Baldwin School’s lightweight double wins National Championship
The Baldwin School lightweight double of Olivia Lanchoney (stroke) and Zara Wenzinger (bow) capped off their undefeated season with a first-place finish at the 2017 SRAA (Scholastic Rowing Association of America) National Championships May 27 at the Cooper River in New Jersey. Baldwin’s lightweight double finished ahead of entries from T.C. Williams and Xavier Prep to bring home the gold with a time of 5:46.8.
Commanding the race from start to finish, Lanchoney was able to find a moment during this race to reflect on the past season and the boat’s successes, until T.C. Williams made one final attempt to claim the lead and forced Baldwin to counter.
Of the three boats Baldwin sent to the Cooper River, all three – lightweight double, varsity double, and junior varsity quad – made it to the grand finals, with two boats making their way onto the podium.
Baldwin’s junior varsity quad (Hailey Barnett stroke, Jane Bai three, Tara McMahon two, Julia Love bow) powered through the May 26 heat with a victory to be placed between rivals Agnes Irwin and Conestoga in the final. The quad passed through Agnes Irwin early in the race, sticking with pack leaders Conestoga all the way to the finish line to earn the silver. Baldwin athletes in this boat are rising seniors and juniors.
Competing in a larger field than the lightweights and junior varsity quad, the varsity double (Caroline Kiser stroke, Jasmine Greytok bow) was challenged by difficult conditions and a shortened warmup period in Friday’s heats, but advanced through to the semifinals. Almost perfect racing weather and a warmup plan adapted to better suit the Cooper River venue helped the double to finish in a comfortable second and secure a lane in the afternoon’s final. Knowing they’d be facing their toughest competition of the season, the double pulled out all the stops to maximize recovery before their afternoon race; makeshift ice baths were procured. The varsity girls finished sixth in a closely-contested final, with less than 20 seconds separating winners Ridgewood from last place.
