On May 11th and 12th, the Varsity Rowing team attended the USRowing Midwest Scholastic Championships for the first time. Despite the nerves associated with competition firsts, their outcome was impressive.
The USRowing Midwest Scholastic Championship is a regatta hosted by the Midwest Scholastic Rowing Association which takes place in Milford, Michigan. The regatta hosts teams from Iowa to West Virginia. Overall the team placed 15th out of 54 at the championship, placing second out of 20 in Division three. Along with the team’s overall achievements, the two rowers did exceptionally well, allowing them to advance towards the National Championship.
Seniors Dylan Norton and Jackson Kay participated in the men’s varsity doubles, taking home the victory and qualifying for Nationals. Competing against traditional powerhouse crew teams from East Grand Rapids, Northville and Shaker Heights (Ohio), the championship title was no easy feat.
Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics teacher and assistant rowing coach Stephen Barthlow acknowledges the team’s successes and the extensive efforts put forth by Norton and Kay to earn their place at the national competition.
“The amount of work and dedication that [Norton and Kay] put into the sport has allowed them to grow together and push each other to be the best that they can be,” Barthlow said. “They’ve been rowing together for at least three years. That is a lot of time spent together in a boat, getting comfortable rowing together. So not only are they familiar with each other but they’re also just really physically fit.”
The two feel they did exceptionally well at the Midwest Scholastic Championships, beating teams they have struggled to in past regattas. Norton believes their win comes from their hardwork and perseverance throughout the season.
“I’m really proud of how well [Kay and I have] rowed recently. I like to think that our success comes from our persistence and the experience we’ve developed by overcoming the mistakes we’ve made in previous races,” Norton said.
The dynamic duo will be heading to Sarasota, Florida on June 6th for the National Championship. This is the first time the Wildcats will be attending this event. With that, the pair has a lot of preparations to be made in order to be regatta-ready. Kay and Norton must utilize various strategies to prepare for the competition.
“This week we are getting private training from one of our coaches before practice, plus we are doing normal practice. Also, [Norton] and I are doing a lot of talking about our racing strategy before the race comes up,” Kay said.
Though the race is still a week away, the time will fly and Norton and Kay will be rowing Wildcat style in Florida at the National Championship.
