Jacksonville Invitational Report (Submitted to Florida Today)

JACKSONVILLE, FL__The Melbourne HS Rowing Team finished 2nd overall in the team competition at the Jacksonville Invitational Regatta. The event, hosted and won by Jacksonville Episcopal School, was raced on 1500m of the Ortega River and featured 8 other schools and clubs from Florida and South Carolina.

Winning Bulldogs crews were the Men’s Novice 4 (Adam Boyle, Jeff Swahlan, James Mullen, Clayton Yost, and Jacob Bailey) and the Men’s Novice 8 (Swahlan, Mullen, Yost, Bailey, Luis Mata, Zach Bell, Matt Marshall, James Stapleton, and Corinne Johnson).

Second place finishes were recorded in the Men’s Varsity and JV8, and Men’s Lightweight 4. Third places finishes were in the Men’s Varsity and JV4, Men’s 3rd 8, Women’s Freshman 4 and Women’s Double scull.

“The kids stepped it up today against some very tough competition, and I’m proud of the way they worked together as a team” said Head Coach Matt Kaminski. “Some crews may not have gotten the results they wanted but that will give us a good focus for the next four weeks.”

This concludes the regular competition season for the Bulldog rowers, who will start preparing for the upcoming State Championships which will be held April 24-25 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, FL.

The Melbourne HS Rowing Team would like to extend its thanks to the Melbourne City Council and our many supporters, for the passing of Resolution 3116 at the recent Melbourne City Council meeting, to allow us to use Ballard Park for our new training home.

Giblet Head Race Report (Submitted to Florida Today)

The Melbourne HS Mixed Youth 8 won the last event of the day of the 3rd Annual Head of the Giblet on Saturday, and closed out the Bulldog’s fall head race season on a winning note on Turkey Lake in Orlando. It also marks the end of the fall head race season for the team.

The crew of Samantha Weiser, Scott Del Vecchio, Matt Outlaw, Andrew Stebbins, Nathan Esterline, Katy Smithson, Shannon Riley, Marley Adams and Jonnie Smithson outdueled Lake Brantley HS at the front of the pack of ten crews over the 5,000m course to win by six seconds in 18:53.

“This was one of those last minute combinations that just clicked,” said Head Rowing Coach Matt Kaminski. “Mixed crews (of equal number of boys and girls) are always a fun way to get an extra race in, and winning such a close race against a quality team like Lake Brantley is a great way to finish our fall season.”

The team also earned a second place finish in the girls novice eight, and third place finishes in the girls varsity four, girls lightweight four, men’s novice eight, and men’s novice four.

Head of the South Report (from Florida Today)

 The Melbourne High crew team won a regatta for the first time in its history. The Bulldogs finished first in the 13th annual Head of the South Regatta on the Savannah River in Augusta, Ga. 

 Melbourne finished first in the Junior Division with 151 points. Charlotte Youth Rowing was second, and the East Tennessee Rowing Organization placed third.

 "This is a huge accomplishment and a great honor for our school and organization," Melbourne coach Matt Kaminski said. "We have enjoyed the challenge of getting to this level and look forward to the greater challenges that we will now face." 

 The women's youth lightweight four of Jonnie Smithson, Kay Smithson, Shannon Riley, Marley Adams and Morgan Schlig won their race by 37 seconds with a time of 17 minutes, 57 seconds on the 4,800-meter course. 

 The mixed youth four team of Jonnie Smithson, Marley Adams, Matt Outlaw, Scott Del Vecchio and Cassidy Peterson also won their event in 17:34. The men's varsity eight placed second, just 1.1 seconds behind Jacksonville Stanton Prep. 

 The men's lightweight youth four, mixed youth eight, men's youth novice eight and men's youth novice four teams finished second in their respective events. 

 More than 400 boats from 51 clubs and 10 states competed. 

 "This is a great venue with a great course and great competition," Kaminski said. "To come away with any medal at an event like this is great. It is a testament to how hard the kids are working." 

 Melbourne will compete this weekend at the Head of the Giblet on Turkey Lake in Orlando. The fall season then will conclude with the Sunrise Sprints on Dec. 5 at Lake Fairview in Orlando.

 

Gator Head Race Report (submitted to Florida Today)

GAINESVILLE__Scott Del Vecchio of the Melbourne High School Rowing Team led the way as he captured the Men’s Single Scull event at the Gator Head Race on Saturday at Newnan’s Lake in Gainesville. He won the event in 22:15. Other Bulldog medalists were the silver medal Men’s and Women’s Novice 8’s and Women’s Double Scull. Bronze medals were earned by the women’s varsity four and women’s single scull.  The team finished fourth overall behind winners Gainesville Area Rowing. Orlando Area Rowing and Lake Brantley Rowing Association finished second and third respectively. The team finished sixth overall last year. (coaches note – there were 11 teams competing)

“I’m proud of how the team worked together,” said Head Coach Matt Kaminski. “This was a week of testing out some new combinations and individuals, and I’m very happy with how the team took to the challenge.” The Bulldogs travel to Augusta, Georgia for their next competition on November 14th for the 13th Annual Head of the South Regatta.

 

First Coast Head Race Report (submitted to Florida Today)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla__The Melbourne HS Rowing Team opened up their fall racing season on Saturday with successes at the 1st Coast Head Race on the Arlington River. Seven of the ten Bulldog crews entered earned top three places and medals against schools and clubs from northern and central Florida including Stanton College Prep, Bolles, Edgewater, OARS, Capital City and Gainesville Area Rowing.

Shannon Riley won the Bulldog’s first race of the day in the women’s novice single with a time of 30:54 against the outgoing tide on the 3 mile race course. This set the tone of the day as the Bulldogs repeatedly found podium finishes as the temperature soared into the low 90’s and a heat index of 100 degrees.

The Mixed Open 4+ of Andrew Stebbins, Michael Draper, Shannon Riley, McKenzie Cooper and coxswain Morgan Schlig won their event in 18:49. They were closely followed down the course by the third Melbourne HS boat to win, the Men’s Youth Novice 8 of Andy Garner, Jacob Scalise, Jake Combs, Nathan Esterline, Stephen Van Vliet, Joel Thomas, Adam Boyle, Austin Trapani and coxswain Kenny Leary. They covered the course with the incoming tide in 17:50.

Three silvers were earned by the Men’s Youth Light 4+ (Michael Draper, Troy Maxwell, Jacob Scalise, Evan Williams, Cassidy Peterson) the Men’s Youth Novice 4+ (Combs, Esterline, Van Vliet, Trapani, Corinne Johnson), and the Women’s Youth Novice 8 in the last race of the day (Megan Armison, Sami Armstrong, Lunden Husband, Audrey Frazier, Katie Dubie, Regan Ross, Hannah Edmondson, Amanda Kennedy, and Jaimie Beekler).

The Men’s Novice 8 “B” crew of Dillon Ris, Taariq Imami, James Mullin, Jeff Swahlan, Zach Bell, Luis Mata, Jacob Bailey, Matthew Marshal, and Aaron Evans wrapped up the top three finishes with a bronze and behind the Bulldog “A” crew which won the event.

Two other Bulldog boats raced Sunday at the Head of the Indian Creek in Miami Beach due to SAT conflicts the day before.  Twins Jonnie and Katy Smithson combined to earn a bronze in the Women’s Youth double scull, while Scott Del Vecchio finished 4th in the Men’s Youth single scull.

Next up for the Bulldog rowers will be the Gator Head Race at Lake Newman in Gainesville on October 24th.