Rowers Return from Regatta with Gold

Five Teaneck Rowing Club (TRC) members competed last week in the prestigious Royal Canadian Henley Regatta at St. Catherines in Ontario, Canada.

The two adult members from the group, Clemens Reinke and Andrea Hurwitz, took first place in the Mixed Masters D Double, which was a 1,000-meter race that the pair completed in a time of 3 minutes and 45 seconds.

The three teen members of the TRC who attended the regatta were Sarah Fisher, Aaron Karp and Kathryn Heaney. Fisher will be a senior at this fall and has been on the high school’s rowing team – the Teaneck Crew – since she was a freshman. Karp and Heaney are 2011 THS graduates who also were on the Teaneck Crew.

“Aaron will go on to UMass and is looking forward to joining the crew team there,” said Reinke, who serves as head coach of the Teaneck Crew. “Kathryn will study at Metropolitan Campus and is looking forward to rowing as well with our newly formed FDU Crew Club. I helped to start that team during the 2009-2010 school year.”

According to Reinke, Karp rowed with the Teaneck Crew since his sophomore year, while Heaney joined the team her senior year, which in terms of the high school sports season means she began rowing in the spring.

“It’s amazing that she picked up the skill to participate in such a big and prestigious regatta after only learning how to row this past March,” Reinke said.

Reinke said the regatta was extremely competitive at the youth level, with 76 boats entered in the Under-19 Women’s Double, which Fisher and Heaney were a part of, and 67 boats entered in the Under-19 Men’s Single, which included Karp. By contrast, Reinke’s and Hurwitz’s race featured six boats.

“Though they didn’t advance to the semifinals, they really raced a great race and got experience to compete on a world-class course,” said Reinke, who also serves as pastor of in Teaneck.

Hurwitz also praised the teens for their efforts.

“I am proud of our team and the students that traveled all the way to Canada to experience this competitive venue,” she said. “I’m sure it was a wonderful learning experience that will make them better competitors in the future.”

Fisher described the competition as “nerve-wracking but really exciting.”

“I’ve done races before, but this one was more intimidating because it was in another country,” said the 17-year-old. “I definitely look forward to more competitions. This race showed me that there are other teams out there that are really, really good.”

Hurwitz said she began rowing in 2002 at the Nereid Boat Club in Rutherford.

“I took to rowing with enthusiasm and dedication and was able to begin rowing on a national level by 2005,” she said. “I race often and with Clemens in a mixed double many times a year for the past three years. We are the only Master's Rowers in the Teaneck Rowing Club at this time. We feel it gives the high school team pride and enthusiasm.”

Reinke, who’s been rowing since the mid-1970s, said the sport requires its athletes to be in top condition. He compared a typical race to that of completing two basketball games back to back without any break.

“It’s a big challenge to row, and it takes every ounce of strength out of you,” he said.

Hurwitz echoed those sentiments.

“Clemens and I are a mighty team, and we were extremely happy to bring home the gold with the Teaneck teens cheering us on,” she said. “This was a very competitive International race that took all our effort to win.”