Crew's Senior Varsity 8 Wins National Championship

The National Cathedral School’s senior varsity eight captured the gold medal at the 2012 Scholastic Rowing Association National Championship Regatta Saturday, the best result in the history of the Cathedral Crew program.

St. Albans’ senior varsity eight also achieved its best finish at Nationals in a decade, winning the silver medal in the final day of racing on the Cooper River in Camden County, NJ. Rowers at the Cathedral schools have never before medaled in the same year at Nationals.

The NCS victory was stunning because the varsity squad is quite small - only 22 girls. 

“The success of these girls speaks volumes not only about themselves but also about this crew team, their parents and the school,” said Greg King, head NCS crew coach. “This year’s varsity boat has been beating the odds all year. It didn’t have the biggest, most experienced kids. What it has is heart and determination.”

The NCS 1V earned a bronze medal at Nationals in 2001. STA’s top varsity boat captured silver medals in 1999 and 2002 and won bronze in 2000 and 2011.

NCS girls almost lost their chance to compete because of equipment failure. Senior coxswain Christianne Molina was leading the boat to the start 30 minutes before the semi-finals when she heard a “click” and reached under the boat to find the skeg – the rudder-like fin at the stern – was missing. She knew she couldn’t steer without it and couldn’t fix it herself. She whispered the news to the stroke, Lindsay Starr, not wanting to alarm the others. “I didn’t think we were going to row,” Molina said.

Starr whispered back. “I said we just have to do the best we can, whatever that means. There was nothing to lose.” The race would start, with or without NCS.

“It was so hot, the air was heavy,” said sophomore Anne Bertram, who sits in six seat. Thousands of spectators lined the riverbanks, including NCS Head of School Kathleen O'Neill Jamieson, and her husband Dan, STA’s associate headmaster for development.

The boat rowed half a mile back to the launching dock, as other boats headed to the start.

Coach King, STA Coach Ted Haley, and STA equipment guru and parent David Bradt rushed to the dock, serving as a pit crew. BCC Head Crew Coach Dan Engler, a former NCS coach, provided a replacement skeg from his team’s boat, which had finished racing.

Once the boat was fixed, NCS girls launched a mile downriver from the start. They put the boat in the water along with STA boys, whose race was set to start ten minutes later than their own.

“I was scared that was going to be my last race,” said senior Rachel Siegler, five seat. The girls placed second in the semi-final behind Upper Arlington High School of the Columbus, OH area, qualifying for finals.

In the final, NCS lined up against Upper Arlington, James Madison of Vienna, VA, Mount Saint Joseph of Flourtown, PA, Saratoga, NY and New Trier of Winnetka, IL. When the starting light turned green, NCS jumped into the lead, taking a series of power strokes to fend off defending champion New Trier. The Cathedral girls were neck and neck with the boat from Saratoga, until the last seven strokes when NCS crossed the finish line, winning by one seat.

Siegler recounts hearing Molina scream: “I can taste gold!”--by Judy Holland, mother of Lindsay Starr '12 and Madeleine "Maddie" Starr '14.