Connecticut Boat Club's Varsity 8 crew stayed undefeated and the Norwalk-based rowers won eight events in a strong showing last weekend at the Saratoga Invitational.
CBC's Varsity 8 comprises Norwalk coxswain Katherine Isaza, Southport's Lucy and Rosie Grinalds, Fairfield's Maddie Stearns, Greenwich's Abbie Frey and Heather Oudheusden, Darien's Christine Bragg, New Canaan's Abby Stevenson and Convent of the Sacred Heart student India Knight. CBC won in 6:37.8.
The Varsity 8 won the San Diego Crew Classic earlier this year against some of the top teams from the West. The victory Sunday came against some of the best teams in the East, including Community Rowing Inc. from Boston, Saratoga and Mount St. Joseph's Academy in Philadelphia. CBC defeated Community Rowing by 1.6 seconds in the Varsity 8.
Isaza, the Grinalds sisters, Knight and Oudheusden also won the Varsity 4+.
Two other 8s also won. The Junior Varsity 8 includes cox Ali Hornung of Weston, Greenwich's Lexie Lynn and Maria Lycouris, Wilton's Victoria Babchak, Sacred Heart Academy student Deirdre Fitzpatrick, and Darien's Alex Enzor, Caroline Cochran, Whitney Ruhlin and Emily Crump.
The Novice 8 featured Steph Leone, Fairfield's Annika Heumann, Darien's Katie deHaas and Olivia Taylor, Weston's Sarah Schwartz, Darien's Kyle Maier, Fairfield's Jessica Ferrante, Greenwich Academy student Bea Nash and Darien's Emily Olsen.
The Novice 4+ won with Leone, Heumann, deHaas, Taylor and Schwartz. The 4x won with Lycouris, Ridgefield's Meg Galloway, Babchak and Lynn.
CBC also won the Freshman 8 and the 2V 4+ races.
CBC will compete in the Founders Day regatta this weekend at Lake Waramaug in New Preston. Some of the top prep schools will be competing along with the Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club, one of the nation's top junior programs.
The crews are fine-tuning their lineups in preparation for the Northeast championships, which will be held May 21 and 22 at Lowell, Mass. The top teams from the Northeast meet qualify for the national championships in June.
Do you think CBC's Varsity 8 will go undefeated again this year? Start the discussion below!