Hornet Rowers Gallagher and Pfeiffer Rank 17th at National Championships

Saline High School Gavin Gallagher and Haley Pfeiffer returned Sunday from the USRowing Youth National Championships in Oak Ridge, TN, ranked 17^th in the country in under-19 rowing.

Hosted by USRowing and the Oak Ridge Rowing Association, over 1,500 rowers representing the top echelon of rowers nationally, competed on a 2,000 meter, 6 lane course at Melton Lake in Oak Ridge.

The two rowers, Saline's Women’s Varsity Pair, competed against 18 other teams in their event including teams from Princeton National Rowing Association, Saratoga Rowing Club, Sarasota Rowing Club, Mile High Boat Club, Detroit Boat Club, Xavier Prep, Marina Aquatic, Seattle Rowing, Newport, Commencement Bay, Austin, Norwalk River, Indianapolis Rowing, Emma Willard, Everett, Saugatuck and Upper Natoma and started Friday with heat races. In the pair’s first race, they finished a respectable fourth , followed by a fourth in the day two heats on Saturday. On Sunday, the pair raced in the C Final, finishing a close fifth.

“This was great opportunity for our two new young women’s team captains to compete at a higher level and to see them race head to head with upperclassman 2-3 years older than them," said Saline Crew Coach Matt LaBlanc, after the race. "This type of event gave them the chance to compete at the next level of competition and will motivate them to push themselves and their teammates even harder the next two years.”

Best friends Gallagher and Pfeiffer earned their spot in the US Rowing Youth National Championships with a strong silver medal finish at the Midwest Scholastic Rowing Championships in Cincinnati on May 13 and joined a short list of local rowers who have earned the opportunity to compete at the national level. Saline High School’s Crew Club has sent boats to National events twice before, in 2008 when the Men’s’ Lightweight 4 placed fifth nationally at the Scholastic Rowing Championships and again in 2010, when the Men’s Lightweight 8 traveled to the Scholastic Nationals in Saratoga, New York, placing 11th.

Many of Saline’s high school rowers along with other area rowers will continue to train and compete this summer as part of the Bomber Rowing Club, based at Saline’s current practice facility and future boathouse location on Ford Lake. This new summer rowing club, open to rowers in eighth grade to adult, will compete in three regattas this summer, giving current rowers and new rowers the opportunity to row competitively and hone their rowing skills. For anyone interested in more information about this new summer camp, please contact the camp at bomberrowingclub@gmail.com.

Saline High School Crew’s fall rowing season will start in September and any Saline High School students or incoming 2013 freshmen interested in learning more about this exciting sport and joining this winning team can find more information at www.salinecrew.org.