Members of the Mathews High School crew traveled last Thursday to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to compete in the 86th annual Scholastic Rowing Association of America national championship regatta.
This year’s SRAA event, which had 414 entries from 137 teams, was held on the Oak Ridge Rowing Association’s Class A race course which attracts over 15,000 visitors each year to compete in different rowing and aquatic events. The Blue Devils entered the boys’ and girls’ junior doubles and the girls’ senior single.
First up for Friday’s trial heats was Lillian Copeland, who faced 18 other entries in the girls’ senior single. With two to qualify for finals in three heats, Copeland’s third-place finish did not advance her to the final with her 6:44.583 time putting her ninth out 19.
Next to race, Sydney Kollar and Scarlet Johnson faced six other entries in the girls’ junior double. The young girls’ effort put them seventh out of seven and they did not advance. Ben Stroud and Jaxon McDonald faced a fiel...