The girls’ second eight event at the SRAA National Championships is where some of the largest and most
competitive girls’ programmes put their depth on display. The Cooper River will play host to the top tier of scholastic sweep rowing, featuring storied programs from as far as California and Florida, and as close as Philadelphia. The nine girls in each of these boats may not have made their respective varsity eights, but the top of this field could make a deep run into the varsity eight field if given the chance, a testament to their speed and programme’s depth.
Winter Park Crew
If there is one name that exemplifies American schoolgirl eights rowing in the last five years, it is Winter
Park. Coach Mike Vertullo has had the girls of Winter Park winning for decades, with unparalleled recent
success. While a speedy varsity does not always ensure a quick 2v, this Winter Park outfit has benefited
from practising with the most dominant public school girls’ eight in the country. They won the Florida
State Sweep Championship, defeating strong clubs like O.A.R.S and Sarasota Crew. They’ve been
battle-tested all season, racing America’s Youth Cup in a test over 2000m against some premier clubs
from as far as Newport, CA. The Winter Park girls are at the top of scholastic girls eights, and the second
eight hopes to add to the story by writing its own winning chapter.
Mount Saint Joseph
When it comes to rowing in Philadelphia, one word can evoke strong feelings and share a storied history.
On the girl’s side, it’s simply “Mount”. The Mount Saint Joseph Academy, with its yellow ‘M’ and purple
background, has dominated the Philadelphia girls’ eights scene. Stotesbury Cup and City Champs, the
“Mount” enters this year with all the momentum. They recently raced 2000m at the Mid-Atlantic
Regional Championship, breaking 7:00 comfortably and besting top regional club teams in the process.
They’ll be familiar with annual foes, Winter Park, and have the speed and culture to come out on top.
Jackson-Reed
Hailing from the nation’s capital, Jackson-Reed HS is a deep programme that has continued to produce fast eights year after year. After the time trial, their dreams of glory were dashed by a flooded and debris-filled Stotesbury Cup, where they finished just .5 off Mount Saint Joseph. This crew is licking its chops to get a piece of Mount, and the rest of the field head to head, with a national championship on the line. This crew can make the podium, or even pull off an upset, if they can keep their nerve when the bow balls line up.
Other Mentions
The grand final will feature several crews with medal ambitions and experience. New Trier,
Montclair and St. Andrew’s have hopes for hardware in this field, but can’t look past less heralded crews like St. Ignatius College Prep and Wakefield, or they could miss the final altogether.
Prediction
This event has many of the top girls sweep programs in the country vying for medals, and the final speed
will showcase the rising standard in US girls’ scholastic rowing. This is Winter Park’s year, followed
closely by Mount Saint Joseph Academy, and after some tight racing with New Trier, Jackson-Reed
receives a hard-earned bronze medal.
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