Brunswick Crew Takes Bronze at National Championships

Brunswick came home with bronze medals from the 2023 USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida. The Bruins’ crew of Henry Andren ’24 (stroke), Jimmy Cabot ’23 (three), Ruffin Bryant ’23 (two), Campbell Officer ’23 (bow), and Lucas Tan ’24 (coxswain) closed out another banner year in rowing for the school, which saw them win several gold medals at big regattas in addition to earning silver medals at the famed Head of the Charles Regatta in the fall season.

 

Brunswick qualified for this regatta two previous times in school history (2018 and 2022) through top two finishes at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association (NEIRA) Championships; this year was the first that Brunswick sent a boat to Nationals.

Held annually in June, the USRowing Youth National Championships is the premier event in the domestic high school rowing calendar. Crews must qualify at one of 12 regional championships. Brunswick’s crew won the USRowing Northeast Youth Championships on May 21 to punch its ticket to the National Championships.

 

The regatta was a grueling four-day event in the Florida sun held on the world-class 2000m course at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota/Bradenton. In the opening heats on Thursday, Brunswick took 3rd in the Time Trial among 29 boats, a performance that earned them a place in the Semifinals on Friday. The fast and clean Bruin crew took 2nd place in its Semifinal, earning a place in the eight-boat A Final on Sunday.

 

After a "delay of regatta" warning and a re-start of the race, by the 500m mark Brunswick settled into 3rd position, where they remained all the way down the course as they held off charges from California’s Newport Sea Base Rowing along with Greenwich Crew and Chicago Rowing Foundation. Another California team, Norcal Crew, won gold in a time of 6:27.672. Brunswick finished in 6:35.841.