Gabi White earned her second consecutive berth in the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships with a third-place finish in the single scull finals at the Pacific Northwest championships, highlighting the weekend for Vancouver Lake Crew at the annual competition.
Rowing for Vancouver Lake Crew, White finished Saturday’s 2,000-meter final in 8 minutes, 53.74 seconds. It was her second third-place finish at regionals in as many years.
Last season, her first as a varsity-level rower, White finished 11th in the single scull race at the junior nationals. The 2015 nationals are in June in Florida. Vancouver Lake Crew coach Alan Stewart said he does not know if White will travel to nationals this year.
The regional meet brought some 1,500 high school rowers from Washington, Oregon and Idaho to Vancouver Lake for racing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In terms of participation the Northwest regional is the largest of the U.S. Rowing junior regionals.
Alan Stewart said conditions were ideal for the competition.
“We were really blessed with good weather,” he said, noting that the water was deep enough and flat. “It was an exceptional weekend for good rowing.”
Vancouver Lake Crew had 26 individuals and 28 boats participate in the regional, which included junior varsity and novice racing in addition to varsity races that determined qualifiers for nationals. Most of the Vancouver Lake Crew boats advanced beyond the initial elimination races.
In addition to White’s individual success, she and Veronica Nicacio finished fifth in the girls varsity doubles scull final with a time of 8:07, after winning their qualifying heat.
Nicacio won the junior varsity girls singles sculling final with a time of 8:56.4.
A Vancouver Lake Crew boat won the girls novice fours final in 8:37. Rowing were Bailey Petersen, Sophia Prentice-Wattson, Sydney Schiller and Caitlin DeRenee with coxswain Grace Newcomb.
Alexis Winnett and Sierra Colletto of VLC finished first in the girls third-varsity double with a time of 8:37.
Three VLC boats finished sixth in their varsity finals races. Erik Johnson placed sixth in the boys varsity single scull finals in 8:23. Pearce Fowler and Tuck Wilcox placed sixth in the boys varsity pairs final in 8:18. Wilcox and Jacob Skimas placed sixth in the boys varsity doubles final in 7:32.
