All non-rowing sports teams have officially lost their rights to complain about having to travel long distances to reach the other team’s home field. Never again will someone moan and groan about having to drive an hour to the next town over to compete. Imagine having to drive five hours to the next country over! On September 23rd, the Winchester Thurston crew team traveled with the Steel City Rowing Club to beautiful Ontario, Canada to compete in the Head of the Welland Regatta. With an impressive time of 20:00 on the 5.2 kilometer (3 mile) race course, junior Lynne Irvin earned gold in the varsity quad (four rowers each with two oars) alongside students from Ellis and Franklin Regional. Toni Dumitriu, a junior, also managed to bring home a silver medal in the novice single (one rower with two oars) event with a time of 27:25.

Coming off of an impressive performance in the varsity quad at last year’s Youth National Rowing Championships in Princeton, New Jersey, senior Nate Kurzawa leads the Bears as they charge forward into a new year of races that is sure to be filled to the brim with blisters, protein bars, and soaked spandex. The team is already packing its bags for another excursion to the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia on October 30th, so wish our brave rowers good luck as they make us proud competing against teams from all over the country. Row hard!