Madison Crew Win Four First Places in Polar Bear Regatta

By Treeby Brown

Madison Crew started the 2013 spring season in dominating fashion with four first place finishes for both the men’s and women’s First and Second Varsity Eights at the Polar Bear Regatta on the Occoquan River.

The men’s 3rd eight and the women’s junior eight also made strong debuts with second place finishes in their heats. The toughest competition for many of the boats came from Robinson High School in Fairfax.

Despite chilly weather and winds that made the floating starts especially challenging for coxswains, all the Madison boats stayed strong to place in the top two of their races.  The Women’s First Varsity Eight boat, featuring several seniors who row will for Division I schools next year, had perhaps the most dominant win, finishing with a time of 5:47.9, more than 30 seconds ahead of second place finisher, Robinson. The Men’s First Varsity eight finished with a time of 5:10.5, ahead of  Bishop O’Connell. The Women’s Second Varsity eight also finished with a time of 6:15.4, ahead of Robinson. The men’s Second Varsity eight also cruised to a first place finish with a time of 5:26.9, ahead of Langley.

The women’s Junior Eight, featuring a rookie coxswain and two novice rowers, posted a strong second place finish and time in their heat with 6.33.7, finishing behind a competitive West Springfield, and more than 20 seconds ahead of 3rd place finisher Robinson. For the last race of the day, the Men’s 3rd Eight, also featuring three novice boys, finished a strong second, with a time of 6:22.4, just seconds behind Robinson.

Next week, Madison races at the Regional Park regatta which will feature the first freshman and novice races of the seasons. Stay tuned!