Norwalk-Based Crews Strike Gold in State Regatta

NORWALK, Conn. -- Norwalk-based Connecticut Boat Club scored big in The Gunnery’s annual Founders Day rowing regatta Sunday on Lake Waramaug.

More than 20 teams competed, mostly from prep schools in New England, with one team from Ohio. One of the race organizers called conditions, “The best weather in the 53-year-history of the annual Founders Day Regatta.”

With a race format of all 4+’s racing a distance of 1500 meters, CBC's varsity and novice boats placed first or second in every event. Connecticut Boat Club, coached by Liz Trond, is an all-girls team. Most of the girls reside in Fairfield County.

Varsity rowers started the day in qualifying heats for five classes of boats and won all five. Connecticut Boat Club crews flew past the competition to take firsts in both novice finals.

In the Grand Finals, the same five Varsity fours that had placed first in the heats took home four second place wins and one first place win. The only team that beat the Connecticut Boat Club girls in any of the races was the Cincinnati Juniors Rowing Club, a large program that made the trip from Ohio for the regatta.

CBC’s first Varsity 4 team included coxswain Ali Hornung, India Knight, Deirdre Fitzpatrick and Sarah Schwartz.

Katherine Squitieri, Abby Stevenson, Shelby Penfield and Meg Galloway comprised the second Varsity 4+ with cox Kassy Boliakis. It was Penfield’s first race in a 4+. The third crew consisted of Hornung, Kylie Maier, Natalie Puente, Bea Nash and Kendra Shutts. The fourth crew was comprised of Boliakis, Kate Tyrrell, Kate Hickey, Paige Voigt and Casey Clifford.

Courtney Lincoln, in her first time coxing a 4+ crew, joined the team of Isabel Fitter, Jess Ferrante, Kelly Caoine and Emily Olsen. The fifth Varsity 4+ B team included cox Kyra Brook, Payton Garrity, Sarah Mudd, Maggie Roberts and Lizzie Steinborn.

The Novice A team included Lincoln, Garrity, Catherine Wilcock, Maggie Murphy and Lucy Magee. The Novice B was comprised of Kyra Brook, Kat North, Haley Bower, Natalie Yannopolous and Janie Roach.

CBC will be competing on the same lake next weekend at the Kent Invitational. The race is the final tune-up before the Northeast Championships, which will determine qualifiers for the national championships in June.

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