OCEAN CITY – Drivers coming in and out of Ocean City were curious about the spectators lining the 34th Street bridge Saturday late morning and afternoon, some stopping to find out what the fuss was all about.
The bridge proved a wonderful vantage point to watch the Ocean City Chase Race, with crew teams racing through the back bay and the intracoastal waterway.
Freshman and novice crews rowed from the dock under the bridge into the back bay for 1,000-yard sprints that finished back under the bridge.
The experienced crews, including high school and masters, disappeared from view as they ventured 4,000 meters south down the waterway on the main course.
It was called a Chase Race because rather than row side by side as they do in regattas on the Schuylkill River, the boats go one-by-one after the other, competing on time. There is usually enough space that boats don’t overtake one another.
Two Ocean City High School girls eights won their divisions and, according to coach Colin Stewart, who directed the race, the first eight “blew the field open” by one minute and 45 seconds.
He noted that performance was so fast, the girls would have placed third against the high school boys eights in the long course that features multiple turns, keeping the coxswains busy.
The rowers in that standout boat were Kailyn Kelly, Reese Hemberger, Marissa Trostle, Marin Pearce, Marina Zappone, Margot Swift, Aubrey Schlembach and Jada Smith with coxswain Ava Ruh.
The OCHS girls second eight won its division with rowers Ella Fattell, Madeline Aragano, Kendall Barnes, Coryn Driscoll, Kailyn Nilsen, Abigail Smith, Victoria Sakhno, Ava Ryan and coxswain Anna Rice.
The boats from La Salle High School “absolutely dominated the boys eights” with their A and B entries placing first and second overall. Only Egg Harbor Township High School was able to beat their third eight, which placed fourth overall.
Competing high school teams were Ocean City, Mainland Regional, EHT boys, La Salle, St. Anthony’s (New York) and Villa Joseph Marie Girls (Pennsylvania). For the masters were the Viking Rowing Club (Ventnor) and Under the Bridge Rowing Club (Ocean City).
“The race would not have been a success without the wonderful job of our referees, parent volunteers and the Ocean City Marine Police,” Stewart said.
RESULTS
Men’s HS Fours A
1st. La Salle 18:53.52
2nd Ocean City 19:28.57
3rd St. Anthony’s 24:04.44
Men’s HS Fours B
1st La Salle 19:28.57
Women’s HS Fours A
1st Ocean City 20:37.73
2nd Villa Joseph Marie 22:19.41
3rd St. Anthony’s 25:31.32
Women’s HS Fours B
1st Ocean City 21:09.81
2nd Villa Joseph Marie 25:05.63
Women’s HS Fours C
1st Villa Joseph Marie 28:27.00
Men’s HS Eights A
1st La Salle 15:26.94
2nd Egg Harbor 17:13.83
3rd St. Anthony’s 17:33.33
Men’s HS Eights B
1st La Salle 16:36.42
2nd Egg Harbor 17:35.94
Men’s HS Eights C
1st La Salle 17:30.85
Women’s HS Eights A
1st Ocean City 17:09.98
2nd Villa Joseph Marie 18:54.85
3rd Mainland 19:25.31
Women’s HS Eights B
1st Ocean City 20:33.40
2nd Villa Joseph Marie 21:54.81
3rd Mainland 25:44.73
All the results can be found at Rowtown.com.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
