RICHMOND, VA, August 16, 2010 -- Fourteen athletes from the Richmond-based Virginia Boat Club (VBC) competed in the 2010 USRowing Masters National Championships winning 8 silver medals and one bronze. The wins were a strong showing for the club and highlighted the level of competitive rowing in the central Virginia area.
With two boathouses on the James River at Rocketts Landing and in Chesterfield county, the VBC attracts residents from the great Richmond area. With approximately 150 members, the club promotes rowing through competitive, recreational, and learn-to-row programs.
For the 2010 USRowing Masters National Championships, the VBC entered 13 races and advanced to the finals in 12 of these events, ultimately medaling in 9 of the races -- with 8 silver and 1 bronze. In the overall team points
standing, the VBC place 26th out of 138 clubs, outperforming larger more established programs.
The USRowing Masters National Championship is a four-day regatta featuring master’s level competition with participation from rowing clubs across the country. This year’s event was held on August 12-15 in Camden, NJ and consisted of 199 races with over 1,400 entries from 138 rowing clubs in 32 states and 3 countries. Athletes competed in age categories with the oldest competitor at 86 years old.
“The level of competition is extremely high at this regatta and it brings out the best rowers from around the country,” according to VBC rower Shannon Conner. “It’s not unusual to race against former Olympians and national team members at this event.”
Competing in the event were VBC rowers: Dave Sutherland, Jason Rife, Steve Abbot, Steve Chilmaid, Olaf Barth, Molly Brannan, Lyons Hardy, Erin Simon, Jess Kostick, Shannon Connor, Jen Harper and Barb Faurot. Leading these crews were VBC coxswains Katie Wood and Maura Norford.
Medal results were:2nd Place Women’s Lightweight B 1x (Jen Harper)
2nd Place Men’s Heavyweight C 4x (Steve Abbot, Jason Rife, Olaf Barth and Steve Chilmaid)
2nd Place Women’s Open B 2x (Shannon Connor and J. Harper)
2nd Place Women’s Lightweight C 4x (S. Connor, J. Harper, Barb Faurot and Celeste Conn)
2nd Place Women’s Lightweight A 1x (J. Harper)
3rd Place Mixed C 4x (J. Rife, S. Connor, B. Faurot and S. Chilmaid)
2nd Place Men’s Club C 4x (S. Abbot, J. Rife, O. Barth and S. Chilmaid)
2nd Place Men’s Heavyweight C 4- (Dave Sutherland, J. Rife, S. Abbot and S. Chilmaid)
2nd Place Women’s Lightweight A 2x (S. Connor and J. Harper)
The event helped to raise the visibility of competitive rowing in the Richmond area by drawing attention to the VBC in a national spotlight. “By performing well in a national venue like Masters Nationals, we’re sending a message that says competitive rowing is strong in central Virginia,” says Mark Wills, president of the VBC.
“The James River is one of the best venues on the east coast for rowing,” adds Willis. “However, awareness is low among the rowing community. By increasing the visibility of rowing in Richmond, our goal is to attract more interest to the area from clubs in the D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia area.”
