Newport Aquatic Center rowers shine

Seven rowers from Back Bay high schools helped the Newport Aquatic Center finish second in the lightweight eight final at the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships completed June 15 at Lake Natoma near Sacramento.

Newport Harbor students Jake Sliker, Jack Dole, Daniel Ross, Max Clemente, Tristan Hanley and coxswain Ethan Ruiz, as well as Corona del Mar High’s Dominic Pardini, teamed with Brooks Johnson from Laguna Beach High to complete the 2,000-meter course in six minutes, 30.4 seconds. The NAC boat was just more than two seconds off the pace of victorious Marin from the Bay Area.

Hanley will continue his rowing career at the University of San Diego.

Newport Harbor High students Micah Adelsohn and Blake Bauer, CdM High’s Nick Catranis, San Clemente High’s Matt Clemens, and coxswain Jill Carpenter from Long Beach Wilson High helped the NAC boys’ four boat finish fourth. NAC’s time of 7:10.3 was nearly nine seconds behind the winner.

Catranis will compete for UC Berkeley beginning next fall. Bauer is headed to University of Washington.

Sarah Clark of Corona del Mar High (girls’ single) and Taylor Ashoff of Newport Harbor (boys’ single) each finished fifth in the six-person final.

Clark’s time was 8:52.6, which was 28 seconds behind the winner, while Ashoff (7:55.8) was just more than 24 seconds off the winning pace.

Clark is off to the University of Washington, while Ashoff is bound for MIT.

The NAC girls pair of Anya Miller and Dora Klein finished ninth overall with a time of 8:54.95.

— From staff reports