VIJC MEDALS at BRENTWOOD REGATTA

VIJC Medals at Brentwood Regatta

By Karen Buhler Gale

With over 1650 athletes in attendance from over 30 clubs representing Canada and the United States, some from as far away as Tempe, Arizona, the Vashon Island Junior Crew saw more of their boats go to finals in the prestigious Brentwood Regatta—the largest high school regatta in North America--than any previous year. The regatta, hosted at Brentwood College School on Mill Bay, 40 minutes north of Victoria, British Columbia on Vancouver Island, is held annually on the third weekend of April.

With sunny weather and little wind this past weekend, April 24^th-26^th, the Boys Junior B 2X with Eli Hoyt and Thane Gill, the Girls Junior A School 8+ with rowers: Shelby Gale, Allison Saathoff, Meaghan Connors, Lizzy Corliss, Alex Bosworth, Sophie Nespor, Brooke Pringle, Katie Chale and coxswain, Sage Doble, Junior Boys B Lightweight 4+ with rowers: Wade Hankin, Tim Hansen, Eli Hoyt, Thane Gill and cox Collin Milovsoroff,  Girls Junior A Novice 4+ and Girls Junior A Novice 4X+ with rowers Sophie Nespor, Brooke Pringle, Alex Bosworth, Katie Pringle and cox, Sage Doble, all proceeded to finals after placing in their respective heats. 

The Girls Junior A Novice 4X+ were the only ones to medal, taking home gold in the 1500 meter race. Cox Sage Doble said the race felt good from the start. “We were pretty much in first place from the beginning. By the time we were at the halfway buoy, I knew unless something terrible happened that we were going to win.” Rowers Katie Chale, Brooke Pringle, Sophie Nespor and Alex Bosworth were all ecstatic with the win. “It so exciting to have won,” said a smiling Sophie Nespor with her gold medal around her neck.

Competition is fierce with large clubs bringing more than 100 athletes, making the placement into finals and the gold-medal win even sweeter for the team, hand-picked by coach, Lucas Ridinger and assistant coaches Dan Packard and Kiyo Egashira, a former VIJC rower and senior at Vashon High School.

 “These are tough and big teams with great rowing programs,” remarked Ridinger. “It’s been kind of spotty with practices before coming to Brentwood. I was gone on Reserve Duty for the last regatta at Lake Stevens, and we had spring break to deal with. The outcome here will really tell us how we are set for Regionals.”

At the end of the finals on Sunday, Ridinger was pleased with his team. “Hey, we got a gold medal, and a lot of boats made it into finals. It’s going well.” As an alumni of Brentwood College School himself, Ridinger, a Canadian National Rowing Champion, joked about his divided loyalties. “I find myself wanting to root for Brentwood, too,” he said. But patting his rowers on the shoulder, offering them encouragement as they come on deck preparing to race, it was obvious that it was to his team, that he says, “is only going to get better.“

VIJC has its final competition at Regionals, May 15-18^th on Vancouver Lake in Vancouver, Washington.