The women’s novice 4+ team consisting of Caroline Apthorpe, Liz Kane, Mary Rose Slater, Isabella Grijalva and Emma Abers finished the day in second place last Sunday on the Black Rock Canal in Buffalo. P-J photo by Tim Frank

Chautauqua Lake Rowing’s high school team recently headed to Buffalo to race on the Black Rock Canal.

Although there were various COVID-19 restrictions still in effect, 110 boat crews were in attendance. The winds were gusting to start the morning at 20-25 mph. Fortunately, the strong winds were across the canal permitting racing to commence. Gradually, winds subsided and racing continued throughout the morning and early afternoon.

Preliminary races were set up as time trials with boats released every 15 seconds competing against the clock. Only the top four in each category advanced to any final. CLRA has a young crew this season with two seventh-graders, one eighth-grader and a couple of freshmen on the team. Only three have prior regatta experience. CLRA had crews in four events. The men’s varsity 4+ was first out of the chute. Jacob Sears, Carson Hanson, Frankie Farrell, Gannon Moore and steersman Emma Abers raced to sixth overall.

Two women’s events followed. Taking on the challenge of rowing in an upper level race with very limited race experience, Alex McKee, Emma Abers, Stella Hren, Caroline Apthorpe and steersman Braley Lachner competed in the women’s junior varsity 4+ race finishing seventh. The women’s novice 4+ race followed. They had a tremendous start to the day finishing first in the race, a full 15 seconds in front of the second-place boat. This qualified them for the finals in the afternoon. This boat was crewed by Caroline Apthorpe, Liz Kane, Mary Rose Slater, Isabella Grijalva and steersman Emma Abers.

The final time trial race was the men’s varsity 8+ consisting of Frankie Farrell, Carson Hanson, Jacob Sears, Gannon Moore, Noah Miles, Braley Lachner, Nate Laurin, Jameson Sauder and steersman Alex McKee. In spite of two seventh-graders in the boat, they finished in sixth place.

The final race of the day was the women’s novice 4+. The format for this is head to head racing with four boats across the canal. This crew took the lead with 600 meters remaining. With 400 meters to go, the crew had a problem causing them to come to a near stop. They quickly fell to third place. However, they regained their momentum, moving to second place and held that spot going away.