LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Oakland Strokes Men's and Women's Teams Going to Nationals in Cincinnati


(In boat, L-R): Billy Deskin (Campolindo), Alex Sheridan (Campolindo), Jack Andreoni (PHS), Zack Attaran (Acalanes), Sebastian Rocky Davis (Miramonte), Haydn Bierwith (Athenian), David Hosler (PHS), Ian Drake (Miramonte), and Coxswain Alexander Steele (Miramonte) Photo Lynn Owens

Recently on Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova, California, the Oakland Strokes rowing team competed in the US Rowing Southwest Junior Regional Championship Regatta. Teams from Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah competed on a seven-lane 2000 meter course to determine which teams would continue on to the national competition this June in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The women's varsity teams swept the event with gold medals in varsity, junior varsity and light weight varsity boats. Following a first place finish with a time of 6:59:72, the Varsity Eight team, stroked by Miramonte's Elizabeth Lenczowski, claimed the secret to its success was "trusting and liking each other." The team of nine girls from four different schools is close-knit and works consistently as a unit. The rest of the Varsity Eight boat included: Becky Bauer (Miramonte), Corinnne Bozzini (Campolindo), Camilla Polakoff (Bentley), Katie McKeen (Piedmont), Dana Walsh (Miramonte), Nikki Dalberg-Seeth (Miramonte), and Molly Fehr (Miramonte cox).

Joining this team at Nationals is the Light Weight Women's Varsity Eight who also brought home gold medals. Several of the lightweight rowers are going to Nationals for their second time in three years.

The men's varsity boat also qualified for Nationals. The boat, stroked by Miramonte's Ian Drake, ran its best race of the year finishing third in the finals with a time of 6:15:27. "That was the hardest seven minutes I ever pulled," said Drake. Coxswain Alex Steele added, "We were just smashing. It was a battle and I loved it." When asked how the race felt to him, Rocky Davis of Miramonte High simply said, "Sexy!"

With a somewhat uneven start earlier this year, the team really came together in the past few months. Billy Deskin of Campolindo said, "Six months ago I never thought we'd be where we are today." Zach Attaran of Acalanes High added, "You never know what's going to happen. You just have to trust in yourself and your team and go for it."

The team was motivated before the race by former Cal and Olympic coach Gladstone who told them to trust in themselves and go 100 percent. The pep talks really worked for Campolindo's Alex Sheridan who said it was "the most motivated I've ever been for a race."

The Novice Men's A Boat celebrated Mother's Day in the rain by squeaking out a gold medal with an impressive time bringing the entire team medal count to five gold medals, six silver and two bronze medals for Strokes.