RFH Rowing Wraps Up Season with Awards Dinner

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RUMSON – The RFH rowing community came together at the Ocean Beach Club recently to celebrate its spring season, recognize outstanding achievements and say goodbye to members going off to college.
There was much to celebrate as RFH Rowing proved to be a formable competitor on the rivers during the 2014 spring season. RFH Rowing captured three first-place and two second-place finishes at the Saint Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del. During the Central New Jersey Rowing Association’s Wagner Cup, held on the Raritan River, the team won eight first place medals and claimed a first or second place in all entered events.
RFH Rowing celebrated the men’s junior quad – Brendan Edwards, Ben Cooper, Matt Bavuso and Sheridan Camarata – which won a bronze medal at the 2014 New Jersey Garden State Championship and also qualified for the semi-finals at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the largest scholastic regatta in the world.
“This year the RFHR athletes put forth intense focus and enthusiasm into every workout and race,” head coach Molly O’Rourke said. “Their efforts proved successful with the impressive results seen at each regatta. We had an excellent year growing as a team because each athlete was ready to work harder than the day before.”
During the celebration, RFH Rowing recognized outstanding contributions by its student/athletes. Winning the Hammer Award for the fastest ERG times were Paul Criscitiello and Ryan Kearney for the men and Maren Gierlatowicz and Emily Kean for the women. The Beast Mode Awards, given for outstanding determination to succeed in physical fitness, were Kaitlyn Peitler, Helena Van Hemmen and Dawson Epstein. Claiming the Most Improved Rowing Award were Greg Nixon and Mariah Parsons.
The group said farewell to its graduating seniors: Madison Bess, Evan Callahan, Mary Clare Condon, Kate Edwards, Rayan Heard, Kaitlin Hill, Katelyn Kearney, Francisco Orejarena, Elise Reynolds, Todd Spencer and Matt Valko.