Bainbridge rowers medal in five of nine events at Nationals

By Luciano Marano • September 6, 2018 1:30 pm

Fourteen members of Bainbridge Island Rowing participated in the recent 2018 USRowing Masters National Championship event, held at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California, ultimately medaling in five of the nine events they entered.

“It was an incredible weekend of racing and I think it’s fair to say that BIR exceeded our best expectations for racing,” said Anthony Oddo, BIR coach and masters rower. “The competition was tough, but I think it was pretty awesome that we qualified for every single final, across all the events, and then medaled in five out of nine events; not too shabby.”

The race course and venue was great, he added.

“The lake was right in downtown Oakland with pretty good viewing of the middle 600 meters of the race — from a beer garden, no less.”

There were 101 clubs represented and more 1,600 entries from all over the country.

BIR took two silver and three bronze medals.

Silver medals

Mixed E (age 55-59) coxed 4: T. Galbraith, S. Entress, K. Frost, M. Saunders and Sam Bloom, cox; Mixed C (age 43-49) coxed 8: A. Oddo, B. Fleet, N. Otte, K. Frost, M. Courtway, S. Nordgren, T. Galbraith, S. Entress and Sam Bloom, cox.

Bronze medals

Mixed C (age 43-49) coxed 4: N. Otte, B. Fleet, J. Ahrndt, M. DeCouteau and Nikolai Sublett, cox; Men’s Club C (age 43-49) coxed 4: A. Oddo, N. Otte, M. Olason, B. Fleet and Nikolai Sublett, cox; Men’s Open F (age 60-64) coxed 4: M. Olason, K. Frost, E. Driggers, M. Saunders and Sam Bloom, cox.

BIR is a community-based nonprofit organization founded in January 2001. Their purpose is to support the attainment of recreational, fitness, and competitive rowing goals for all by providing coaching, equipment and facilities in a friendly, collaborative and social setting. BIR activities take place at Waterfront Park on Eagle Harbor and throughout the greater Puget Sound area.

Visit www.bainbridgerowing.org to learn more.