The Rye High School varsity men’s coxed-four crew of Grant Janart, Tristan MacHale, Alex Martin, Jim Palmer, and coxswain Ally Sullivan finished the season 2nd in the C-Finals at the US Rowing Youth Nationals, 14th overall in the nation, and 8th based on time against 22 other boats.
The Rye High School varsity men’s coxed-four crew of Grant Janart, Tristan MacHale, Alex Martin, Jim Palmer, and coxswain Ally Sullivan finished the season 2nd in the C-Finals at the US Rowing Youth Nationals, 14th overall in the nation, and 8th based on time against 22 other boats. A lot to shout about for such a young rowing program.
This was Rye High’s first showing at Nationals, where 369 crews and 1,585 competitors from 30 states competed at Melton Hill Lake in Oak ridge, Tennessee. On their march to Nationals, Rye High also qualified four boats to the Scholastic Nationals, doubling last year’s total of two boats.
2011 was Rye’s first year competing in the New York State Championship in Saratoga Springs, where they entered 11 boats and had to borrow all of their equipment. The team ended up having one boat qualify to compete at Scholastic Nationals in Camden, N.J. This season at States, Rye entered 47 athletes and 14 boats with four crews advancing further to Nationals, and the Boys 4+ qualifying for both the Scholastic Nationals and the US Rowing Nationals.
Rye’s coxed-four had an exciting three days in Tennessee, improving their time versus their competitors in each of their three races. Placing only 5th in their preliminary heat (16th overall by time), Rye had to fight through the repechage heats, improving their relative time by 5 seconds as they tried to advance to the finals. Qualifying for the C-Finals, Rye showed it’s talent by again improving the relative time by a further 5 seconds, moving them ahead of half the boats in B-Finals and 8th place overall based on time.
Rye High also had rowers from two other clubs in the finals. In the A-Finals, Melissa Curtis, a RHS junior rowing for Greenwich Crew in a single shell, finished 4th in the country. Sophomore Brakeley Bryant rowed in the Women’s Lightweight 4+, where she finished 6th in the C-Finals, 18th overall.
Hutch Bryant, a junior, rowing for RowAmericaRye, placed 2nd in the C-Finals 14th overall. RowAmericaRye, in their first showing at the Youth Nationals, turned heads with their strong performance in the men’s eights.
Rye High School and RowAmericaRye both trained out of a parking lot this season while their new boathouse was being constructed on Milton Road. Interested rowers can find out more including learn-to-row programs for kids and adults at rowamericarye.com.
