Rowers Place In US Rowing Northeast Regional Junior Championships

Six residents of Newtown were among rowers from 39 high school and club teams across New England who competed in the US Rowing Northeast Regional Junior Championships in late May.

The rowers competed on the Merrimack River in Lowell, Mass

In each event six long boats vied against each other on the two kilometer course in the qualifying heats.

This regatta is one of 12 district championships that serve as qualifying events for youth nationals.  Rowers from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York State, and Maine compete for the top three places in each event.

The team from GMS Rowing Center, a rowing club in New Milford, includes four Newtown High School students. NHS junior, Nick Dickinson, and rowing partner Blaze Kelly of New Milford took the bronze for the men’s youth lightweight double.

Dylan Berger, NHS senior, and rowing partner Graham Baldwin of New Milford, took third place in the qualifying rounds and finished sixth in the final.

Mike Senf, NHS sophomore, finished fifth in men’s singles in the qualifying rounds in his first season of spring rowing.

NHS junior Jessica Lajoie finished sixth in the qualifying round in her first season racing a pair. Dickinson and Kelly move on to compete in the US Rowing Youth National Championship Competition on June 11 and 12 in Oak Ridge, Tenn, against other regional winners. 

Dickinson has been on the GMS Rowing Team for four years. Berger and Lajoie have been on the team for three years. Senf is in his first year of racing with the team. The team also includes two Newtown Middle School students, Anthony Vournazos and Constantine Gregorie.

GMS technical director, Guenter Beutter coached the German National Team in the 1980s and 1990s. Coaches Richard Klein, Peter Orlando and Victoria Burke are world-class competition rowers who also train with Beutter.

 GMS trains athletes at all levels, ranging from middle school and high school youth who are new to rowing to elite athletes training for world championships.

The center offers training programs throughout the year. Registration is ongoing for learn to row summer camps and the summer training program.

For more information, go to the Website www.gmsrowing center.us/about.asp.