Headrace season is here!
For those of you who don’t know, rowers usually race 2,000 meters during the spring, summer, and winter. During the fall, rowers race what are called head races. These are usually 4,000 meters to 6,000 meters but some races can be over 100,000 meters! These races entail a different race plan and a different kind of endurance. Rowers headrace to sharpen technique, build trust between boatmates and build consistency before heading indoors during the winter and then emerging during peak racing season in the spring.
Last weekend, our Queens and Manhattan varsity teams raced in their first headrace of the season: a 4,000 meter course at the Head of The Passaic in New Jersey. Ten of our crews competed in eight events. This October has been unusually warm and lucky for our student-athletes, this weekend was no exception. They luckily avoided having a cold, windy and rainy regatta, often experienced during the fall.
This was the first headrace for many of our athletes. Despite this, they reached their internal team goals, which included executing technique enforced during practice as well as learning to build speed and keep it during the whole race. As the first race of the season, this was an important opportunity to set the standard for the season and the school year.
Words from the coaches:
“The Manhattan teams raced with intensity, which is a characteristic we have been working on building.”- Jackie Kleinhans, Manhattan Youth Program Manager
“All boats saw some challenges, but also overcame them and finished the race looking like the best version of practice; some moments, even better than at practice!” – Breanne Fitzsimmons, Queens Youth Program Manager
Results
Men’s HS V8+ – Manhattan – 9th of 11
Men’s HS JV 8+ – Manhattan – 15th of 16
Men’s HS V4+ – Manhattan – 9th of 13
Men’s HS 1x – Queens – 8th of 14
Women’s HS V4+ – Manhattan – 7th of 9
Women’s HS JV 4+ – Queens – 5th of 6; Manhattan – 6th of 6
Women’s HS V8+ – Queens – 6th of 10; Manhattan – 8th of 10
Women’s HS JV 8+ – Queens – 4th of 5
Thank you to all the parents for supporting our athletes from the shore and for fueling them before and after the races. Next step for our youth teams: The Head of The Schuylkill Regatta in two weeks!
