity 8+ and boys’ JV 8+ did a tremendous job in their race against the two Episcopal novice 8’s with Gunston girls’ taking first place with a time of 5:36.45 with Gunston boys’ close behind in second.

“All in all it was a great way to start off the racing season,” said Head Rowing Coach Carter Law, “and to see how excited our athletes were to finally race another school and having the chance to do it on their home course was amazing!”

“This regatta was the payoff that we’ve been waiting for all season! It was great to see how we have prepared the rowers to come into play as they neared the starting line and stayed calm under pressure. We have made starts a priority this season, and the Gunston rowers showed composure and grit at the starting line.” - Assistant Coach Natalie Purpora

It has been wonderful to watch all of our rowers gain confidence and skill on the water this season. The camaraderie among the crew was felt throughout the regatta and set the stage for a warm and welcoming race! - Assistant Coach Victoria Windmiller