Former Vancouver Lake Crew teammates Reiner Hershaw and J.C. Russell each rowed to championships at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships on June 2 on the Cooper River near Cherry Hill, N.J.
Four years after placing sixth as a pair at junior nationals in 2008, they won races for different schools.
Hershaw rowed with UW’s Men’s Open Four that finished in 6 minutes, 15.257 seconds, nearly 2 seconds ahead of runner-up Wisconsin. Russell rowed with Navy’s Varsity Lightweight Four that finished in 6:18.126, more than 2 seconds ahead of runner-up Cornell.
Washington won the team crown, with Navy 10th.
The two rowers have more in common. Hershaw was recently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Russell is slated to graduate next spring as a U.S. Navy or USMC officer.
