"It sounds like a horse race," commented an amused parent as she walked by the speakers providing play-by-play at the Scholastic National Regatta in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her bewilderment was not unique, however; another parent heard that a boat was ahead "by a furlong."
The race announcer at Scholastic Nationals was legendary (horse) race announcer Marshall Cassidy, who retired after 27 years of service to Aqueduct Race Course, as well as summer stints at Belmont and Saratoga. A local resident, he parked his camp chair in a launch and lived the life aquatic for a couple days, getting stroke ratings from the launch driver and quips from his race horse playbook. No, he never said that a coxswain had to go "to the stick."
While Marshall called the horse racing, tent city residents were enjoying another barnyard experience. Muddy hay and straw lined the shores of Fish Creek, sodden with weeks of rain. The hay was not able to stave off the mud, and it did seem as if the hay had first passed through the dairy farm over the hill from the course. There were more colorful rubber boots per capita than most regattas-flip flops would have left a rower with, um, slightly bovine feet.
So, it was a little muddy, but race organizers did their best to control Mother Nature's impact on Lee's Trailer Park, converted to race site for this event. Truth be told, Saratoga Rowing Association did an impressive job accommodating the 2,600+ rowers and the endless supporters. The race could not have gone by more efficiently-and everyone was saying so. Despite a minor delay due to weather on Friday heats, races were completed in plenty of time to enjoy the Broadway of Saratoga Springs. And-with a staff member of the Chamber of Commerce on the parent association of SRA, every team at the course was informed of the restaurants and shopping opportunities in town.
Where to do your pre-race carbo-loading? Wheatfields. Vegetarian exotic? Sushi Thai Garden. Jumbo java and atmosphere? Definitely Uncommon Grounds, or just 'Uncommon' as the locals call it. Saratoga is Saratoga, and for those of you not familiar with this quaint town in the foothills of the Adirondacks-it does hospitality and outdoor sports with equal verve. Saratoga Rowing Association flag lined the streets for weeks, and the races claimed 4 full pages-including the front page-of the local paper The Saratogian on Saturday.
The racing? Now that was the real deal. Some folks were facing off against Stotesbury rivals, other were meeting crews from as far away as California for the first time.
In the reversal of fortune category? Alyssa Perry, who won last week's Stotesbury Cup when leader Laura Fisher flipped with 400 meters to go, met the fish of Fish Creek with 600 meters to go while leading in the heats. With determination this gal climbed back into her shell and finished the race. Unfortunately, a finals lane was not hers today, but her character shined-and hey-she has a trophy from last week, right? Laura Fisher who flipped last week stayed upright to win the race for Holy Trinity. Check the results of this-and other--races here on Row2k.
In the most hype category was certainly the Saratoga Women's Lightweight 8, who have been the darlings of the local press. There were three reporters, a video camera and two cameras clicking away in launches as they navigated the finals. They finished second behind a commanding Mount St. Joseph's crew, also a Stotes victor, and will face them again in Cinci (USRowing National Youth Championships) in two weeks. Should be a great race for Saratoga, who seemed to improve with every race, and may be able to shine without the pressure of expectation.
While Conestoga offers a similar cheer to their crew ('Stoga, 'Stoga, 'Stoga), it is Saratoga who seems to have the license for this cheer. 'Toga, 'Toga, 'Toga is heard at every sporting event in the city, and has the rhythm and tenor of the famous Animal House fraternity party. Because of the success of Conestoga crews at this race, there were a lot of confused rowers (and parents) at the regatta. Many of the cheers for Conestoga went to a technically skilled group of scullers on its crew, kudos to coaching staff for its consistent performance in many two-oared categories.
One of the closest races of the day was provided by Men's Junior Quads, with the first three finishing within a half-second. Denis Morris came out on top; suburban Philadelphia neighbors Haverford and Malvern were second and third. It was tough to call from the shore, but spectators heard the "beep-beep-beep" of the finish line and claimed a spot by the results table to find out who earned the first beep.
In the Senior 8's, two crews really had command of the day. Thomas Jefferson in the men's category and Mount Saint Joseph's in the Women's won by four seconds and seven seconds respectively. A surprised and thrilled Berkeley crew came in second in the Women's final, barely making it from the semi's in third, they delivered a monster sprint and came into the docks jubilant after the finals.
One tip to future visitors of the NY State Boat Launch, where trailers and teams had to pull in this weekend: don't ever blow by the guard stand. The mild-mannered older gentleman in that station turns out to have a pretty good sprint.
Check out all the results on Row2k. You'll see many of these crews in action in two weeks on Harsha Lake for USRowing Youth Championships June 9 and 10.
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