Utah Youth Rowers Earn Top 10 Finish in Elite International Race
Utah is 5th fastest US Crew at the Head of the Charles Regatta
Salt Lake City, UT and Boston, MA – October 20, 2019 – Five Utah youth athletes traveled to Boston, MA to take on an elite international field in the 55th Head of the Charles Regatta. Coxswain Emma Goldsmith, a junior at Highland High School, piloted her crew of Daniel Carlebach, a junior at Rowland Hall; Wilson Bielaczyc, a junior at East High School; Aleksandar Jovanovic-Hacon, a senior at West High School; and Bruno Stehlik, a junior at The Waterford School, down the course in a time of 16 minutes and 19 seconds, finishing 9th overall and just 26 seconds out of the lead. The winner of this year’s event was a boat from England’s Henley RC, a training center for their youth national team program. Utah finished within five seconds of boats from the Canadian and German youth national programs, who took 7th and 8th, respectively.
The five competed in the Men’s Youth Coxed Quadruple Sculls event, which features a boat staffed by four rowers with two oars each and a coxswain who steers, provides motivation, and executes the team’s strategy. The Head of the Charles is known as a “coxswain’s race” with its tight turns and seven bridges to negotiate. Like a skilled race car driver, the coxswain must balance throttle application with a perfect line. The rowers must be ready at all times to provide full power while keeping focus through heavy traffic. The Utah boat faced 48 crews in the event, which was one of 71 events in this year’s race.
“Finishing 5th among the US competitors puts this crew in a great position as they look forward to Youth Nationals in the spring,” notes Utah Crew Head Coach Linda Iqbal, who has overseen the development of these athletes from their first strokes to today and beyond. “All of the athletes in this boat have another year of eligibility at the Youth level, so they are already setting their sights on a medal at the 2020 Head of the Charles.”
About Utah Crew:
Utah Crew, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, develops the athleticism, teamwork, and social skills of the youth of Utah between the ages of 13 and 18. Rowing promotes a work ethic and a dedication to excellence that impact academics positively. Utah Crew observes a no-cut policy and fosters a strong team culture. The club offers programs to both recreational and competitive rowers, regardless of ability to pay, ranging from new athletes to competitors at the highest levels of youth rowing. Connect with Utah Crew at https://utahcrew.org or on Instagram @utahcrew.
About the Head of the Charles Regatta:
First held on October 16, 1965, the Head Of The Charles® Regatta is the world’s largest two-day rowing event. Founders and Cambridge Boat Club members D’Arcy MacMahon, Howard McIntyre, and Jack Vincent, created the Regatta on the advice of Harvard University sculling instructor Ernest Arlett. Arlett proposed a “head of the river” race (similar in tradition to races held in his native England) be held on the Charles River. “Head” races are a class of regattas generally three miles in length. Boats compete against one another and the clock, which starts sequentially, approximately fifteen seconds apart. Winners of each race receive the honorary title “Head of the River” or, in this case, “Head Of The Charles.” The event attracts over 10,000 athletes and more than 100,000 spectators.
Photos (may be published with attribution to Anisa Iqbal, originals available at https://www.ahsaniqbal.com/Rowing/Utah-Crew/Head-of-the-Charles-2019/):
