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CJs – Lake Natoma. May 5-6, 2012
The finish line flag, flying straight out in a strong wind for at least half the weekend, has dropped on another Berkeley High School crew season. But not before some hard fought battles were held at the recent California Juniors (CJs) race at Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova, CA. Saturday and Sunday, May 5th and 6th saw many close calls for both the boys’ and girls’ teams. Thirty-two teams from California, Arizona and Utah competed in these 2 days of racing. Unfortunately, our BHS team didn’t get past the first heat in any events this year, but in many of the 20 races they competed in, they were nipped out of contention by just one spot. It was painful to see all of the “3rd places” when only the top 2 boats advanced and “4th places” when the top 3 boats advanced. As the announcer said, we were “bow ball to bow ball” with our competition in many heats, but this year it just didn’t work out. Sadly, we won’t be sending anyone to Nationals. Coach Chris Dadd did say he was pleased with the team’s performance, given that some of the competitors in this race not only go to, but often win at Nationals It’s clear that we are in one of the toughest leagues in the country. So, for our kids to get out there, give it a go but not advance to any finals was painful, but also educational.
For our seniors, it was their last BHS race and a bit nostalgic for their parents as well. Congrats to all the graduating crew team members, including Amaya, Brendan, Cheyenne, Ian, Jack, Kevin, Maggie and Meagan. And good luck in the future, whether you continue to row or not! Behind the scenes, there was a lot of support not only for this race, but for the whole season. We had chefs, caterers, boat trailer drivers, food servers, chaperones, car shuttle drivers, BBQ’ers and…more! Six meals for 100+ hungry rowers and many parents. It took a village! And this was just for CJs weekend. Thanks to the kids, the coaches, board members, and all of the parents who made things happen for the rowers this year.
Results of all races for the weekend can be found on these two pages.
May 5: http://row2k.com/results/resultspage.cfm?UID=8379394&cat=6
May 6: http://row2k.com/results/resultspage.cfm?UID=6549686&cat=6
Below are some memorable pictures from the weekend, courtesy of parents Eric Carlson, John Godin and Mike Gill.
http://ericcarlson.smugmug.com/BHS-Crew/2011-2012/CJs/22853329_mMGQfV#!i=1834583167&k=P8nTTXW
Don’t forget the Crew Banquet for the team and families in early June – stay tuned to your email for further details.
510 Sprints, Oakland, CA (April 22, 2012)
With the season's finale, CJs, looming on the horizon just two weeks away, the Berkeley High Crew team started to reach their season peak on Sunday, April 22nd in the event known as the "510 Sprints". Held at JLAC in Oakland after a 4 week period with no racing, the BHS-sponsored regatta hosted six other teams. And the BHS Jackets held their own with 5 first place finishes and 9 second place finishes out of 24 races. It was a great day at the races!!
The Jackets hosted 6 teams on a sunny and warm day at JLAC. Besides BHS, the teams included Oakland Youth Rowing, Stanford, Upper Natoma, Deep Water, Pacific and Junipero Serra. The final home race for 2012 showed good form from all racers. Novices, freshman, varsity, women and men all had 1st place finishes. The second places on the day (9 of them) were equally spread around the categories. That means anyone has a chance at CJs in two weeks. (That’s my conclusion and I’m sticking to it!)
Besides some impressive race results, we also had a successful raffle (finishing with more raised than last year), a great “510 Sprints” T-shirt design and tremendous support from parents in making everything flow well during the day. Alumni parent Svante even showed up to emcee at the finish line! There was a bit of boat traffic and wind that made for some challenging racing. But with these results, the day also provided some confidence that the Jackets will rise to the occasion at CJs this year! Will we send a boat to Nationals?? Come and see at the next and final weekend of racing for the 2012 season….the weekend of May 4th at Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova. Hope to see you there to cheer on the Jackets!!!
The day’s full race results can be found here ->
http://row2k.com/results/resultspage.cfm?UID=2590514&cat=2
https://www.regattacentral.com/regatta/results/2258_4455.pdf
Pics by Eric Carlson are here -> http://ericcarlson.smugmug.com/BHS-Crew/2011-2012/510-Sprints/22629933_bjv6p3#!i=1812475771&k=nHWXtc7
with selected ones below (courtesy of Eric Carlson, John Godin and Mike Gill)........
BHS Senior Rowers - Class of 2012
Brendan and Wesley in the Double
Setting up for the end-of-year Team picture
One of many Cox Tosses of the day
Next Stop - CJs!
Berkeley High Crew: Learn to Row Day (No fee)
Where: Jack London Aquatic Center (Berkeley High Boathouse). Click here for directions.
When: Sunday April 15, from 1:30-3:30pm
What do I wear to learn to row day? Please wear comfortable clothing and tennis shoes (ie: warm up pants, sweats, t-shirts, etc). Clothing should not be too loose fitting.
Agenda:
Explain basics of rowing
Learn the anatomy of a rowing boat
Tour the Facility
Discuss opportunities for summer rowing
Explain Berkeley High’s rowing schedule and operations
Have an opportunity to meet Berkeley High Coaches and Rowers
Additional Information: Please bring friends who may be interested in rowing!
Family and Friends are encouraged to join us and see what rowing is all about!
If you cannot RSVP, please drop by! The more the merrier!
TO RSVP or for Questions, please contact: Lindsey Anderson, Varsity Women’s Coach
Phone: (253) 223-4795
Email: LRANDERS1@GMAIL.COM
GO JACKETS!!!!!
West Coast Scholastic Regatta, Oakland, CA March 24, 2012
TEAMWORK!
Berkeley High’s crew team likes challenges!!! Wet and cold weather? Fourth regatta this month? Various nautical challenges, including a Coast Guard cutter, paddleboat, barge and tug? No problem! The Jackets crew team continued to improve this year, overcoming these literal (some mighty big!) obstacles and others to post its highest number of wins this year on this 2K course in the rainy Oakland Estuary. Out of 19 races on the day, BHS men and women’s team each won 5 races, for a total of 10 races on the day. What a great home course showing!
The team competed against not only those untypical estuary adversaries, but 5 competitive teams as well. We hosted visitors Cathedral Catholic High School from San Diego, Holy Name Academy from Seattle, as well as locals Junipero Serra High from San Mateo, Oakland Youth Racing, and the ever strong St. Ignatius High from San Francisco. But on this day, the BHS Jackets really held their own and dominated the field. The 10 races won included some squeakers (.5 sec on one) and some clear open water on others. We also missed at least two wins and took second by less than one second…..ouch. But what a great day out there on the water! Wins went to the following boats (in order of races): WFR8+, MFR8+, WN8A+, MN4+, W3V8+, WN8B+, MN8A+, WV4+, MN8B+, and MV4. As in recent weeks, congrats especially go to the freshman and novice boats who got 7 out of the 10 races!
All results are posted at: http://www.row2k.com
Tons of volunteers and helpers went towards making this race successful in less than perfect conditions. But speaking of results, kudos go to crew dads Charles Campbell and Chris Hall for the new results board. We’ll be the envy of every team out there with this hardware. Great job, guys!
We get a week off to rest, but be ready for the next regatta on April 7th, the Pacific Small Boat Regatta at Lake Merced in San Francisco (CHECK ON THIS DATE FOR SURE!!). See you there!
Happy Cox Tossing!
OK.....we admit we were outdone by some of the competition.
Capital Crew Regatta, Lake Natoma, March 18, 2012
BHS Freshmen get two wins!
Women's Freshman 8 Wins!
What fun this regatta was after a rough race last week!! BHS crew traveled to Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova on this chilly day to compete against the host, Capital Crew, and two teams from Stockton (Deep Water and Stockton Rowing Club). And what started as a day with again threatening skies turned sunny both weather-wise and from a racing standpoint! The team seemed to really turn a corner this week, with 2 wins from the women and three wins for the men!
.......and the Men's Freshman 8 too!
Overall, the BHS rowers competed in 13 races, taking 5 wins and 6 second places. That's great news, but even better is that the wins and high places were spread over all parts of the team. Freshman, Novices and Varsity, women and men, all had successes at the race. The Women’s and Men’s Freshman 8 both took wins. Our top boat from last year, the Men’s Lightweight 8, took first in their race of 4 boats. And finally, the Women’s Novice 8 and Men’s Varsity 4 rounded out the winning roster. Six boats took second place in their races as well. These included the ML8, WV8, MN8, WN8, WL4, and WL8 boats. Congrats to everyone!!
This was all very welcome after last week’s disappointing day at the Battle of the Bay. But hey, that’s how we all learn, right?? It makes the wins all the sweeter! With race #3 now in the record books, Coach Chris noted that he really thinks the team is starting to hit its stride for the season. After saying he thought boats "could" win, now they "have" won! The day started with some logistics challenges, but turned into some great racing at Lake Natoma.
Next week (Saturday, March 24th), the Team returns to our home course at JLAC for the West Coast Scholastic Invitational. Be sure to join us! And for full results from this Lake Natoma, head to: http://www.row2k.com.
<- And check out some great pics from Eric Carlson here ->
Packing up the boats after a successful day of racing.
Battle of the Bay, Oakland, March 11, 2012
The dawn rose dark due to the daylight savings spring forward and the storm clouds brewing in the west. Rowers, coaches and parents may all have been prepared for rain and choppy water during Sunday's race, but the weather cooperated, and the water was pleasantly flat. It was still plenty chilly, and the crowd huddled together to watch as Berkeley rowers took on the Oakland Strokes, Marin Rowing, and St. Ignatius Prep in the Battle of the Bay Sunday morning, March 11th at Jack London Aquatic Center.
With only a few scattered rumors of daylight savings time-change snafus, things got started on time and stayed pretty much on schedule. And most of the races were reserved for novices and freshman.
Turns out that although the weather cooperated, the racing proved to be stormy. This regatta has always dished out some of the year’s toughest competition for BHS. The team fielded 17 boats and rowed in 16 races at this regatta (one race had 2 boats). The Freshmen Women 8+ started the day's races and were looking great at the 1000 meter mark, but were eventually overtaken by Marin Racing to lose by 4 seconds. The second race featured the Men's Freshman 8+ and they kept in the race, taking 3rd in a 7 boat race. But those were our best results; that's where our day's fortunes ended.
Near the end of the regatta, the Men's Lightweight 8+ made a concerted effort against a very strong field that included the Marin boat that won last season’s Nationals and only graduated two rowers. Regardless of disappointing results, the turnout was very good with lots of parents and fans cheering boats over the finish line all morning.
Some of challenges the Jackets faced were due to inexperience rearing its ugly head. And we weren't the only ones! A few notable events included an early collision between the SI Men's Novice A boat and the Strokes Men's Novice boat. We understand that they ended up in a shortened 1.5K race. During the Women's 3V8+ race, Marin's boat inexplicably turned sideways and were forced to scratch.
The new motto for the BHS women's varsity team is "Go hard... or go harder." They went hard for two very close finishes in the women's 3V8+ and Women's V8+, during which BHS rowers were neck and neck with the SI boat, narrowly avoiding last place in each race (by 1.5 sec and 1 sec, respectively). The early season experience should pay dividends later when the new rowers learn how to pull better as a synchronized team, eat right on race day and truly get that urge to win!!
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
–Daniel Powter "Bad Day")
Be ready to row and/or cheer on the Jackets next Sunday (March 18th) for the race week #3 at the Capital Crew Regatta at Lake Natoma. And let's hope for better results!
Results for this race are posted here: http://www.row2k.com/results/resultspage.cfm?UID=5613040&cat=2 .
To see more photos visit our Battle of the Bay gallery.
Pacific Invitational Regatta, Lake Merced, San Francisco, March 3, 2012
Berkeley High’s Crew Team picked a beautiful day at Lake Merced (not a guaranteed thing!) to kick off the 2012 rowing season. With plenty of sun, temps in the low 70s and not much wind for most of the day, the first regatta of the year followed a lot of hard preparatory work. With the largest team in years (well over 100 rowers), our men’s and women’s coaches were able to race no less than 18 boats during the day. In total, 11 teams mixed and matched boats to race about 44 races during the regatta. Results? See them all here:
http://www.row2k.com/results/resultspage.cfm?UID=3895645&cat=2
The women’s team showed real success on this race day, taking two 1st places (Women’s Freshman 8 and Women’s 3V 8) and two 2nd places (Women’s JV 8 and Women’s Varsity 4). The Men’s Lightweight 4 also placed a strong 2nd out of 5 boats. With Berkeley High in 18 races on the day, this is a great start to the season! More tests will be coming fast and furiously, with races planned for the next three consecutive weekends.
Get ready for week 2, with the Battle of the Bay regatta set for next Sunday, March 11th at JLAC!
Teams participating in the race (courtesy of Chris Hall)
Coaches commanding novices’ attention
Varsity men returning from the water
Commiserating Coaches.
First Race: BHS Varsity team member explaining race secrets to novice teammate?
BHS Men’s Varsity Double finishing a race late in the day
Getting the post-race lowdown from Coach Chris Dadd (middle).
Novice Women, February 13
Photo by Colleen Simon O'Neill, Women’s Novice Coach
BHS Crew Fall 2011 Recap
Even though the official rowing season was yet to kick in, Fall 2011 brought plenty of activity for the Berkeley High Crew Team. Team members number about 115 rowers and coxswains, a record by anyone’s count. Fall activities included recruitment at the Solano Stroll, the Team assisting with the Coastal Cleanup and the yard and bake sale. Racing excitement brewed early with two pre-season rowing events in Sacramento (Head of the Port) and JLAC (Head of the Estuary). Then the Erg-a-thon followed with letter writing and an “erg occupation” of Berkeley’s Civic Center Park, resulting in successful fundraising. Fall concluded with the Team’s Holiday Sprints at JLAC (battling with the alumni!) and a party for rowers and parents alike.
As you can see, the Fall was busy with fun, but also plenty of hard training getting ready for the “real deal”, the Spring rowing season! Let’s hope for another appearance at National Youth Rowing Championships this June!
So you ask, what’s next? Follow the emails, but be aware of the All Parent meeting on January 26th, followed by the first race of the year, the Pacific Invitational Regatta at Lake Merced on March 3rd. Go Jackets!!!
2011 Ergathon This Weekend!
Let the rowing begin. On land, that is! The Berkeley High Crew Team's annual ergathon is days away with the event happening this Saturday, December 3rd. Set up starts at 9am at MLK Civic Center Park, near the north side of the fountain. The park is adjacent to BHS. The women's team will arrive around 10 and the men's around noon. We expect to be done by 3pm. Come on down and support the Team! We'll see you there!
By the way, if you are wondering what all of this is about, check out this short video clip from the 2010 ergathon...
Here's another from 2009. Thanks, Mike!
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