October 12, 2024  |  Marietta, OH

On October 12th, the North Allegheny Tigers made their inaugural appearance at the Head of the Muskingum in Marietta, OH. The 3-mile course on the ‘Mighty Musky’, known for its twists and turns, presented a unique challenge for the team. The day was filled with competitive spirit, showcasing the team’s dedication and skill, and resulted in impressive performances from the athletes as they embraced this unique racing experience.

The day kicked off with the Women’s U19 4x, where Kathy Zema, Charlee Sunday, Madison Lambert, and Alex Witzel clinched gold, demonstrating impressive speed and having overcome the boat that had bested them the previous week. Following them, the Novice Women’s 4+ crew of Ananya Doizhode, Greta Edors, Louisa Patel, Natalie Patel, and coxswain Emma Coca placed 13th, gaining valuable experience and insights for future races.

Next up was the Men’s U17 4+, featuring Nik Kshirsagar, Max Disque, Daniel Choi, Suraj Raina, and coxswain Abby Berger, who secured a commendable 5th place in this lineup’s first race together this season. A standout moment for the Tigers came from the Women’s U17 2x event, where Abby Greiner and Jocelyn Munroe captured a bronze model, marking a significant achievement for this lineup.

In the Men’s U19 2x event, Miles Rees and Anthony Bertucci showcased their speed once again, repeating their gold-winning performance from the previous week, finishing ahead of the second-place boat by over 30 seconds. The Tigers also had two additional doubles in this event: Carson Corona and Layton Wright finished 6th, while Roman Bellisario and Nolan Bunn placed 10th. The Men’s U17 2x crew of Alex Repinski and Christian Sperandeo finished 5th, demonstrating resilience despite facing challenges during the race.

The varsity women returned to the course in the Women’s U19 8+, featuring Alex Witzel, Boe Sumerlin, Madison Lambert, Kathy Zema, Charlee Sunday, Alexandra Edfors, Natalie Helffrich, Vanessa Edfors, and coxswain Lauren Keyser. They finished 6th, improving their speed against tough competition, having surpassed several crews from their previous race.

The Novice Men made their debut for the day in the Men’s Novice 8+, finishing 9th (James Hamed, Ryan Lovejoy, Yuantao Tang, Emmett Robleto, Stephen Webber-Plank, Daniel Choi, Matthew Collins, Tai Luangkesorn, and coxswain Ava Moore). In a quick turnaround, the women returned to the water in the Women’s U19 4+ event (Boe Sumerlin, Alexandra Edfors, Natalie Helffrich, Vanessa Edfors, and coxswain Abby Berger), finishing 13th after a tight race.

The Tigers fielded two quads in the Men’s U19 4x event. The quad of Miles Rees, Carson Corona, Anthony Bertucci, and Layton Wright earned a bronze medal, while the second quad, consisting of Roman Bellisario, Grady Stoll, Max Disque, and Nolan Bunn, secured 7th place. The Men’s U17 4x crew of Cooper Lemon, Alex Repinski, Neil Pore, and Chrisitian Sperandeo earned the Tigers’ third gold medal of the regatta, having chased down every boat in their event. 

Finally, the Men’s Novice 4+ crew of James Hamed, Ryan Lovejoy, Yuantao Tang, Stephen Webber-Plank, and coxswain Tai Luangkesorn finished 9th, rounding out a successful day for North Allegheny Rowing.

The Tigers will next compete in the Blake Haxton Regatta in Columbus, OH, on October 26th. Their goal is to capitalize on their recent successes and continue to refine their speed, strength, and technique as the fall season unfolds.

Posted in 2024-25 Season