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Row NJ Men's V8+ delivers top HOCR finish-despite a pre-race collision

By M.Eppedio , 10/22/19, 10:15AM EDT

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Row New Jersey Men's Varsity 8+ delivers top Head of the Charles finish - despite a pre-race collision

Less than 24 hours before the biggest race of the season, the Row New Jersey Men's Varsity 8+ was preparing to exit the water after the final practice session at the elite Head of the Charles Regatta, when another boat collided with theirs, pushing them into the dock and opening a two foot crack in the hull of the team’s premier racing shell. The group avoided what surely would have been a debilitating setback when the extraordinary team at Pocock Racing came to their rescue. “Not only did they repair the hull, but they made any hint of a collision virtually undetectable,” stated Row New Jersey Rowing Director, Robert Welsh.

 Thanks to the quick response of Pocock Racing, the Row New Jersey MV8+ was back on the water on Sunday in their newly repaired shell, just in time for the start of their three-mile race. The boys turned in a very competitive 11th place finish out of 86 teams, putting them among the top crews in North America and securing their spot as the fastest entry from New Jersey. The result also earned the team an automatic bid for 2020. When asked about the experience, the team at Pocock said, “We’re a team of boat builders and coaches who know about the equipment, the sport, and the needs of our programs and coaches. We were truly happy to help and it’s awesome to hear how well the boys performed.” 

The boys’ team is one of three boats that Row New Jersey sent to the Head of the Charles this year. Two additional boats, the Women’s Varsity 8+ (WV8+), and the Men’s 2nd Varsity 8+ (M2V8+) participated through lottery bids. The WV8+ placed 39th out of 85, delivering the highest Row New Jersey placement ever in their category, and earning an automatic bid for 2020. The M2V8+, competing with top varsity crews, came in 70th out of 86. Welsh stated, “As the up-and-comers in our second boat, they hopefully enjoyed the big stage and will incorporate their experience into future racing and training.” He continued, “We’ve certainly had developmental crews visit the regatta in the past, and many of those participants went on to great success in our program.”

The Head of the Charles Regatta, originating in 1965, attracts some of the world’s best crew teams to compete in the ultimate two-day rowing event. Every October, the city of Boston welcomes over 11,000 athletes, and tens of thousands of spectators to experience the challenge of head racing through the tight turns and narrow bridges of the Charles River.

Row New Jersey Head of the Charles Crews:

Men’s Varsity 8+: COX - Caroline Murphy (Morristown) 8) Max Nusbaum (Far Hills) 7) Andrew Treger (Summit) 6) Emmett Infante (Mountain Lakes) 5) Wilson Morton (Summit) 4) Jarrett Richman (Hewitt) 3) Michael Oram (Mendham) 2) Matthew Morfogen (Boonton Twp) 1) Noah Urrutia (Mountain Lakes)

 Women’s Varsity 8+: COX - Kylie Deitz (Chester) 8) Emily Kilroy (Mendham) 7) Ella Nielsen (Madison) 6) Riley Mills (Tewksbury) 5) Alexandra Timoney (Basking Ridge) 4) Julia Bartie (Madison) 3) Caroline Fabiano (Madison) 2) Charlotte Mirzaian (Madison)1) Nicole Collins (Boonton Twp)

 Men’s 2nd Varsity 8+: COX - Elena Gutowski (Mendham) 8) Brandon Edwards (New City) 7) Thomas McKay (Summit) 6) Dylan Brown (Hackettstown) 5) James Daniel (Mountain Lakes) 4) Benjamin Davis (Summit) 3) Ian Oram (Mendham) 2) Ryan Spallone (Mountain Lakes) 1) Harry Finnegan (Summit)  

 Row New Jersey (formerly the Mountain Lakes Rowing Club) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation located on Lake Hopatcong. It is devoted to developing the strength, character, and confidence of middle school and high school students as well as masters rowers, through the discipline and teamwork of rowing. Rowers and Coxswains come from multiple communities including Summit, Basking Ridge, Boonton, Budd Lake, Califon, Chester, East Hanover, Far Hills, Hackettstown, Hopatcong, Kinnelon, Madison, Mendham, Morristown, Mountain Lakes, Oak Ridge, Randolph, and Roxbury. To learn more about Row New Jersey, the sport of rowing, and carpool opportunities, contact Rowing Director, Robert Welsh rwelsh@rownj.org or visit www.rownj.org.