Come join Friends of BLS Crew for
Good Tidings and Cheer at the BLS Crew Alumni 2024 Holiday Gathering

From The Daily Pennsylvanian(thedp.com): On Sept. 24, US Rowing announced its Under 23 National Team Male and Female Athletes of the Year, and Penn’s own heavyweight senior Sam Sullivan was chosen as Male Athlete of the Year.

“I mean, it's really exciting,” Sullivan said. “It was really special because it's voted on by the teammates, the coaches, so just the people around us, they thought I deserved it.”

The winners of US Rowing’s awards are selected by the athletes and coaches who competed at the 2024 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in St. Catherines, Ontario earlier this year. Sullivan competed on the U23 national team, helping the men’s eight boat to a silver medal, finishing just seconds behind Great Britain.

Boys U17 heading to US Rowing Youth Nationals

Crews gathered on the banks of the Charles to christen a new eight named in honor of Rachel Skerritt '95, the 28th Boston Latin School Head of School.

BLS Crews enjoyed a beautiful fall day full of racing on Lake Quinsigamond. The Girls 1V 8+ won the high school division, with the Girls 2V 8+ taking 5th and the Girls 3V 8+ placing 2nd in their respective races. The Boys 1V 8+ placed 8th in the high school division against boats with more seasoned rowers. Both girls and boys novice crews also raced.

BLS Crews raced in Sarasota Florida at US Rowing's Youth Nationals. The girls Varsity eight and the boys under 17 eight represented the Wolfpack.

In the spirit of lightening up the end of the season, BLS held the inaugural Wolfpack Attack. Boats were made up of mixed lineups and rowers had some with fun themed costumes.

BLS Crew had a strong showing at USRowing’s Northeast Regionals with five boats advancing to the Sunday finals. In arguably the toughest field of the season, BLS closed out the competition with the Girls 1V 8 and Boys U17 8 qualifying for Nationals in Sarasota, FL, and the Girls 3V taking home the third place medal for the second year in a row!

The novice crews had their spring debut on the Charles against Stonington High School. Despite another rainy day, the racing was competitive.

Varsity girls 1V8 raced on “Lake Q” placing second at the Exeter Invite, beaten only by Phillips Exeter. The 2V8 and 3V8 were third in their respective races.

The Boys and Girls Varsity squads kicked off the '23 Spring season with races against Brookline High School competing for the Salvo Cup on the powerhouse stretch of the Charles River. Despite the cold weather, the racing was hot! The Girls 1V eight and both 3V fours bested Brookline. Post race neighborly camaraderie was enjoyed thanks to Brookline's sponsorship of light breakfast fare.

BLS Crews kicked off the fall racing season in windy conditions on the Merrimack River at the Textile Regatta. Nine crews raced from the girls and boys squads in both eights and fours. The Girls Novice four placed first out of 15 boats while the Girls Varsity 8 placed third! (full results: textileriverregatta.org).

On a beautiful Saturday, BLS bested Cambridge Rindge & Latin School in the Dual of the Latins on the Charles River. This is a team trophy whose annual competition dates back to 2004. After the race and cup ceremony a team picnic and end of year awards were presented.

The BLS Varsity Boys and Girls crews competed at the NEIRA Rowing Championship on Lake Quinsigamond. The race format was condensed to a half day of timed finals due to impending storms in the afternoons. The crews adapted to the last minute change in format and used this regatta as a warm up for Mass Public School Championships held the next day.

Select BLS boats raced against the finest youth crews in the northeast region on the Merrimack River in Lowell, MA. Despite the scorching temperatures, our crews looked strong and raced tenaciously. Girls 1V, 2V, and 3V all raced in finals with the 3V finishing 3rd (see photo). The Boys novice 8 also made it through the heats to compete in the finals. The Girls novice 4+ raced in the heats. Overall, BLS had an extremely strong showing which sets them up well for their upcoming NEIRA and Mass Publics regattas.

Novice and Varsity rowers came together on a beautiful spring day in Boston to participate in the team’s annual and primary fundraising event, the ergathon.

Rowers solicited donations with the understanding that they would each erg for an hour or 10,000 meters. The beautiful weather brought out locals, tourists, and plenty of BLS supporters. Aside from watching the rowers erg, baked goods and BLS Crew gear was sold.

Congrats everyone - very fun and successful day!

On April 16, Boys Varsity (two eights and one four) raced BC High and St. John’s Prep on the Charles while Girls Varsity (three eights) traveled to Lake Quinsigamond for the Simsbury Invite to compete against five schools: East Lyne, Shrewsbury, Stonington High School, Tabor Academy, and Simsbury High School. All teams were strong competitors in spite of challenging headwinds and rough waters spanning the 1,500 meter (Girls) and 1,300 meter (Boys) courses. Girls 3V won their race while Boys 2V/3V and Girls 1V/2V came in second place.

On Halloween, BLS Crew competed in its last regatta of the fall. But the teams were thrown a trick: Due to pandemic conditions, the Massachusetts Public Schools Rowing Association switched locations just days before the races, from the usual Merrimack River in Lowell to Watuppa Pond, a new regatta site in Fall River. Despite the last minute change in venue, BLS Crew brought home several medals, with half the boats finishing first. Congratulations to the following four boats, which each won gold medals in their categories: Girls 1st Novice 8 (pictured), Boys 1st Novice 4, Girls 3rd Varsity 8, and Boys 1st Varsity 4.

Calling new rowers for the Winter/Spring Season:
All BLS students (no experience necessary!) are welcome to join BLS Crew for the Winter/Spring season, which begins with indoor training in January and transitions to practice on the water in late March or early April. Registration details to be posted soon.

Rowers and coaches wrapped up the unusual Spring season on June 2 with a fun afternoon of rowing in mixed boys' and girls' boats, an awards ceremony, and a farewell to the team's seniors (with special recognition for rowers Katerina Dalmanieras and Sam Sullivan, who have been recruited to row in college at George Washington University and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively). While thrilled to get back on the water in 8s this Spring, the team is looking forward to the return to the usual regattas and racing in the Fall!

BLS Crew traveled to Harvard, Massachusetts on a bright and sunny Mother's Day to race boats from Bromfield Acton Bromfield. For some rowers it was their first opportunity ever to race, for others it was a welcome return after eighteen months on land. More regattas will follow throughout the spring.

Boston Latin Crew concluded its shortened fall season this week. Six days per week, rowers met on the banks of the Charles for daily land work outs and occasional on-the-water training in singles and doubles. For many rowers, this was their first opportunity to scull, after seasons of sweeping in larger boats of four and eight. Plans are underway for the spring season, likely to begin in March 2021. For more information, write to info@blscrew.org.

Just as BLS Crew was preparing to move its training to the water in mid-March, Covid 19 took hold. School was closed and all spring regattas were canceled. The team had had high hopes for a great season, building upon the successes of the previous spring and boasting a strong senior class. Instead, the team said goodbye to its seniors in an online athletic banquet and a socially distanced car parade in mid-June. The team will always regret not having had this season but hopes for a reunion on the banks of the Charles some day when it is safe to gather again.

The fall regatta season started on a windy and beautiful fall day in Lowell at the 40th Annual Textile River Regatta. Thirteen Boston Latin School boats raced to strong finishes and three - the boys' varsity 4+, the boys varsity 8+ and the girls varsity 8+ - earned silver medals in very competitive races.The boys' varsity 4+ finished a mere .3 seconds from first place, the boys' second varsity 8+ only .27 seconds from third place. Both girls and boys novice 8+ featured many rowers in their first races, and each finished in the top half of their races. "Your coaches are very proud," said girls' varsity coach Conor Fearon.

For the first time ever, BLS Crew took the team trophy at the Mass Public Schools Championships while supporters cheered from the banks of the Merrimack. Not only did BLS win the overall points trophy, but it took the trophies for the Girls 8s, Boys 4s, Girls 1V8, and Boys 1V4! The Girls 2V8, Boys 2V4, Boys 4V4, and Boys1x also brought home gold medals, while the Girls 3V8, Boys 3V4, and Boys Middle School 4X took silver, and the Boys 1N4 took bronze. It was a triumphant day for BLS Crew!

39 Varsity rowers, along with coaches and parent supporters, traveled to Saratoga Springs, NY, April 26-28 for the Saratoga Invitational, the largest sprint race regatta in the country. Extremely challenging weather conditions - temps in the low 40s, rain, and winds gusting to 40 mph - cancelled Saturday afternoon's races. Yet BLS squads had a fantastic weekend overall, with BLS boats successfully competing with the top club and school teams in the Northeast. The BLS Girls brought home multiple medals, including the Lightweight 4, the Varsity 8, and the 2V8, with the Varsity 4 the fastest school team in Saturday's racing. The BLS Boys had similar success, with the 1V8 and 2V8 both qualifying, for the first time, for the A final on Sunday, and the Lightweight 4 medaling in the B final. Boys Coach Mark Grinberg said, The team's results this weekend speaks volumes about the depth of our team and the hard work of our athletes. We were pleased with our athletes' abilities to stay in the race mentality even when faced with such challenging conditions and race cancellations.

Boston Latin School rowers represented BLS at the 54th annual Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR) on Sunday, October 21, with the largest number of BLS entries in the ultimate two-day rowing competition. Despite the blustery cold and strong winds, the BLS Girls youth 4+ and youth 8+, and BLS Boys youth 8+ were masterful in steering their boats under six bridges along the iconic three mile course while facing gusts that at times topped 30 miles per hour. The Girls 8+ placed 37th out of 85 teams, qualifying for a guaranteed slot in next year's HOCR. The Girls Varsity 4+ and the Boys Varsity 8+ also made strong showings against tough national competition, placing 50th and 53rd, respectively, out of 85 boats. Teammates and families cheered on the teams from the Eliot Bridge in Cambridge, where the rowers make their final turn to the finish line. "It was exciting to have so many of our athletes competing against some of the best teams in the country," said Girls Varsity coach Beata Coloyan. "It definitely sets the tone for the spring season and the level of competition."

The Mass Publics Spring championships was a victorious day on the Merrimack River for BLS Crew. The boys' 1V 4+ took the championship trophy in a dramatic win, plus two other boys' varsity 4+s won gold and bronze medals. The girls' 2V and 3V 8+s, plus the girls' novice 4+, took home bronze medals as well. All of this excitement took place in a long day of plentiful competition and challenging weather conditions, such as strong headwinds that required the rowers to redouble their efforts to move through the white caps. In the afternoon, the weather caused the course to be shortened to 1000m to avoid the worst conditions, and some races were cancelled. Other BLS boats performed solidly as well, with several 4th and 5th place finishes adding to the list of accomplishments. Congratulations BLS rowers for a day of powerful rowing on a river of churning waters!

It was a riveting morning on the Merrimack at the Lowell Novice Challenge, where the BLS Girls Novice 8+ and middle school quad, plus the Boys Novice middle school quad were scheduled to race. High winds overnight had taken down tree limbs and utility lines and the Boys Varsity morning practice was canceled, but the Novice Challenge pushed ahead. The boys' quad launched first, rowing to the starting line into a strong current and a powerful headwind. As the race began, the boys caught two crabs, putting them behind, but they worked hard to keep pace with the leaders and successfully completed their first race. But while waiting for an open spot on the dock and navigating the quad into position, the boys were hit with a gust of cross wind, and one of the oar locks broke from the rigger. The combination of the lost oar and the windy, choppy conditions was too much, and the boat flipped. Other races were postponed while the boat drifted through the race course and the boys were brought to the dock. After the drama ended, the girls' 8+ was able to race, taking a lead over Bromfield-Acton-Boxborough as they passed under the bridge, but BAB was strong and caught up during the second half. The BLS girls came on strong at the finish and won their heat, taking second overall for the day - a fantastic result and the high point of the day. Unfortunately, the damaged quad was towed back to the dock too late to be drained and repaired in time for the girls quad to launch and race. Coach Sam described the day as a learning experience for all.

The BLS varsity girls sprung into action in ever-shifting winds on Lake Quinsigamond on Saturday, April 14, with an impressive showing in the Simsbury Invitational. Wind conditions changed throughout the afternoon in the 1500 meter race, giving coxswains an extra challenge in handling the floating starts. The Simsbury Invitational is the second race of the regatta season, with BLS rowing four boats in three races against Shrewsbury, Simsbury, East Lyme, Tabor and Stonington. The girls 2v and 3v both rowed to first place in their respective races. The girls 2v beat Shrewsbury by just two seconds with a time of 5:35.4 in a race that came down to the wire with a final sprint from all teams. "Lining up for the race was tough because the wind was pushing us to the starboard side of the lane," said 2v coxswain Regina Feininger. "Once we started, our first 100 meters were good because we locked in on the rhythm quickly." The girls 3v and 4v raced together with the 3v coming out on top with 5:44.0 a full seven seconds ahead of the nearest challenger Shrewsbury, while the 4v placed third at 5:59.5. The 1v boat pulled out strong and commanded second place throughout much of the race before the final sprints put them in fourth place with a time of 5:30.0. Feininger said that practicing on the windy Charles River made the teams more than prepared for the conditions at Simsbury.

​

From The Boston Globe(bostonglobe.com): Nearly six decades after he coxed the Union Boat club’s junior four in the second Head race, Matt Czajkowski made his sculling debut at 75 in the men’s senior veteran singles. “The good news is, if you’re slow it’s OK,” Czajkowski said. Czajkowski, who began coxing whale boats at Boston Latin in the ‘1960s, went on to man the tiller at Harvard after a stint in the Navy. Now a Chapel Hill, N.C., resident, he took up sculling only six months ago and trains on University Lake. (https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/17/sports/head-of-the-charles-executive-director-tori-stevens)

Girls 1V heading to US Rowing Youth Nationals

Fourteen boys, Coach Conor, and two parent chaperones went to Oak Ridge, TN for training over vacation week. "The boys put in ten great practices and improved both their conditioning and rowing. We had a ton of fun in one of the best rowing venues in the country and would love to make this an annual event," Coach Conor.

BLS Girls 1V 8+ placed third at the Textile Regatta held on the Merrimack River in Lowell. The Boys Varsity boats had strong races, fielding two solid 8+s. This was the first race of the season for both the Novice Girls and Boys who made it down the river without crabs or any other major incidents!

BLS Crew transformed the BLS Dining Hall to celebrate the season in a first annual end of season banquet. Seniors were celebrated, captains announced, and awards awarded.

Varsity and novice crews came together at the Mass Public School Spring Championship in Lowell, racing an impressive 9 boats in total. BLS Crew put up strong results with the Girls 1V8 bringing home the silver, and the Girls 3V8 taking the gold in their respective races.

BLS Novice raced against Brookline High School and Cambridge Rindge & Latin School on the Charles.

All squads participated in the annual ergathon held at Christopher Columbus Park. Funds were raised to support equipment and scholarship costs. Highlights included Head of School Mr. Gallagher and Ms. Pierce taking turns on the ergs.

The Boys Varsity took on local rivals BC High on the Charles. The 1V8, 2V8, and 3V4+ all were bested by BC High despite hard fought races in head winds.

The Girls' Varsity boats swept their races at the Mass Public School Rowing Association Fall Championships on a beautiful autumnal Halloween weekend. All four of the Girls' Varsity 8+ boats won their events, securing the Girls Team Trophy for BLS. The boys also raced and most notably placed second in both the Boys 1V 4+ and Boys 2V 4+ events.

The BLS Crew ran in the annual Wolfpack 5K held on a beautiful fall morning in Franklin Park. Congratulations to Zoe Fultan for placing third in the girls division.

Join us at the BLS Crew Summer Learn-to-Row and Fall Novice Program Info Session! Thursday, June 2, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting ID: 970 1747 1718 | Passcode: 538427. To register, see the Summer 2022 and Fall 2022 pages in the top menu.

BLS held the annual all sports banquet to honor varsity athletes at the school. Both Boys and Girls Varsity teams were recognized. Specific accolades were awarded to: William Hu and Josh Zhang winning the Boys Coach’s Award; Trygve Aarestad Boy’s MVP; Olivia Sullivan, Azalea Thompson, and Sasha Bornhorst each won Girls Coach’s Award.

While the Boys Varsity raced in the Basin, both the Boys and Girls Novices were racing BLS's public school rivals, Brookline and Cambridge. The Novice races took place just a short distance up the Charles River in the "Powerhouse Stretch," ending at Cambridge's Magazine Beach. The Girls Novice 8 took an early lead and won their race handily. The Boys Novice 8 had a tough and close race the entire way, managing to stay on course despite a rudder problem and ending in an extremely tight finish with their competitors!

Varsity crews and Girls/Boys 1N boats took part in the 6th annual Harvard-Henley race in Harvard, MA. The race is inspired by the world famous Henley Royal Regatta on the Thames in England which takes the form of a round robin between four teams: BLS, Brookline, Wayland Weston, Bromfield Acton-Boxborough. For many of the participating novice rowers, this was their first race. Congratulations to the Girls 2V for winning both of their races. For more results, visit herenow.com.

On April 9 BLS Varsity crews traveled to the Phillips Academy-Andover boathouse in Methuen, MA to race. The girls raced Andover while the boys raced Andover, BC High, and Salisbury Prep School. Despite a delayed start due to weather, BLS performed strongly against highly ranked teams. All races were close and exciting to watch. Congratulations to the Girls’ 2V eight on their win! Thank you to the girls 3V who had their race canceled due to the weather, but stayed and supported their teammates showing true sportsmanship.

On October 24, BLS Crew competed in the storied Head of the Charles Regatta. The three BLS boats—Girls 4, Girls 8, and Boys 8—held their own at one of the world’s premier rowing events. BLS athletes, parents, alumni, and friends turned out to cheer on the rowers. Congrats to the Boys 8, who improved nearly 20 places in their seeding!

On May 22, BLS Crew and Brookline Crew returned to their annual Salvo Cup race. The Salvo Cup typically launches the Spring regatta season but took place a little later this year. The race took place on the Powerhouse Stretch of the Charles River, ending with cheers from the spectators at Magazine Beach.

Novice and varsity teams have begun their spring practices at the boathouse, Teams are practicing on the water and on the shore, masked and distanced, and preparing for welcome return to racing later in the season.

Coaches and athletes are excited to kick off the Fall 2020 season. Varsity teams begin 9/22, with novice teams slated to start a week later. Coaches have developed a cohort model of training which will allow athletes to alternate spending time on the water in singles and pairs with socially distanced land training and erging. There will be no big regattas this fall. Instead, athletes will focus on conditioning and form, and look forward to racing again in the future.

It was a cold and rainy day in Lowell but BLS Crew finished the season strong at the Massachusetts Public School Rowing Association's fall regatta. The Boys Varsity 1V8 and the Girls Varsity 1V8 took home silver, while both Boys Novice 4+ and Morgan McCarty, racing in the single, took home gold. It was tough day for conditions, but all of the girls stayed focused and composed to put together their best race possible. To put together the results we did on a day like that is no small feat, said Conor Fearon, Girls Varsity Coach. Boys Varsity Coach Chris DePaola, reflecting on the day, said, "The varsity boys have raised their level of competitiveness against other teams, and it has shown over the fall. However the boys still have their eyes on the grand prize and making program history once again and qualifying for NEIRAs."

BLS Crew entered a new era this season with two new head coaches. Conor Fearon, new Girls Varsity Head Coach, and Chris DePaola, new Boys Varsity Head Coach, both arriving at Boston Latin from high schools in Connecticut. Conor is assisted by returning coaches Nick Carter and Hannah Elder, Chris by new coach Lizzy Houston and returning coach Jeff Schaefer. All teams will be sending boats to compete in the Textile River Regatta, first race of the fall season, in Lowell on Sunday, October 6, 2019. Two weeks later, four BLS boats will be competing in the Head of the Charles, the world's largest two-day regatta. Here's to a great year of rowing!

The BLS Girls Varsity made history on Saturday, May 25, with all three Girls 8s going to the Grand Finals at the NEIRA Rowing Championships on Lake Quinsigamond. The 1V8 took the silver medal - BLS Crew's first NEIRA medal ever - and only the second public school and the first city public school to medal in NEIRA's 70+-years!

While other Varsity squads competed in Saratoga Springs, the BLS Girls 3V, 4V, and 5V boats, along with the Boys Novice squad, ventured north for a successful afternoon of racing against Andover, Hingham, and BC High. The day was cold and windy, and race conditions were fast with a strong tail current and tail wind making for a short, aggressive race. The Girls 3V continued their unbeaten NEIRA season with a win over Andover and Hingham. The Girls 4V came home with a win as well, and the 5V had a great race in the 4V event. The Boys Novice had a successful row in their first time out for the season, holding close to the other boats in a Varsity event. Jasmine Howard, Novice Program Coordinator and Girls Varsity Assistant Coach, said, We are extremely happy with the progress these boats have made and look forward to building on these results over the rest of the season.

Boston Latin Crew kicked off their fall regatta season at the Textile River Regatta with nine strong finishes and three silver medals. Both girls and boys novice boats rowed solid pieces to generate a lot of excitement for the future of the team. Girls' varsity senior, India, started off the day with a strong second place finish in a single. Both girls varsity 4+ boats made the top 50% in a highly competitive race. The girls varsity 8+ A boat rowed to an outstanding second place finish and the B boat was not far behind. The boys varsity 8+1V also overtook multiple boats to earn second place, and the 2V barely missed bronze for a fourth place finish. Coach Mark was effusive in his praise. I'm just very proud of all the work the boys have put in over the past few weeks, he said. We've had a string of good practices chained together with solid leadership from our senior class and captains. Results like these are only the result of hard work and driven athletes.

On yet another rainy weekend, BLS Crew boats braved the chilly conditions in Saturday's time trials at Regatta Point Park in Worcester. Both the Girls Lightweight Eight and the Boys Lightweight Four went on to represent BLS in Sunday's finals. On Sunday, the seriously stiff competition matched the seriously stiff winds, and the final top slots that qualify boats for the national championships were dominated by well-resourced private clubs from the Connecticut coast. But BLS rowers were thrilled to be in the mix and to represent the school at ever-increasing competitive levels.

What do dedicated BLS rowers have in common with shoe-sucking mud, hay, and thunderstorms? The SARATOGA INVITATIONAL REGATTA, where 39 BLS varsity rowers held their own in a regatta dominated by fast clubs and schools. Demonstrating the true spirit of an athlete and athletic competition, the rowers individually and collectively proved that they have grit, stamina, and sportsmanship in spades. Well-prepared by the dismal conditions in this springs practices, each boat competed to the best of its ability without complaint. The weekend's races took place under conditions that included rain, mud, more rain, brief sunshine (steaming mud), thunderstorms (fleeing to the bus), dropping temps, and more windy rain. When not rowing or rigging, rowers huddled under our awesome new purple tent on top of the hay absorbing the water, keeping each other warm like a waddle of penguins on the icy tundra. (It"s true, the sub-soil was still frozen in Saratoga, causing the incredible mud.) At the end of the weekend, the coaches emphasized how proud they were of their teams and their athletes, who were ready for the challenge and now have the depth and speed to compete in this field. As Boys Varsity cox Dominic Kennedy Slesar said, "We came out to prove we have speed, and we proved that and had a great time." As Girls Varsity rower India Aikens said, "It was exiting to get so many races in this weekend --we became closer as a team from the bus ride to huddling under the tent for warmth."

The 2018 Salvo Cup race has launched the BLS Crew 2018 Spring season! For the first time since the race between BLS and Brookline began in 2006, a cup was awarded to the boys' team as well as the girls. With competitive rowing on the chilly Charles, the Brookline boys finished strong to win this year's cup, while the BLS girls took it back after losing it in 2017. The competition was expanded this year with the growth of the BLS boys' program, and rowers embraced the opportunity to go head to head with Brookline. "It's the first shot fired. Today was a great start," said BLS Girls Varsity coach Beata Coloyan as the cups were awarded. The Salvo marks the traditional beginning of the regatta season, and based on the day's races it looks to be an exciting several weeks to come. The BLS girls 3v and 2v boats won their respective races, while the 1v boat made it a sprint to the finish, coming in just three seconds short of Brookline. "We had a good start," said team co-captain Julia Pryor. "They got ahead of us in the middle of the race, and while we made gains at the end, it wasn't enough." The two schools have made the Salvo a hotly contested race in the last thirteen years, with Brookline winning seven of the cups versus six for BLS.

​

Wolfpack rowers are headed to Boston University, Case Western Reserve, Cornell University, George Washington, Harvard, Indiana University (Bloomington), Michigan, Mount Holyoke, UCLA, University of Chicago, UMass Amherst, University of Pennsylvania, West Point, Wisconsin, and Yale

The BLS girls and boys novice teams competed against Brookline High School and Cambridge Rindge & Latin School in a novice extravaganza on the Charles River.

The Wolfpack raced both a boys and girls 8+ on Sunday at the largest regatta in the world. The experienced coxswains showed off their skills by expertly navigating down the course while jockeying with many out of town crews. The purple and white checked oars were called out and cheered on by announcers and local fans alike all the way down the course.

The BLS Crew tested out their land legs by running in the 9th annual Wolfpack 5K held in Franklin Park. Fun was had by rowers and their parents alike. The highlight was Coach Jack's dog running with a purple tail.

BLS Crew welcomed back alumni rowers to the boathouse to have a short fun row on the Charles. Alumni reunited with one another and enjoyed the river side tail gate.

Varsity boats competed in the New England Interscholastic Rowing Championships, with boats earning hard-won spots in the grande and petite finals.

All crews raced in a sun-filled day against rowers from the local club, CRI. The Varsity Girls 1V8 won while other races were very competitive.

Both boys and girls varsity teams raced on a very wet Sunday at the “Harvard Henley” competing against Brookline, Wayland-Weston, and Bromfield-Acton-Boxborough. Despite the extreme weather conditions, the races were competitive with a number of extremely close races.

The Girls Varsity competed in the Simsbury Invite on Lake Quinsigamond against East Lyme, Shrewsbury, Stonington High School, Tabor Academy, and Simsbury High School. The 1V8 and 3V8 won their respective races, while the 2V8 was second. Kudos to the girls who battled windy conditions at the start and maintained their focus to achieve positive results.

Two BLS boats, the Girls Varsity 8 and the Boys Varsity 4, held their own at one of the world’s premier rowing events. BLS athletes, parents, alumni, and friends turned out to cheer on the rowers.

Congratulations to BLS Boys Assistant Coach, Sean Richardson, who was named to the US Senior National team while rowing with Riverside Boat Club's High Performance Group. Sean and his crew took gold in the Men's Senior 4x at Canadian Royal Henley in July.
Sean will represent the US by racing in the Men's Lightweight 4x at the World Championships in the Czech Republic Sep 18-25.

Boston Latin's Crew had another banner day with all boys and girls teams giving it their best at the MPSRA Spring Championship held on the Merrimack River in Lowell, MA. Three of the boats medalled including the Girls Novice 8+ winning the Terry Dougherty Trophy named after Friends of BLS Crew’s President. The Girls 3V also won and Girls 2V placed second. The Girls 1V race was a nail biter and concluded with a photo finish as the girls finished fourth, .7 seconds out of second place.

BLS and CRLS cool off in the Merrimack River on a 90 degree day after a hot day of successful races.

On May 14, the BLS Boys Varsity boats rowed down the Charles River to race in the Basin against boathouse mates - and rival - Brookline. The race took place under sunny skies with the Boston skyline as the backdrop. The tight finishes helped the BLS 1st Varsity and 2nd Varsity boats clinch qualifying spots for the NEIRA championships, to be held at Lake Quinsigamond on May 28!

On April 23, Varsity teams (3 girls and 2 boys eights) participated in the Exeter Invitational on Lake Quinsigamond in Shrewsbury, MA. BLS competed against five schools: St. John’s Prep (Boys race only), Philips Exeter, Simsbury, Shrewsbury and Hingham high schools. BLS teams demonstrated great rowing in very close races. Boys 2V/1V finished third and fifth, respectively. Girls 2V won their race while Girls 1V/3V finished second.

The Varsity squads kicked off the '22 Spring season with a race against Brookline for the Salvo Cup. This centuries-old race is a good-spirited competition between BLS and Brookline High School. The Cup changes hands based on the results of the day's battle. BLS’ Girls Varsity won the cup this year with all three eights winning their races. Both teams celebrated with a cookout graciously provided by Friends of Brookline Rowing.

BLS Crew started off the fall season with gusto after a busy summer of training. Varsity squads competed in the Textile River Regatta on the Merrimack River last Sunday (October 3) against 18 high school teams and finished strong across six races. All of the BLS Varsity eights placed in the top five spots, while the Girls 2nd Varsity eight boat won first place! (full results: textileriverregatta.org).

We look forward to the next October regattas, especially the Head of the Charles on October 24 and Mass. Publics on October 31st (taking place in Worcester this year) where all teams, including novice, will be competing.

BLS Crew hosted Duxbury on Saturday for racing in the Charles River. Racing began with the Boys First Varsity Boat overtaking Duxbury in the final seconds of their race, and concluded with both the Girls First Novice boat and the Boys First Novice boat winning their races. "Even though it may have been their first race of the season, and for many of them, their rowing careers, the novice girls certainly didn’t let that inexperience show," said Girls Novice Coach Jack Mancini. "Both crews rowed well, and the 1st Novice 8 defended their home course by leading a very strong opponent from start to finish. Both boats showed well in their first action of the season, and all the girls are ready to build on this strong start to their season." Boys Novice Coach Patrick Dent was equally pleased with his rowers. "The first novice boys boat rowed an extremely mature race, jumping out to a slight lead and holding on through to a win. The boys showed great composure holding off a strong push by Duxbury in the last minute of the race. Well rowed all around," he said.

BLS Crew returns to the Charles next weekend to race against rivals Brookline Rowing in their annual Salvo Cup Regatta.

Varsity members of the Boston Latin Crew team were elated to start winter training in the parking lot of Boston Latin School. The team will move to the river in mid-March and be followed by novice crews in the weeks following. Here's for a great 2021 season!

BLS Crew summer programs began on June 30th. In accordance with US Rowing guidelines, rowers headed out in small groups of singles, eager to be back on the water. As the guidance changes throughout the summer, so too will rowing opportunities offered by BLS Crew. For more information, write to info@blscrew.org

BLS Crew was honored to race four boats in the 55th Annual Head of the Charles Regatta. Friends, family and alumni gathered at the BLS boathouse on a beautiful fall day to cheer as boats launched and then all walked down to join the thousands of spectators lining the banks of the Charles to watch the races. The Womens Youth Fours and the Mens Youth Fours made strong showings against tough national competition. The Mens Youth Eight missed the top half by a mere .125 seconds while the Womens Youth Eights finished an amazing 36th out of 85 entries, easily securing a guaranteed slot in next years HOCR.

BLS Crew is sending two boats to the USRowing Youth National Championships! From June 6-9, 2019, the Girls 1st Varsity 8 and the Boys Varsity Lightweight 4 will row at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida, representing BLS Crew at this prestigious event and competing with the top crews from around the country. Girls heading to Florida are coxswain Regina Feininger '19 and rowers India Aikens '19, Sontaya Banyen '19, Somer Ellis '19, Elizabeth Garity '19, Lucia Catino '20, Stella Dzialas '20, Libby Wu '20, and Olivia Sullivan '22. In the Boys boat are coxswain Dominic Kennedy Slesar '20, and rowers Noah deLaski '19, Benjamin Wong '19, Morgan McCarty '20, and David Choi '21.Congrats to all, and best of luck!

BLS Crew had an exciting weekend on the Merrimack River at the Zapata Memorial Regatta. Under sunny skies on Saturday and on a damp and raw Sunday, both the Girls and Boys raced against boats from around the state. The Girls Varsity 2V8 brought home a bronze medal, while Senior India Aikens won silver as a single sculler. The Boys Varsity had a great weekend, with the 1V4 and the 2V8 winning bronze medals, the Lightweight 4+ winning gold, and a bronze for single sculler Morgan McCarty. The BLS Novices also got a solid start in their first major regatta of the season, with the Girls 2nd Novice rowers winning their first medal!

After a hard-fought battle on the Charles River, the BLS Girls Varsity team retook the Salvo Cup on Sunday, April 14, to the sound of cheers from the parents lining Magazine Beach in Cambridge. The BLS Girls 1V boat won with a commanding lead on a beautiful spring morning, and the Girls 2V boat also took first place in its race. The BLS Boys Varsity team showed strongly, with its 1V boat sprinting at the finish to overtake Brookline and come in first. "It is always a pleasure to race our neighbors, Brookline High School. They're at the top of the league after finishing first in the Men's Varsity 8+ at the Mass Public Schools State Championship this fall," said Boys Varsity coach Mark Grinberg. "It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our athletes that they were able to come away with a win. I'm looking forward to seeing what momentum this brings to the squad." The Salvo Cup is a spring tradition: Rivals BLS and Brookline High meet every April to launch the season with some good-natured rivalry and a cookout afterward at the two public schools shared boathouse. "Another great opening Salvo, with two storied public schools showing their might and lots of close racing," said Terry Dougherty, longtime president of Friends of BLS Crew. "This strong start bodes well for the rest of the season."

The Spring season culminated with an exciting day on the Charles River and BLS Crew taking the Dual of the Latins Cup in the traditional end-of-season regatta against Cambridge Rindge and Latin. Under clear blue skies, two of the oldest public schools in the country went head to head in eight races, including a race with mixed boats of Girls and Boys Varsity rowers. All boats rowed from the Weeks footbridge to the flag held by BLS Crew President Terry Dougherty at Magazine Beach in Cambridge. The Dual of the Latins has been a tradition since 2004, with both schools equally sharing the prize over the years, although this year BLS held onto the cup for a second year in a row. The day provided a picturesque and a perfect ending to a successful season for the BLS squads, which captured more medals this year than at any other point in the history of BLS Crew. After the races, rowers joined coaches, parents, and other supporters for the end-of-season award ceremony and BBQ at the BLS Boathouse. Everyone celebrated an awesome season for BLS Crew. Congrats to all!

In a regatta that's considered a "tune-up" for the regional championships, BLS Crew boats excelled at the Amber Zapatka Memorial Regatta on the Merrimack River, May 12-13. Clouds, rain, and raw conditions didn't dampen BLS Crew's spirits on Saturday. An incredible nine boats placed in the top 6 in the trials and moved on to the "A" Finals, four moved on to the "B" Finals, and two rowed in the "C" Finals. The Girls 2V8 was the first to learn their results, racing their final on Saturday and placing an impressive first of 19 boats. On Sunday, with fierce competition under brighter skies, the Girls 1V8, the Girls Lightweight 8, and the Boys Lightweight 4 also earned medals, placing third overall in each category. These results marked the highest that BLS Crew boats have placed in the history of the program. For the BLS Varsity Boys, this was the first time making the "A" Finals, showing significant progress in a young and still growing program. On Saturday, parents braved the weather, rushing under tents, umbrellas, or rain jackets to keep the athletes fed, with Paul Toomey performing magic at the fryer and a flurry of parents tending to the grill. By Sunday, the Mother's Day sunshine and medals gave BLS Crew plenty to celebrate as the team wrapped up a busy weekend.

April 28th was a picture-perfect spring day on the Merrimack River in Methuen, where the BLS Girls 3V and 4V 8+ boats faced Andover, Hingham, and Phillips Academy. The sunny sky and green grass brought families sporting sunscreen, hats, and smiles to the banks. Waiting athletes tossed a football around and fed their pre-race nourishment needs and post-race hunger. The racecourse was laid out with the starting line out of sight around a river bend, but the finish line in clear view for spectators. The BLS 4V had a fantastic win in the only race of the day not taken by Andover, taking first place by an impressive 11.64 second margin. In a tense and exciting 3V race, BLS and Andover were neck-and-neck until the very end, with Andover ultimately taking the race by just 1.38 seconds. Coxswain Charlotte Chen recounted the race: At the start, all three boats were pretty tied up, then we and Andover began to pull ahead. Then, around the first 500m, we made a move and gained about two seats on Andover. We stayed ahead for most of the rest of the race, until Andover began their sprint and pulled ahead of us. Congratulations to both BLS boats on their tremendous efforts!