Above are some of the members of the Chautauqua Lake Rowing Association who competed at the Pittsford Regatta recently. From the left are Makenna Graham, Alexis Barron, Anna Jean Burt, Shannon McKee, Amelia Thorp, Keeley Hayes, Leah Saxton, Sarah Quadt, and Anna Jones. Photo by Jim Odrzywolski

PITTSFORD — The Chautauqua Lake Rowing high school team concluded its season Memorial Day weekend with a regatta on the Erie Canal on a 1,200-meter course.

For the parents and families, it is a great regatta due to the proximity of the rowers to spectators. For the rowers, it is the most challenging regatta attended. Event categories are limited and competing teams from Rochester and Albany are among the top rowers in the state and compete favorably nationally. It is a two-day event with each day run as an independent regatta.

Qualifying races are run time-trial format with one boat released every15 seconds to row against the clock. Finishing in the top four advances a crew to one of two head-to-head, floating start semifinals. The two winners advance to the final. First to race for CLRA was the Varsity Girls 4+ B boat with Holly Morgenstern, Leah Saxton, Shannon McKee, Amelia Thorp, and coxswain Cassie Spillane. This crew finished in sixth place.

The next time trial race for CLRA was Varsity Girls 4+ A boat. Alexis Barron, Anna Jean Burt, Tori Lai, Alyson Edwards, and coxswain Makenna Graham completed the course in fourth position. This set up a semifinal race between the first-place boat, a crew from Pittsford, and CLRA. In the semifinal race, the CLRA crew challenged the host team, finishing 7 seconds behind the eventual overall second-place winner.

Up next for CLRA was the Varsity Men’s 8+ boat consisting of Jake Carlson, Marty Dibble, Max McKee, Greg Oakes, Phillup Harris, Drew Laurin, Logan White, Frankie Farrell, and coxswain Joe Dahlgren. The Men’s 8+ finished in eighth place.

Sunday racing began with the Varsity Boys 4+ B crew comprised of Blake Terry, Logan White, Phillup Harris, Frankie Farrell, and coxswain Joe Dahlgren. The young men finished eighth. The Varsity Boys 4+ A boat raced next, finishing ninth. In that crew boat were Jake Carlson, Greg Oakes, Max McKee, Marty Dibble, and coxswain Cassie Spillane. In the final event, Varsity Girls 8+, Alexis Barron, Anna Jean Burt, Shannon McKee, Amelia Thorp, Keeley Hayes, Leah Saxton, Sarah Quadt, Anna Jones, and coxswain Makenna Graham finished in eighth position.

CLRA is hosting a Learn to Row (LTR) session week, beginning on Saturday, July 8. For more information on the LTR or high school rowing, see the team’s website at www.rowchautauqua.org.