Avery Bishop-Martin, Ethan White, Sofia Fleming, Izie Janecek, Parker Landsman, Luke Pietsch, Joie Zier, Haley Moss, Arla Sutton, Birdie Greening, Alecia Talbot, Helena Auger, Uma McMurray, Tommy Anderson- Cleveland, Anwyn Thompson, Grace Gustafson, Nisha Woolworth / Photographer: Marty Zier
The Orcas Island crew team had a very successful season, with three boats qualifying for finals during the Northwest Regional Regatta in Vancouver, Washington. The team consisted of nine novice rowers and nine varsity rowers. They were the second smallest team of almost 30 others, ranging from nine to over 50 players. The hard work and early mornings throughout the season paid off when the team brought home five medals from regionals and many fourth placings.
This year, every member worked their hardest and made many improvements. “Crew is a very strong club with a lot of young inspired athletes. It was a wonderful group of people to spend my last season of high school crew with,” said Joie Zier. Every year, the club has to wait until the ice thaws from the lake and the wind dies down to begin to row on the water, but this year, that time came earlier than normal. The novices were able to learn how to manage the boat and become more comfortable with rowing before the first regatta against Lake Stevens, and the varsity could start the long process of perfecting their stroke.
Coached by Tina Brown, George Andreadis, Jake Zier, Mary Anna Bishop Martin, and McKenna Nieme, the rowers participated in four regattas throughout the spring season. The team hosted their first regatta, the “Dual Duel,” on Cascade Lake. With only 1,000 meters to work with instead of the traditional 2,000, the team focused on having fun and experiencing a race before moving on to the Spring Sprints Regatta at Lake Stevens, the Covered Bridge Regatta in Oregon, and finally, Northwest Regionals.
Despite a handful of exciting flips and many early mornings, freshman Izie Janecek describes the season as “empowering, exhilarating and joyful.”