Introduction by Chris Pfaff, Xavier Sportswriter
Article by Coach Geoff Stricklin, written to the Xavier Crew Community after last weekend’s regatta.

Introduction

With Coach Stricklin’s permission, I am including the Thank Yous / Acknowledgement part of his communication to the Xavier Crew Community so people reading this article can see what goes into giving our student athletes the opportunity to compete in regattas throughout the season.

Coach’s Thank Yous / Acknowledgements to the Xavier Crew Community

I want to thank you and congratulate you on an amazing weekend. Thank you to all you parents who sacrificed to allow your girls to have this amazing experience and the lifelong memories it will solidify. Thank you to you rowers who sacrificed for your teammates, putting your heart and soul into your races and being there to support each other.

Thank you to our two chaperones- Pri Gross and Julie Dunnigan- who carried the whole load of logistics and deftly solved minor crises all weekend! Thank you to the Cinco family once again for MOST generously donating and preparing the delicious freshly cooked meals. Thank you to Mrs. Strickbine and our board for setting everything up to make this a well coordinated and smooth event. Thank you to all the coaches for your tireless work and expertise in preparing these girls to do their best!

This regatta was an opportunity for essential 2k race experience and to give us real perspective on where we stand. The San Diego Crew Classic is one of the premier events in the country and attracts the absolute BEST of the BEST from our region, one of the most competitive regions in the country. There were some disappointments for sure. But the very fact of being able to compete at this level is a sign of our growth and a reason to celebrate.

Regatta Highlights

Our U19 “A” Quad of Miranda Papez, Maddy Erskine, Sarah Strickbine, and Norah Dentz, earned a 3rd-place finish in the Petite (or second) Final, rowing a great race to cap off their weekend.

Our U17 “A” Quad of Cara Boyle, Sophie Robaina, Sienna Goforth, and Ella Boyle earned a 5th place overall finish in the Grand Final, again in a challenging field. This was a disappointing finish for these girls, for sure; several factors may have been at play, but nonetheless, an effort to be proud of.

In a notable sign of the program’s growth, our U17 “B” Quad (including 3 novices!), Julia Green, Izzy Castro, Alayna Zimmerman, and Sofia Carbajal also competed remarkably well, finishing just 4 seconds off of our “A” Quad in the Grand Final. This U17 group shows a ton of promise, and with a few tweaks and some focused training over the next 4 weeks, we are confident that the U17s will compete well at Regionals.

Another highlight was our U17 8+ composed of Ava at cox, and rowers Izzy Castro, Shelsia Alcaraz Cinco, Sophie Robaina, Natalie Karlen, Baylor Wand, Sofia Carbajal, Ella Baker, and Ella Boyle. They showed a lot of grit, taking second in the Petite Final, and in impressive fashion, rowing through the only other high school program in the event, Cathedral Catholic High School, in convincing fashion. Well done girls!

Finally, our U16 Quad, coxed by Ava Yparraguirre, and rowers, Lauren Aldrete, Emma Perry, Madison Minnitti, and Olivia Moshiri blazed to a third place overall finish in the Grand Final of a VERY competitive race, just a few tenths of a second out of second place. According to the times recorded in their two races in San Diego, compared to the times in this event last year at SW Regionals, this U16 group is very much in the conversation to win a bid to Youth Nationals, something this program has not achieved in over a decade. So proud of you guys!!

So lots to celebrate! Thanks again all, and congratulations!