October 26, 2024  |  Columbus, OH

North Allegheny Rowing made the journey to Columbus, OH for the Blake Haxton Fall Regatta on October 26, eager to test their speed and progress against both familiar rivals and some of the fastest scholastic and club teams in the Midwest. Nothing fuels improvement like healthy competition. With a strong tailwind favoring the 5k course, the Tigers were ready to embrace the challenge. 

The day kicked off with the Women’s 1st Varsity 4+ crew, which featured Boe Sumerlin, Alexandra Edfors, Natalie Helffrich, Vanessa Edfors, and coxswain Abby Berger. They executed a Henley-style start and placed 19th. Following them, the Novice Men’s 1st 4+, composed of James Hamed, Ryan Lovejoy, Yuantao Tang, Stephen Webber-Plank, and coxswain Tai Luangkesorn, finished 18th against a field of competitive crews.

Next, a series of Men’s Varsity doubles took to the water. Miles Rees and Anthony Bertucci had a standout performance, earning a bronze medal with a time of 18:06.43, marking their continued success with podium finishes throughout the fall. The other doubles entries finished 10th, 12th, and 13th, with commendable efforts from Roman Bellisario & Nolan Bunn, Alex Repinski & Christian Sperandeo, and Carson Corona & Layton Wright respectively. 

The Women’s 1st Varsity 4x crew of Kathy Zema, Charlee Sunday, Madison Lambert, and Alex Witzel followed up with a strong performance, securing 3rd place in 18:43.81. This crew has consistently found success on the podium this season. The Women’s Varsity 4x lineup then hot seated into the Womens 1st Varsity 8+ event (Alex Witzel, Boe Sumerlin, Madison Lambert, Kathy Zema, Charlee Sunday, Alexandra Edfors, Natalie Helffrich, Vanessa Edfors, and coxswain Lauren Keyser), where they finished 15th with a time of 18:27.50.

Shortly after, the Men’s 1st Varsity 4+, consisting of second-year rowers Nik Kshirsagar, Max Disque, Grady Stoll, Suraj Raina, and coxswain Abby Berger, came in 22nd. The Novice Women then competed in the 4+ event (Ananya Doizhode, Greta Edors, Louisa Patel, Natalie Patel, and coxswain Emma Coca), finishing 17th after a determined sprint to the finish line. 

Abby Greiner and Jocelyn Munroe followed in the Women’s Varsity 2x having secured 11th place against some very fast and experienced crews, showcasing their impressive development and growth throughout the season. The Men’s Novice 8+ crew (James Hamed, Ryan Lovejoy, Yuantao Tang, Emmett Robleto, Stephen Webber-Plank, Daniel Choi, Matthew Collins, Tai Luangkesorn, and coxswain Ava Moore) finished 15h, crossing the line just 0.4 seconds ahead of the crew behind them.

The Tigers concluded their day with a series of Men’s quads. The Men’s 1st Varsity 4x of Miles Rees, Carson Corona, Anthony Bertucci, and Layton Wright finished 6th. North Allegheny then had two crews in the Men’s 2nd Varsity 4x event. The A lineup of Cooper Lemon, Alex Repinski, Neil Pore, and Chrisitian Sperandeo earned the Tigers 4th, right behind a trio of Skyline crews, a fellow Midwest Scholastic team. The B lineup of Roman Bellisario, Grady Stoll, Max Disque, and Nolan Bunn placed 6th.

The fall season has highlighted the Tigers’ growth and commitment to resilience and improvement, culminating in a series of strong performances. As the fall wraps up, the team is gearing up for Winter Training, which will kick off on December 3rd from 5-7 PM, Monday through Thursday at NAI, in preparation for the Spring Sprint Season. NA Students in 7-12th grade who are interested in joining NA Rowing and being a part of the crew, can register here for Winter Training.

Posted in 2024-25 Season