Archbishop Carroll crew placed 84th out of 90 in the men’s youth fours race last week in the Head of the Charles regatta, a time trial rowing race that is billed as the largest three-day regatta in the world.
One of the team’s goals had been to place in the top half of finishers in the race.
“That would give the team a very likely chance to win another bid for next year, and I would love to compete at this race more than once,” said junior Julian McPherson.
Coaches Aislinn O’Brien and Stephanie McKenna said the boys were capable of placing in the top half but they needed more experience to achieve that.
Carroll secured its entry in this year’s Head of the Charles regatta by its performance in this year’s first fall regatta, Navy Day. A high school also can gain entry to the regatta through a lottery.
The race happens on the Charles River, which divides Boston and Cambridge in Massachusetts. The race course spans 4.8 kilometers, with shallow, rocky waters and sharp turns. Boats jammed the shore as rowers queued up for their timed races. The race drew not only more than 12,000 athletes who competed 73 events but also thousands of spectators.
“I’m missing my AP Chem group test … but it’s nice to go,” said junior Roland Montgomery, who was in the two seat in the qualifying four. “There’s a lot to do [in Massachusetts]. I’ve never been [in Boston] before, so I’m pretty excited.”
McPherson said he was happy to be there, too.
“I was relieved to hear that I made this lineup because I have put in a lot of hard work into my training and many have said to me that they thought I was capable of making the lineup,” said McPherson, who was seat three. “I was hoping I could go because I’ve heard a lot about this race between the two to three years I have been rowing for the team, and it seems like something that would be a great experience.”
Senior Colin McClarren called qualifying for the regatta “one of the biggest accomplishments you can receive in a high school rowing career.”
“This is why it means so much to not only myself but the other four guys who made it to Boston,” McClarren said. “Once I found out that I was in the official lineup, I was overjoyed. The part that made it so exciting for me was that I hadn’t rowed on port consistently in over two years and it is my final year at Carroll.”
The Head of the Charles regatta was the second race of Carroll crew’s fall season. On Sunday, Carroll crew competes in the Head of the Schuylkill regatta. That competition will be followed on Nov. 9 by the Frostbite Regatta and Nov. 10 by the Braxton Regatta. After that, crew moves to indoor winter training to prepare for the spring season, which includes the Manny Flicks regatta, which happens for five Sundays in a row; Philadelphia Catholic League crew competition; and then the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, which is the largest and oldest competitive high school rowing event.
