After two COVID years of not rowing at Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association hosted regattas, the Mathews High School Crew team returned to Sandy Run Regional Park, Occoquan, Virginia, last Saturday to compete in the Walter Mess Regatta. The regatta schedule and format was finally back to normal and MHS entered the Women's Varsity Double, Women’s Varsity Quad and the Men’s Varsity Four. The Men’s Varsity Four line up for Mathews was rowed by Ben Stroud, Jaxon McDonald, Calvin Burton, Cole Wheeler and coxswain Savannah Hartlove. The boat launched in the second trial heat to determine who would go to the final. Although the MHS time was sixth fastest of ten entries, they did not advance as their heat had four of the fastest boats with only three to qualify.
The MHS Women’s Double line up had Lillian Copeland and Mandy Moran competing against four entries in the straight to final event. In a full course battle, the Mathews duo was edged 1.3 seconds out of a gold finish behind a strong double from Walter Johnson with a Walter Johnson B and a Mount Vernon entries trailing in third and fourth place. In a full six boat final for the Women’s Varsity Quad, Lady Blue Devils Macy Johnson, Scarlet Johnson, Annalise Morse and Lily Baucom took the gold, besting Hylton by 7.6 seconds with Justice, Gar-Field A & B and Hylton B finishing out the field. According to MHS head coach Jon Lothian, “The day went well as we had no previous racing results this spring to gauge our competition with. Our team is young with a number of novices in key varsity boats. This was a good eye opener to help with team focus.” The MHS rowers will train through spring break to prepare for a scrimmage on April 16th with Albemarle High School on the Rivanna River in Charlottesville, Virginia.