Great Valley Scullers Heading To Nationals Friday

MALVERN, PA – In case you missed it, Great Valley Crew Club, in just its second year of rowing, is sending some scullers to the big show this weekend.

The Malvern-area rowers are heading to Pennsauken, New Jersey Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27 for the SRAA National Championships Regatta on the Cooper River.

The club will be taking two boats to the competition in just its second season of being a club.

Heading into the national competition, the club already has some nice accolades from its season.

It's got two first-place finishes for the freshman girls’ boat, and an overall fourth place finish at the Philadelphia Scholastic Rowing Association finals after competing in seven regattas this season.

"We are thrilled to be a part of it and very proud of our amazing group of kids and coaching staff," said Denise Kerns, who runs the Great Valley Crew Club program.

The Great Valley Crew Club began its program in the spring of 2016 with just 14 athletes.

Now the team stands at 28 rowers.

The team says its goal is to be competitive, but also inclusive.

It currently rows out of a boat house in Wilmington, Delaware, on the Christina River.

The program is funded solely by registration fees, fundraising by the team, and assistance from the Great Valley Community Organization (GVCO).

Parents consistently drive the rowers to practice four days each week, and to the regattas in Philadelphia and Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

The vision of the Great Valley Crew Team is to not only develop youngadults in the sport of rowing, but to build character through the challenges of victory and defeat; to promote community through the responsibility of teamwork and sportsmanship; and to achieve personal excellence through the values of dedication, determination and hard work.

The team is comprised of male and female athletes in grades nine through 12.

Image via Denise Kerns