Local Students Take Second at Southeast Rowing Regionals

Atlanta Junior Rowing Association (AJRA) earned the Southeast Youth Women’s Points Trophy and finished second overall of 43 teams competing at the 2013 US Rowing Southeast Junior District Championships held May 4-5 in Oak Ridge, TN.

The 43 teams participating were from seven states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee – and entered more than 335 boats in the regatta.

AJRA’s strong performance earned the club a record six bids to the nation’s premier youth rowing event – US Rowing Youth National Championships to be held June 7-9 in Oak Ridge.  Crews qualify for the national bid by placing in the top three in one of 18 events at a recognized qualification regatta such as Southeast Regionals.

The six qualifying AJRA boats are:  Men’s and Women’s Varsity Pairs, Men’s and Women’s Lightweight Fours, Women’s Varsity Four and Women’s Varsity Eight.  At Nationals, AJRA crews will compete with the top boats in the country for a national championship in their respective events.

Sam Greenblatt, AJRA head coach and Varsity Men’s head coach, noted that AJRA not only qualified a record six boats for Nationals but also brought home a record-setting six regional championships.  “All of the AJRA squads posted strong results at Southeast Regionals and contributed to a record-breaking day for the club,” said Greenblatt.

“Bringing home the Women’s Points Trophy in regional competition for the first time in AJRA history shows the strength and depth we have in our women’s program,” added Skye Elliot, AJRA Varsity Women’s Head Coach.  “Our Novice and Varsity women medaled in all seven events we entered, with five gold finishes, one silver, and one bronze.”

AJRA is a non-profit youth sports organization dedicated to introducing middle and high school students to the Olympic sport of rowing.  More than 200 students from approximately 30 public and private schools throughout metro Atlanta participated in AJRA programs this spring. 

For more information on AJRA and 2013 Learn to Row Summer Camps visit the website.