SARATOGA SPRINGS — Coming off a dominant Section II Rowing Championships, the Saratoga Rowing Association is looking to make its presence known yet again this weekend at the mouth of Fish Creek.
Saratoga Lake will again host the New York State Scholastic Rowing Association State Qualifiers and Championships from May 10-11, ending the annual third consecutive weekend of regattas in Saratoga Springs.
Last weekend, the SRA battled the elements, which included gusts of wind over 35 mph, and earned 12 medals for the local boathouse. Eight of them were gold.
“After the Saratoga invitational, which was a gigantic regatta weekend, last weekend was nice to be a little more local,” said girls varsity coach Eric Catalano. “We learned some lessons there and figured out what we needed to work on with our race plan and strategy. We got to race a couple races at Jr. B/Cs and sectionals to further develop our race plan in preparation for states this weekend.”
In what has been one of the worst spring seasons weather wise, Catalano is in anticipation of some questions still to be answered.
“We still feel like we’re just getting our feet under us, but we’re an extremely deep team and appreciative of the success we’ve had in all the boat classes,” Catalano said. “The limited water time has certainly created a sense of urgency. We still have a little bit of speed to be gained as we come to end as a group. It’s pretty late for us to not have every boat lineup finalized, but it’s starting to come together and we’re looking forward to the refining process between states and nationals…What I did like was how well they stayed focused even in the really challenging conditions. I would say that’s one of the strengths of the girls team right now is that they’re really able to focus and stay on task regardless of the situation—whether it be wind condition or competition level. They get themselves in the place they need to be mentally.”
For first year varsity boys head coach Brad Maxwell, where not being in the water as early as usual can hurt team chemistry, it might have also had some benefits.
“I think right now we’re really starting to hit our stride,” Catalano said. “It’s tough getting on the water so late and getting comfortable on the boat with our technique. I think it also helped us out by getting us in good shape. But that’s only one part of rowing.”
Both the girls and boys have been raking in the hardware in the limited time on the water this year, as rowers have stepped up beyond their primary events.
On the boys’ side, there has been a consistent effort that has the program with not only current high expectations, but also future promise.
A key to that has been one word: depth.
“Our depth is the biggest thing that has been impressive,” Maxwell said. “We’ve been winning on the eighth grade level, with the freshman guys, and then we have sophomores rowing on varsity. We’ve been winning in the junior events as well as the senior events. It’s really deep this year and it’s a testament to what our director of rowing has created and to the whole coaching staff. It really starts with the seventh and eighth grade modified program.”
Maxwell, who came to the SRA in January, is making the transition from coaching at Iona Preparatory (started program eight years ago) and the prestigious New York Athletic Club in Pelham.
His assistant coaches, Manny Delgado and Joe Carlson, have been a crucial part of the large amount of boats garnering medals, Maxwell said.
Transitioning to a new style hasn’t seemed to be a problem as a majority of the 40 boys on the SRA team came home with medals last weekend.
With most of the scholastic boys crew team being made up of the sophomore class, the leadership of the team’s three seniors—Milo Alexandra-Young, Ondrei Aquino and Bailey Mckenna—has been paramount.
“We had a couple seniors quit at the beginning of the season and I expected these guys to step up and they’ve done a great job,” Maxwell said. ‘They’ve been leaders in the boathouse and leaders on the water. It’s been showing with the results as well. Having such a young team, it’s really important to have the standard set. You can tell them one thing, but it’s really the example that they follow. These guys have been great leaders.”
Single scull rower Ryan Gastarini, who sits in the stroke seat of the senior quad, has also stepped it up so far this season, said Maxwell,
On the girls’ side, sophomore Grace Mastrianni made the jump from third Varsity 8 to first Varsity 8 in less than a year’s worth of rowing.
“It’s a big jump to go from third varsity to first varsity in one season,” Catalano said. “I don’t want to say it’s a surprise because she’s a pretty fantastic athlete, but for her to make that jump is certainly not a normal situation.”
The depth of the girls’ team has also once again proved to be a powerful force—one that reminds Catalano of last year’s team. Last season’s Varsity 8 earned a trip to Sydney, Australia after their Head of the Charles performance.
“This is a different group then last year,” Catalano said. “Those varsity girls had been together for a long time. This is a relatively new group, but the depth of the group and what I think will be successful across so many different classes of boats is right up there with last year, if not stronger across the whole group.”
