Rowing: Riverhead freshmen win Long Island championships

Riverhead High School freshmen Nolan Renshaw and Bryce McKissick won Long Island championships in the novice double on Sunday. They competed in the Long Island Rowing Championship in Oyster Bay. Riverhead rowers, racing against 40 other rowing programs from 32 cities and four states, also won bronze in the boys novice four (Anthony Ortega, Tristin Krueger, Ivan Stapon and Liam Sment) and the boy’s junior varsity quadruple sculls (Joe Piro, Renshaw, McKissick and Sment). Sment showed strong capability by winning medals in both a sweep (one oar) and sculling (two oars) event.

Finishing out of the medals were Riverhead’s varsity boys double of Ethan Zaweski and Jon Schmitt, the varsity boys quadruple of Schmitt, Zaweski, Rohan Sment and Piro, the girls varsity double of Amber Giambone and Erin Hesler, the girls varsity quadruple of Giambone, Hesler, Emily Harsch and Sam Kuepp, the girls novice quadruple of Emily Masse, Isabella Christiansen, Olivia Fitzgerald and Trinity Pierzchanowski, and the girls novice four of Lauren Mastropaolo, Amanda Kindya (coxswain), Clare Conlan, Isabelle Acosta and Christiansen. Riverhead rower Dallas Cardone was sidelined by an injury.

According to coach Michelle Zaloom, Riverhead’s rowers could have done better if their equipment had been up to par with that of the competition. “Riverhead rowers continue to be handicapped by old boats,” she said. “The fact that we can go out there and win medals in boats that are older than our rowers says a lot about the toughness and strength of our team. Riverhead rowers race with a 40-pound handicap and show a lot of heart.“

Riverhead will send 13 rowers to the New York State Scholastic Rowing Championship scheduled for this weekend in Saratoga Springs.