This past weekend, the Cathedral Catholic High School rowing team made waves at the SRAA National Scholastic Championship in Camden, New Jersey. At this event, over 130 high schools from across the United States compete fielding over 400 entries. Cathedral Catholic was one of only four high schools (Cathedral Catholic, Saint Ignatius, Junipero Serra and Berkeley High School) from the west coast to qualify and compete. Out of our six entries, the Freshmen Girls 4x boat achieved an impressive 3rd place finish, marking our first podium appearance in 11 years and setting a new milestone for our team.

Annika Nies, Julia Lopez, Ysabel Brenner, Misato (Mimi) Earley, & alternate Kynzie Kirkman make up the the Freshmen Girls 4x crew team that finished third.  Starting in 6th place, they executed an incredible sprint in the last 500 meters of the race, surging ahead of their competitors to secure the bronze medal. This thrilling come-from-behind victory was a highlight of the weekend.

In addition to the Freshmen Girls’ success, our team competed in several other categories. Our Boys Freshmen 4x, Boys and Girls JV 4x, Boys Varsity 1x, and Boys Varsity 4+ boats all gave commendable performances, showcasing their hard work and determination, although they did not advance to the next round of racing.

Overall, it was an outstanding event for the Dons Crew team. Congratulations to all our rowers and coaches for their exceptional efforts and accomplishments. We look forward to more successes in the future as they continue to build on this momentum. ROLL DONS!