Hornet Rowers Gallagher and Pfeiffer Make Nationals.

Capping off an outstanding spring rowing season for the Saline High School Crew team, the coaches were notified Wednesday that their Women’s Varsity Pair of Gavin Gallagher and Haley Pfeiffer had qualified for the 2012 USRowing Youth National Championships June 8-10 on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

The USRowing Youth National Championships features more than 1,500 athletes from high school and junior rowing programs across the country competing for national titles in 18 boat classes. Saline has sent boats to nationals twice before, in 2008 when the Men’s’ Lightweight 4 placed fifth nationally and again in 2010, when the Men’s Lightweight 8 traveled to the nationals in Saratoga, New York.

Gallagher and Pfeiffer earned their spot in the National Championships with a strong silver medal finish at the Midwest Scholastic Rowing Championships in Cincinnati on May 13 and will now be competing against the best high school pairs from across the country for a chance at the National title.

The pair were also part of the Women’s Junior Varsity 4 boat (Gavin Gallagher, Haley Pfeiffer, Alexis Wolff, Sarah Buckeridge and coxswain Sarah Carter) that won a State Championship last weekend when Saline Crew finished its regular regatta season winning five medals at the Scholastic Rowing Association of Michigan (SRAM) State Championship Regatta in Grand Rapids.

The fall season will start in September and any Saline High School students or incoming 2013 freshmen interested in learning more about this exciting sport and joining this winning team can find more information at www.salinecrew.org.