Race story

The Lightweight Four team, coaches and parent chaperones are back in Berkeley after a long, hot weekend at Lake Harsha. Race finals day, Sunday, dawned partly cloudy and relatively mild, with a gentle wind from the west- finally ideal rowing weather. The boys weighed in for the last time and launched for their 11AM Petite Final. Standing at the finish line, spectators can only see the last half of the races, but as the Ltwt Four petite race came into view, it was apparent the BHS boat was all alone out in front. BHS finished a good two boat lengths ahead of St. Joe (see photo), taking first place in 6:41. After the race, Evan Cohen, coxswain, said they walked through four boats and left St. Joe behind at the 1000 mark. When the other boats in the Ltwt Four Grand Final crossed the line a few minutes later, with Cincinnati Jrs taking the gold medal, the Berkeley boat had turned in a faster time than two of the other ltwt fours in the final.

Congrats to Evan, Zander, Graeme, Sam and Daniel. Thanks to alternate Jason Bowers for rigging help, Mark Shaw for making the travel arrangements, Chris and Gulliver for inspiration, and the parents who chaperoned, made food runs and provided the BHS petite cheering squad! Go Jackets!

For the first time since 2007, Berkeley High School Crew is sending a boat to Cincinnati for the US Rowing Youth National Championships. This year's men's lightweight 4+, which came within two seconds of gaining an outright invitation at the CJ's, has been accepted into the June tournament. Cox Evan Cohen and rowers Zander Morgan, Sam Shaw, Daniel Remler and Graeme Horton will get the chance to prove themselves against the best in the country. In 2006, the BHS Crew men's lightweight 4+ won gold in Cincinnati.

BHS Crew petitioned US Rowing for entry into the regatta because several of the boats that won medals at Lake Natoma have opted not to race as a lightweight 4 in the Nationals. Instead, those rowers will compete in their club's lightweight 8 boat. Berkeley High Crew's lightweight 4 is proud to represent the team, the school, the city and the southwest region!

Not to be outdone by the SATs and ACTs, the CAHSEE, the STAR, the AP exams or next month's plain-old finals, Berkeley High School's rowers tested themselves this weekend against many of the best boats in the country at the Southwest Junior Regional Championships on Lake Natoma. Facing clubs from Southern California and beyond, including the big ones from Newport, Long Beach and Marina, as well as Marin Rowing Association and the other northern California crews against whom it has competed week after week this spring, Berkeley High Crew put on two days of great and inspired performances. In all, five Berkeley boats made it through the qualifying heats and into the Grand Finals.

Streaking back over the pass, chasing the trailer, trophy in hand.
Retracing the miles we’d come half a day earlier – carful of sleep then – through the dark and the wisps of Tule fog, meeting the softly rising sun as we descended from Altamont into the Great Central Valley. Now, after hours of competition, frustrating losses and glorious wins, rigging and de-rigging, carrying shells to and from the dock; of coaches’ pep talks and what-you’ve-got-to-do-betters; a day spent toasting under the sun and chilling in the shade of the freeway overpass; finally, the burst of emotion following the announcement of the regatta’s winner. Flying home, clutching that cup, five of Berkeley’s finest – BHS CREW – raising high the roof beams of the van, iPod blasting over the speakers: Gnarls Barkley, Maybe I’m crazy…

What was supposed to be a weekend off from racing turned into a mighty busy race day for 10 teams, including our Jackets. On Saturday, March 20, JLAC was the setting for an Oakland Strokes-sponsored regatta in which the Jackets participated in 19 of the featured 28 races.  In addition to the Jackets and the Strokes, teams included Humboldt, Palo Alto, North Bay, NorCal, Saint Ignatius, Marin, Los Gatos, and JLAC.

Coach Morgan's men's freshman 8+ raced past Marin in the final 500 meters and held on to win to start an exciting and successful day at Lake Natoma.  The 8 – coxed by Oliver Barton and oared by Haniel Roland-Holst, Lucas Bell, John Clara, Sam Marsden, Morgan Clark, Navid Golemohammadi, Nick Bielak and Ari Bolton – improved their time from last week by fifteen seconds.  As these new rowers hit their stride, they demonstrate the value of last summer's BHS Crew program at JLAC – where a half dozen of them rowed for the first time.

The men's novice 4+ A and B boats rowed strongly, and took advantage of a collision by the other teams to finish 1-2 as the morning of racing drew towards a close.  

"Fantastic" is how Coach Morgan described the day.

Mama said there'll be days like this,
There'll be days like this Mama said
    The Shirelles – Mama Said (1963)

Four weeks into the 2010 Berkeley High School crew season, the team had the opportunity to measure itself against the top competition.  Joining Berkeley High in League Race #3 – the Battle of the Bay – were three teams: the Marin Rowing Club, Saint Ignatius High School and our hosts, the Oakland Strokes.  Facing this level of talent made for a tough day for the Jackets, for sure.  But sobering results were mixed with promising ones, and even a bit of giddiness.