A new world record in the half marathon by Olympic gold medalist Esther Lofgren capped the competition at the 2015 MidAtlantic Erg Sprints, hosted by T.C. Williams High School on Jan. 31.
More than 1,700 athletes from 130 teams in 14 states competed, making this the world’s second largest indoor rowing competition and the largest for high school athletes. For Alexandria, athletes from T.C. Williams, Bishop Ireton, and St. Stephens & St. Agnes Schools competed, with Bishop Ireton winning a group award as the top Washington metropolitan Interscholastic Rowing Association team, sharing the honors with Walt Whitman High School crew.
During the event, Lofgren, 2012 Olympic gold medalist and eight-time member of the U.S. National Rowing Team, shattered the world record for the half marathon, posting a time of 1 hour, 20 minutes and 12 seconds, beating a 2003 record by three minutes.
In a short ceremony mid-day, organizers commemorated the 30th anniversary of the MidAtlantic Erg Sprints, which has been held at T.C. Williams every year since January of 1986. Past Alexandria Crew Boosters presidents Paul Bea and Dan Shipp, along with former TC crew coach Mike Penn, recounted the history of the event, which started in the TC gymnasium with a handful of competitors as a way to motivate rowers to stay in shape during the off-season. The original bicycle-wheel erg rowing machine used during that event, on display for the ceremony, was a reminder of how far the sport has come. The ceremony highlighted the contributions of the many coaches who coax top performances out of their athletes. It included top U.S. national rowers Lofgren and Yohann Rigogne who threw T-shirts to participants.
The MidAtlantic Erg Sprints presented medals for individual performances and trophies for consolidated performances. This year, McLean High School crew club won the trophy for the top high school rowing team, as well as the top Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association team. The Bishop Ireton High School rowing team and Walt Whitman High School shared first place honors as the top Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Rowing Association team. The MedStar NRH Paralympic Sport Club dominated the top fitness club team category. Great Bridge High School grabbed the top Eastern Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association team honors, and the Annapolis Junior Rowing Association took the Baltimore-Annapolis Junior Rowing team title.
In terms of individual performances, Bishop Ireton High School earned six individual gold and silver medals. Gold medal recipients were Carla Penn-Vega (junior women 500-meter sprint championship lightweight), Isabel Shirron (junior coxswains women 500M lightweight), and Stephen Sisel (junior coxswains men 500M lightweight); the BI silver medalists were Evan Ferree (junior - age 18-19 - men 2000M), Brandon Hutchinson (junior 500M sprint lightweight), and Kimmy Kim (junior women 500M sprint championship lightweight). Three TC students grabbed silver medals: senior Kyra McClary (junior - age 17 - lightweight women 2000M), junior Amelia Bender (junior - age 17 - women 2000M) and sophomore Isabel Montenegro (Junior - age 16 - women’s 1500M and junior women 500M sprint championship). Alexandria Community Rowing competitors took home seven gold medals, including Lori Criado (master - age 30-39 - women 30-Minute Row), Peter Heimberg and Brian Fisher (senior - age 40-49 - men 3-minute crash, double slide), Sarah Henry (open women 500M sprint championship), Jaime Rubini (veteran - age 60-64 - men 2000M), and Brenda Simonen (senior - age 40-49 - women 2000M race).
Other stars of the day were the adaptive rowers. Dammy Onafeko of the Capital Rowing Club powered to victory in the Adaptive Physically Disabled (Legs/Trunk/Arms) category. Rowers from Athletes Without Borders, MedStar NRH Paralympic Sports Club, and Capital Adaptive Rowing Program participated. Tom Darling, director of Para-Rowing at US Rowing, introduced the program and participants. Darling, a rower himself, won his category again this year, following up on his world record-breaking performance at the 2014 MidAtlantic Erg Sprints. Eighty-seven-year old rower William Brownlee, the oldest competitor, won his event.
The MidAtlantic Erg Sprints were hosted by the Alexandria Crew Boosters, the Alexandria City Public Schools, and T.C. Williams High School. More than 250 local volunteers staffed the event.
