HOMESTAND: Members of Princeton National Rowing Association’s Mercer Rowing Club Men’s Youth 8 plus Coxswain are all smiles after taking second at the Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships at Mercer Lake to secure a spot in the upcoming 2016 USRowing Youth National Championships. Pictured, from left to right, are senior Kevin Borup (South Brunswick High), freshman Jack Gallagher (Council Rock High School North), junior Daniel Stoddard (WW/P-S), junior Grant Barthelmes (Ranney School), junior coxswain Sarah Brune (Lanoka Harbor), junior Carter Levine (Princeton High), senior John Tanguay (Hopewell Valley High), senior Jason Fleurial (Princeton High), and junior Andrew Hickey (Notre Dame High). PNRA/Mercer’s Women’s Youth 8 plus Coxswain, Women’s Youth Lightweight 8 plus Coxswain, and Women’s Lightweight 4 plus Coxswain also qualified for the national championship regatta, which will be held on Mercer Lake from June 10-12.

As the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA) hosts the USRowing Youth National Championships for the first time ever, it is hoping that some home cooking will help the four PNRA Mercer Rowing Club crews that qualified for the competition.

Coming up big at the Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships held on its Mercer Lake course in May, PNRA/Mercer saw its Men’s Youth 8 plus Coxswain, Women’s Youth 8 plus Coxswain event, Women’s Youth Lightweight 8 plus Coxswain, and the Women’s Lightweight 4 plus Coxswain each secure bids to the national competition which is slated for June 10-12.

In punching its ticket to the nationals, the Men’s Youth 8, coached by Justin Ochal, battled a familiar foe, Gonzaga College High, who it had scrimmaged in early April on Mercer Lake. Gonzaga placed first with a time of 6:09.4 and PNRA/Mercer placed second with a time of 6:13.8.

In the view of Mercer senior co-captain John Tanguay of Hopewell Valley High, competing against Gonzaga early helped steel the boat for the challenges of postseason action.

“Racing some fast boats that we will be seeing again in June really helps us out,” said Tanguay. “Familiarizing ourselves with what it will be like in high intensity race situations works to our benefit. We now know to do nothing in moderation, so chipping away some seconds [from our 2,000 meter race time] in the next five weeks is going to be grueling. However, we have the drive to do it.”

In addition to Tanguay, the PNRA/Mercer crew included junior Andrew Hickey (Notre Dame High), senior Jason Fleurial and junior Carter Levine (both from Princeton High), junior Grant Barthelmes (Ranney School), junior Daniel Stoddard (WW/P-S), freshman Jack Gallagher (Council Rock High North), senior co-captain Kevin Borup (South Brunswick High and junior coxswain Sarah Brune (Lanoka Harbor).

The girls’ boats will be looking to build on a strong showing at the 2015 national championships, which saw PNRA/Mercer earn a silver medal in the Women’s Youth 8 plus Coxswain event and a bronze medal in the Women’s Youth Lightweight 8 plus Coxswain event.

Senior standout and captain Kate Hickey is primed to help the Women’s Youth 8 for another stellar showing at nationals.

“We are looking forward to training hard over the next month for Youth Nationals where we know we will meet some intense competition,” said Hickey, a senior at Notre Dame High, reflecting on the boats which placed first in the regional competition.

Along with Hickey, the crew competing in the Women’s Youth 8 plus Coxswain event included sophomore Sara Hansen (West Windsor Plainsboro High School South), Caitlin Cleary (Princeton High School), junior Katie Lustig (Council Rock North), sophomore Mia Barkenbush (WW/P-S), junior Laila Shehab (Hopewell Valley High), senior Eileen Hu (WW/P-S), sophomore Bridget Parker (Princeton High), senior Rachel Mumau (Millstone Township) and senior coxswain Colleen Gillis (Freehold Township High). The girls are coached by Steve Baranoski in his first year with PNRA/Mercer.

Winning bids in two lightweight events was no easy task for the PNRA/Mercer girls. Four lightweight rowers and a coxswain accomplished the physically grueling assignment of competing in two events taking place only twenty minutes apart at the Mid-Atlantic Youth Championship, helping PNRA/Mercer take second in both finals.

Junior Sheila Kennedy-Moore (Princeton High), senior Eileen Hu (WW/P-S), senior Elise Gorberg (WW/P-N), junior Lauren Miller (Steinert High), and senior coxswain Sydney Holgado (Robbinsville High) competed first in the Women’s Youth Lightweight 8 plus Coxswain event and then the Women’s Youth Lightweight 4 plus Coxswain event. The other members of the lightweight 8 crew were senior Kathryn Miller (Steinert High), senior Jenna Kugel (Montgomery High), freshman Jacqueline Armetta (Villa Joseph Marie High), and Catherine Vinch-Burke (Pennington School).