Gloucester High School fall rowers posted two second-place finishes, two fourths and a pair of fifths in their first head race on Sunday in the Occoquan Challenge Regatta.

Fall racing differs from the straight-shot spring sprint races and tests the skills of the coxswains and bowmen, as well as the rowers. Each race was 4,500 meters long and consisted of two sharp turns and a difficult U turn. The Gloucester rowers did well in transitioning to the more challenging head racing style.

Rowing for the Dukes, Chris Smith was second in the novice single in 19:54 and Breanna Priode and Hannah Cagle were fourth in the junior double. The GHS men’s and women’s novice eights finished fifth and fourth, respectively.

Elizabeth Keane, Hannah Beverage, Gabby Lauer, Kendall Worland and coxswain Matthew Hendrix posted a time of 18:34 for second place in the junior four. Also racing in the junior four event, Smith, Ryan Brooks, James Lane, Logan Hutson and coxswain Meagan Martin were...