Races, 2011-2012
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=6Below 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!
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.comTons 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).Head of the Estuary - November 12, 2011
After a couple of months of training and anticipation, the BHS Crew Team competed in their first home course race of the school year, the Head of the Estuary, held on Saturday, November 12th. While it was the second race for BHS crew this year, this head race (racing against the clock) offered our novice rowers their first opportunity
Butterflies in their bellies were replaced with very respectable results! Their results included a 2nd place for the Women’s Novice 8 (out of 13 boats) and a 4th place for the Men’s Novice 8 (out of 12 boats). The BHS team now numbers 120 rowers (30 rowers more than at this time last year) and many of them are new (novice) rowers. So the future sure is bright!Congrats to the novices, but more great news came from three of our varsity boats who placed FIRST in their races! These winners included the Women’s Lightweight 8, the Men’s Lightweight 8 and the Men’s Varsity 4 boats. Wow! Three first places out of the 12 races we competed in!
The day’s results were posted in a congratulatory email from the coaches and these are repeated below. As the coaches said, it looks like we'll have a promising spring race season! The results can also be found here: http://www.oaklandstrokes.org/news/
BHS Crew Team Results:
Men's Novice 8A - 4th place
Men's Novice 8B - 7th place
Men's Novice 8C - 9th place
Women's Novice 8A - 2nd place
Women's Novice 8B - 10th place
Women's Novice 8C - 13th place
Men's Varsity 4A - 1st place
Men's Varsity 4B - 4th place
Women's Lightweight 8 - 1st place
Men's Lightweight 8 - 1st place
Women's Varsity 8A - 2nd place
Women's Varsity 8B - 5th placeMore pictures (courtesy of John Godin and Mike Gill)
Parents watching for boats to come into view!
BHS Men's 8 approaching finish line with SF skyline in the background.
BHS Men's 8 approaching the finish line.
BHS Crew Team poses for 2011-2012 team picture.
The traditional "cox toss".Head of the Port, Sacramento – October 9, 2011
On Sunday, October 9, the Berkeley High School Crew Team started their 2011-2012 season, participating in the “Head of the Port” event in Sacramento. The start time was delayed by a bit of fog, but that didn’t mean it was disappointing. We’ll get to that in a moment!
This race was unique in a couple of ways. For our rowers, normal season races consist of mass starts, where the first boat across the line is the winner. But in a “head” race (often held in the Fall), the boats race against the clock. Boats in each category rowed to the start line and did a rolling start, crossing the line at 10 second intervals. At the end of the 5K course, the time for each boat was recorded.
The other unique thing about this race was that it was not limited to Juniors. In fact, we were able to cheer on boats with BHS parents, coaches, former coaches and collegiate level rowers (including recent BHS grads!) who were out there participating as well. It was a great day for a reunion as well!
So, what about the Berkeley High team, you ask??? After an hour delay waiting for the “cotton candy” fog to dissipate (as one person put it), racing commenced. Limited to varsity rowers, BHS entered 3 races on the day, two boats in the Mens Jr. 8+ race, three boats in the Womens Jr. 8+ race, and one boat in the Mens Jr. 4+ boat.
It was our first race of the year and results were mixed. Recall that these are 5K length races, so the kids are at 95% for a lot longer than the standard 2K races. (Of course, the coaches expect them to be on the verge of going anaerobic for the last sprint!!). The first race was a bit disappointing with the men bringing up the rear with 10th and 12th places out of 13 boats. In our next race, the women’s 8+ showed great promise for the year with 3rd, 6th and 11th places in their field of 14 boats! Finally, the men’s 4+ placed very respectfully with 3rd out of 6 boats. It’s great to be back in competition!
The next race for Berkeley High is set for November 12th at JLAC (the Fall Regatta in the Estuary). Stay tuned to the website for more details. With a record number of novices on the team this year, this will give them a chance to perform for the first time. We’re looking forward to many BHS entries on the race leader board!
Complete results from the “Head of the Port” race are posted online…..
http://www.row2k.com/results/resultspage.cfm?UID=2190098&cat=6
(Photo credits - John Grodin, Mike Gill)
