Conestoga Crew Novices Shine at the Head of the Schuylkill

Conestoga Crew made a strong statement this past weekend at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, one of the largest and most competitive fall rowing events in the country. With more than 11,000 athletes competing, the team rose to the occasion on its home course, highlighted by medal-winning performances from the novice squads and depth across every level of the program.

The freshman and novice rowers set the tone with silver medals for the Girls’ quad and bronze for the Boys quad, while the girls’ novice double added a top-five finish in a crowded field.

Silver Medal Womens Quad: Brenna Haenn, Maggie Ng, Maizy Jacobson, Lara Laursen

Bronze Medal Mens Quad: Andrew Lu, Petras Vainius, Kyle Petrulich, and Will Simon

“The day started out with a silver medal performance in the Novice 4x event, a composite crew with two rowers from our 1V and two rowers from our 2V, who all just picked up the sport last January. In the Novice 2x, Amelie Martinez and Olivia Olcese secured a top-5 finish in a field of 21 boats,” said Coach Austin Burke.

Varsity depth also stood out. “Later in the morning, we put out three quads that all performed well against the field. The varsity 4x finished 5th overall, beating out every scholastic entry in their field. The 2nd varsity 4x finished 13th overall in the same event, with a finishing time that was faster than any other 2V 4x in the regatta. Our JV 4x raced a respectable race against most teams’ second 4x entries and held their own placing 8th in the JV event, beating out many teams’ 2Vs and 3Vs,” Burke explained.

Coach Bailey Chick reflected on the team’s broader growth: “We went into this weekend with lofty goals and positive attitudes, and that carried the team really well. Looking at the results, I’m pleased with the growth our athletes demonstrated, especially compared to HOSR 2024. We had 33% more entries this season, and in the events we raced in both years, eight improved on their 2024 results. Sixty percent of our entries finished in the top half of their events this weekend.”

On the men’s side, Coach Chick pointed to clear signs of progress: “The Varsity 4x bested its 2024 finish by two places, with the 2V 4x finishing just three spots behind — a clear demonstration of depth. The Boys JV 2xA outpaced last year’s entry by 12 places and more than a minute in time. And the Novice 4x really shone, improving three places from 2024 and medaling. This is a great place to be across the roster, and I’m excited to see how this momentum carries into November — both at Hidden River next weekend and as we start setting individual and team-wide goals for winter training and spring racing.”

The regatta also gave many athletes the chance to double up in smaller boats. “Most of the girls got an opportunity to race a second time in small boat lineups in the singles and doubles, which resulted in some top 10 and top-50% finishes to round out a successful day,” said Coach Burke.

For both coaches, the weekend was as much about building for the future as it was about collecting hardware. “We saw Sunday as a starting point and a building block for the winter and spring seasons coming up. We tested our speed and received good data across our 11 entries on Sunday and this group is excited to keep pushing the speed through the end of the fall with a good foundation,” Burke added.

Coach Chick echoed that optimism: “The future of Conestoga Crew is bright. For many of our athletes, this was their first experience racing in a high-pressure environment like Head of the Schuylkill. To come away with medals at that level speaks to their work ethic and the culture our team is building. We’re proud of how the novices stepped up, and equally proud of the depth we showed across all our boats.”

With medals secured, stronger results across nearly every event, and momentum spreading throughout the roster, Conestoga now turns its focus to the Hidden River Chase, another chance to test speed on the Schuylkill before the fall season closes. “We are excited to see similar competition on our home course and continue striving for excellence,” said Coach Burke.

Alumni Spotlight

Conestoga Crew alumni continue to make their mark on the Schuylkill. This weekend, Hudson Miller (Colgate University Men’s Rowing) returned to Philadelphia and powered his way to a bronze medal in the Men’s College Frosh Eights at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. In his debut collegiate season, Hudson showed the same determination and drive that defined his years at Conestoga. It was a strong return to the river where it all started and a proud moment for Stoga rowing.