GRP brings home three Golds at Head of the Fish
GRP Row came home from Saratoga Springs, NY with three fish head trophies from the Head of the Fish on Saturday, October 24. Matthew Skubas won both the men's single and, with Sam Boogaert, the men's double, and Grace Donabedian and Quin Woods took the mixed double by almost 40 seconds. It was a 3,200-meter head race on Fish Creek, a week after the Head of the Charles, with singles in the morning and doubles after lunch.
From left: Sam Boogaert, Matthew Skubas, Quin Woods, Grace Donabedian, Natalie Hoefer and Jane Doyle with their medals and bespoke plaques at the Head of the Fish. Photo: courtesy Grace Donabedian
The singles started in thick fog. Skubas won the Men's Open Single in 12:04.4, 2.8 seconds ahead of Sean Christiansen of GMS Rowing Center. Quin Woods was third (12:09.2) and Kevin Harvell fourth (12:10.0), less than a second apart, and Sam Boogaert was seventh. "It was foggy conditions and challenging for the morning, but we were able to thrive through it," Skubas said.
GRP scullers launch into the fog before the morning singles at the Head of the Fish. Photo: Lise Hafner
In the Women's Open Single, Natalie Hoefer and Jane Doyle were ninth and 10th, just six hundredths of a second apart. Sue Holderness was 14th and Grace Donabedian 16th. "I had a really good sprint today and I'm excited to keep building on that!" Hoefer said. Donabedian said: "It was great race experience coming up on Small Boat Nationals, especially with a 2k straight shot on the last half of the course. It'll be good to move the focus on high rate work before our next racing!"
After a lunch break, GRP launched three doubles. Skubas and Boogaert, a GRP U23 rower, had never rowed together before, and won the Men's Open Double in 11:21.3, 18 seconds ahead of Riverside Boat Club. Hoefer and Doyle took third in the Women's Open Double. Donabedian and Woods closed the day by winning the Mixed Open Double in 12:03.0, 39.6 seconds clear of the next boat.
Matthew Skubas (left) and Sam Boogaert with their medals and a fish head trophy. Photo: courtesy Quin Woods
The winner of each event takes home a fish head trophy, so three are headed back to Craftsbury - Gerrie’s to be precise. Thanks to the Saratoga Rowing Association/Arion for putting on the race.
Next up: Fall Speed Order, the USRowing Small Boat National Championships, November 14–15 on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, NJ. The full lineup is in the GRP Row Fall Schedule.
And a special thank you to Lise Hafner, Saratoga Rowing member who helped organize the regatta, one-time Craftsbury camper who has become a Craftsbury camp coach - and she found time to shoot some great pics at the regatta she generously shared with us. Thanks Lise!
