Cathedral Catholic Crew delivered a strong series of races, highlighted by a breakthrough performance at the Pacific Invite on March 7 at Lake Merced and a strong home scrimmage against Waterford Prep.

The first highlight came at the Pacific Invite, where the Dons faced tough competition from high school teams and rowing clubs. This year, the team quickly showed improvement. Lyla Milligan and Sophia Edson led early and won the Girls U17 2x with a decisive, start-to-finish victory, finishing 20 seconds ahead and earning the team’s first gold medal of the day. The momentum continued with the Women’s 8+, which finished third with Julia Habas (coxswain), Julia Byrnes, Audrey Crow, Julia Lopez, Mimi Early, Annika Nies, Abby Cena, and Chloe Mullen. On the boys’ side, the Varsity 4x of Nick Roberts, Tyler MacRae, Landon Morales, and Andreas Rull took second, and the 2nd Varsity 4x also earned silver. The lightweight Varsity 2x of Morales and Rull finished third, while the 2nd Varsity 2x of Owen Podegracz and Jake Vignevic secured another bronze. By the end of the day, Cathedral Catholic had won six medals, far exceeding previous results at the event and marking a significant step forward for the program.

Building on this success, the team brought its energy to a scrimmage against Waterford Prep during its San Diego training trip. In a series of practice races, the Dons demonstrated both speed and depth across multiple lineups. Milligan and Edson continued to lead their events, while the Girls Varsity 4x, Byrnes, Lopez, Crow, and Early, raced neck-and-neck with the reigning SRAA National Champions. On the boys’ side, Bruce and Logan Ebreo started strong in the 2x and maintained control throughout. The Novice 4x made solid progress ahead of upcoming races. The Varsity 4x rotated lineups and matched Waterford’s top boat, showcasing the team’s versatility. Overall, the week’s races displayed substantial growth and momentum as Cathedral Catholic Crew heads into the heart of the spring season.