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The Norwalk River Rowing Association's Lightweight Boys took a strong first step toward returning to the Youth National Championships for the third straight year, garnering medals in two events at Saturday's Mercer Lake Sprints in Princeton, N.J. The Lightweight Eight earned silver and the Lightweight Four brought home a bronze medal.
Despite a blistering tailwind that had earlier forced the cancellation of most novice races, the NRRA Lightweight Eight doggedly pursued local rival Saugatuck. Norwalk faltered slightly off the starting line, finding themselves in fourth place early in the race. They quickly regained their rhythm according to stroke Ben Stout (Wilton), and "at that point we motored right through the field." They ran out of race course before they could catch the leader, placing second by just a boat length. In addition to Stout, the crew was powered by Lane Brokaw (Darien), Matt LaMonte (Wilton), Parker Lange (Darien), Sam Oster (Norwalk), Kyle LaVecchia (Darien), Carson West (Wilton), Stephen Zoeller (Wilton), and coxswain Matt Stout (Wilton).
Earlier in the day Ben Stout, Brokaw, LaMonte, Lange, and coxswain Sumner Richter (Wilton) had raced to a bronze medal finish, just three seconds behind the Saratoga Rowing Association from upstate New York.
The day's best finish for the NRRA girls came from novices Anastasia Livesay (Wilton), Alexandra Stonehill (Norwalk), Kylie O'Connor (Wilton), Madeline Vocke (Wilton), and coxswain Adrianna Marino (Norwalk) who competed up a division against varsity rowers in the Girls third Varsity Four. The novices finished less than one second out of the bronze medal.
Next weekend, the NRRA team travels to Saratoga Springs, N.Y. for the two-day Saratoga Invitational.
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