New Trier Boys Break Scholastic Record

BOSTON, MA – On a sun-splashed October day made for fast rowing, the New Trier boys Varsity Eight broke the course record at the Head of the Charles Regatta.

Sixteen Head of the Charles course records were set last Sunday, and the New Trier boys joined the parade when they crossed the line in 14:46:12, beating the prior course record for Men’s Youth Eights by more than four seconds.

Unfortunately, the record did not last long. The teams started at five to 15-second intervals and Sarasota Crew, which started two spots behind New Trier drove the record down even further.

Ultimately, New Trier finished third (out of 85 boats) behind St. Paul’s of London and Sarasota. The New Trier boys equaled their finish from last year and earned the second-best boys finish in school history. They also became the fastest U.S. high school team since the international Head of the Charles (HOCR) began 53 years ago.

Key to New Trier’s result was a strong finish. The Trevians were sitting in seventh with approximately 750 meters to go, but they roared through the final stretch to claim third place.

“The conditions could not have been any better,” boys coach Nate Kelp-Lenane said. “Coxswain Duncan Healey put out an exceptional course. The two seniors who raced last year, Galen Quinn and Peter Chatain, were happy to repeat a 3rd place finish in a very fast field.”

The Trevians’ boat had five seniors (Chatain, Healey, Mick Flannery, Lorenzo Miller and Quinn) and four juniors (Carl Borsotti, Scott Buzard, Charlie Fargo, and Peter Skinner).

Senior coxswain Duncan Healey commented, “We rowed at a higher pace than usual because of the fast conditions, and it paid off. Interestingly, we set and held a HORC course record for the Youth 8+ category for five seconds.”

The Head of the Charles is the capstone of the New Trier fall rowing season, and each year New Trier sends its top boys boat and top girls boat.

The New Trier girls Varsity Eight also had a strong race, finishing 14th in a loaded Women’s Youth Eights field in which five boats broke the prior course record. New Trier finished first among public high schools.

“Representing the girls team were four openweight and four lightweight rowers who raced aggressively to a 14th place finish as the top public high school in a field of 84 crews,” program director and girls coach Rose Marchuk said. “In her second year coxing this race, coxswain Nicole Pofcher steered an excellent course and held great composure as she steered past a crew and battled to hold position as the race progressed and oars clashed. The girls accomplished what they set out to do which was to race to the best of their abilities.”

The girls boat included six seniors (Lauren Duffy, Olivia Ingle, Emily Lewis, Charlotte Melgard, Josie Olsen and Nicole Pofcher), one junior (Emily Axelrod), and two sophomores (Lily Feinerman and Janie Rudolph).

Senior coxswain Pofcher reflected, “HOCR was an amazing experience, as it is the biggest regatta we attend with global competition, but also a weekend where our boat becomes really close.”

The Head of the Charles is the world’s largest two-day rowing event, with more than 11,000 athletes and tens of thousands of spectators.

The three-mile (4,800 meter) head race winds up the Charles River through Cambridge and Boston. The race begins near MIT, runs through the Harvard campus, and ends near the Northeastern boathouse. With six bridges and sharp turns, the course poses many challenges along its spectacular setting.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Rose Marchuk, Program Director, Head Coach & Varsity Girls at 847-828-7673, or email roserows@ameritech.net