MAYS LANDING — Choppy waters caused by nearly 30 mph wind gusts didn’t slow the Ocean City girls varsity eight crew at the Lake Lenape Sprints II on Saturday.
The Red Raiders won their race by nearly nine seconds. Stroke Kira Morjakovs, Adison Conti, Jada Smith, Marina Zappone, Margot Swift, Vicky Sackhno, Julia Gray, bow Kailyn Kelly and coxswain Lauren Shaw finished in 5 minutes, 6.07 seconds. Atlantic City was second in 5:15.47.
“With Ocean City, we row in the back bays, so the weather honestly, it’s just another day for us,” Conti said of the conditions. “We get used to it pretty much from the back bays. This was honestly kind of nice because I got the tailwind.”
Although the tailwind sped things up, Conti said the crew’s time had a lot less to do with the weather and more to do with how much hard work they’ve put in.
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Ocean City also won the boys junior eight Heat 1 race. The junior boys crew, consisting of stroke Jake Tracy, Luke Tjoumakaris, Aaron Young, Chase Cole, Phineas Costal, Michael Wolosin, Gavin Tomaselli, bow Will Ellis, and coxswain Joe Majowicz, finished in 5:47.96.
The Red Raiders’ boys junior eight crew similarly used its experience practicing in the back bays to their advantage. The crew finished 21.16 seconds ahead of second place Egg Harbor Township.
Holy Spirit’s Gwen Analfitano (stroke), Taya Anderson, Allie Solari, Allie Lee (bow), and Gia Rynkiewicz (coxswain) won the girls varsity four Heat 2 race in 5:57.72 seconds, 17.77 seconds ahead of second-place Absegami.
“Our coach told us yesterday we had to win ugly and even if our technique wasn’t spotless and the best we’ve ever rowed, we did the best that we could with the 20 mile per hour gusts,” said the Braves’ Taya Anderson, of…