Vintage Scrap Book Series #5

Hextuple? No,... 4 athletes earned GOLD and 2 were part of the composite quad earning SILVER with Quad Cities in 2003 at USRowing Club Nationals in Cherry Hill. It was a VERY close race, a nail biter. It wasn't until the last 250 meters that the all SCRC boat lengthened out and earned their lead to win GOLD. I love close races! It brings out the best in everyone. 
TEST YOUR METTLE!

From left to right:
GOLD winners: Cara Dermody (Yale '09), Emily Schofield (Yale '09), Meghan Gaab (Southern Methodist University '07), Emma Shoucair (Princeton '07)
SILVER winners: Paige Zaitsoff (Princeton '08), Jessi Gregg (Villanova '08)

Vintage Scrap Book Series #4

Abby Loughrey (Stanford '06) and Cara Barkley Coulter (University of Pittsburgh '03) were the first duo to represent the USA in a FISA Junior World Rowing Championship in 1999 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The Plovdiv racing venue was spectacular. Cara attended Shaler Area High School as did Abby. Ironically, Cara rowed with North Allegheny High School's team and Abby rowed with SCRC as Shaler Area High School did not have a team then. The then coach of North Allegheny, Don Heckenstaller, and Coach Laci, were good friends and began scrimmaging the two teams together which is when we learned of the coincidence. 

The Cara and Abby duo won many races that year together in a 2x in addition to the Junior World Championships Trials; Stotesbury Regatta in Philadelphia and Youth Invites (now Youth Nationals). Collaborations can be successful when coaches are willing.

See: High School Rowing Memberships, Current Race Results and Upcoming Races

Vintage Scrap Book Series #3

Indoor World Rowing Champion, Carey Brezler (University of Pittsburgh '03) earned her "CRASH-B HAMMER" in 2003. Carey rowed with Pitt until her senior year. She trained for the 1x for her last year and did so at SCRC. After graduation, Carey moved to Philly and earned seats in various boats for international national team competitions.

Solid winter training pays off! It is true ergs don't float, but mastery of your mind and body's ability is a integral part of rowing success. Indoor winter training is the most intimate way to learn about your strengths and weaknesses.

See: High School Rowing Memberships, Current Race Results, 2013 Indoor Race Photo's and Upcoming Races

Vintage Scrap Book Series #2

Bow to stern, Demetrio Gagnon (Rutgers '08), Nick Obermeier (Mercyhurst '09), Dane Wetschler (Brown '08) and Zeb Browne (Duquesne '09) started with a commanding lead and finished strong to win GOLD at the 2004 Club Nationals Junior A Men's 4x. A few comments worth noting:

-Demetrio and Dane won GOLD also in the Junior A Men's 2x.

-Dane won GOLD in the Junior A Men's 1x followed closely be Demetrio in 4th place. 

-Demetrio had 15+ stitches from a rowing collision a few weeks prior to Club Nationals! What determination!

This group of Junior Men along with their teammates worked tirelessly multiple times a day through numerous years to achieve this almost unachievable accomplishment. Demetrio and Dane in the Junior Men's 2x almost accompanied Cara Dermody and Emily Schofield that year in Banyoles, Spain for the Junior World Rowing Championships but were edged out at the Junior World Championship Trails by a fraction of a second. Demetrio, a visiting athlete from Quad Cities, and Dane only had 10 days to prepare for trails after Youth Invites. With a few more weeks of training, their performance at Club Nationals made its own statement! A team "sweeping" the sculling events is almost unheard of!

See: US Rowing Men's Development Camp, High School Rowing Memberships, Current Race Results, 2013 Indoor Race Photo's and Upcoming Races

Vintage Scrap Book Series #1

Abby Loughrey (Stanford '06) and Katie (Spiker) Webber-Plank (Boston Univ '04) accepting the Youth Invitational trophy (now Youth Nationals) for the Junior Women's 2x in 2000. They were behind slightly at the start, but with a powerful middle 1000, they walked through the others to win by a significant margin. 

See: High School Rowing Memberships, Current Race Results and Upcoming Races

Who remembers the WT van? Along with our current event postings, we will be posting "vintage" SCRC pictures with past national team and national championship athletes. This was Head of the Ohio in 2001 when "out of town" teams were still staged on the downtown stadium parking lots. We had just arrived to unload.

See: High School Rowing Memberships, Current Race Results and Upcoming Races

Laci and I finally came to the consensus that it was 1999 Head of the Occoquan. Our memories are a bit blurred! Thank you for your comments. We love seeing the postings from SCRC of old! I look forward to the Steel City Rowing Club "vintage" pics. I hope folks pass on some to us. We miss you all more than you know!

See: About Steel City Staff, Current Race Results and Upcoming Races