NAC rowers taste victory

LIDO CHANNEL - The Newport Aquatic Center’s junior crew team raced

to victory on the 21/2-mile course on Sunday at the Newport Autumn Rowing

Festival. Despite the light rain and choppy water, the NAC rowers made an

impressive showing with four first-place finishes, two second-place

efforts and three third-place finishes.

The first to take the gold was the women’s varsity eight (Lindsey

Hurban, Lindsay Payne, Shannon Packer, Lindsay Serrins, Kate Mead, Lauren

May, Anne Kircher and Jean Geddes with coxswain Lauren Lorman), coached

by Christy Shaver.

Hurban, May, Packer, Geddes and Lorman then went on to take first

place in the women’s varsity four, as well.

The women’s novice eight (Jessica Fritz, Corinne Turner, Meggan

Brunett, Katie Cole, Meredith Irby, Ali Traen, Dana Hunt and Jamie

Horowitz with coxswain Kyley Dill), coached by Alicia Cole, also won its

event.

In the men’s division, the men’s novice eight (Ken Ito, Morgan Sabo,

Arik Brown, Mike Dabney, Kyle Kastner, Fred Fuga, Brandon Ferrigno and

Blake Mathews with coxswain Kevin Alison), coached by Jon Barrett, took

home the gold.

The men’s novice coxed squad (Ben Heston, Blake Mathews, Mike

Afrasiabi, Billy Halchishak, coxed by Jarrett Hogue) finished second.

Several other NAC team boats did well, too. The men’s varsity coxed

squad (Alex Furra, Brian Booth, Greg Somers, Bryan Hochwald and coxswain

Robyn Bissonnette) took third place.

Another women’s varsity eight (Hillary Ellis,Sara Wales, Gabby

Assayag, Michelle Fickling, Meaghan Bunney, Natili Ekker-Stacey, Kirsten

Contino, Raelyn Drury, coxed by Lauren Lyon) finished third, as did the

women’s novice eight (Tyler Murphy, Ashleigh Garrett, Amanda Molinaro,

Karie Decker, Jessica Grubbs, Claire McKay, Brindey Weber, Taylor Decker

and coxed by Kristin Collins).

NAC’s next appearance will be at the Long Beach Christmas Regatta on

Dec. 2 at Marine Stadium in Long Beach.