Announcement

Belen Lightweights (and one Heavy sculler)

Posted by Secretary BJPC Booster Club on May 26 2015 at 02:05PM PDT in 2014-2015
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Re-printed from Row2K web site:

http://www.row2k.com/events/features.cfm?ID=365&site=events#.VWTNk5sUNoE

SRAA Nationals: Miami Lights, Streaking ’Togas, ’Stogas, and Purple Eagles
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Janit Gorka, row2k.com

Scholastic Nationals took over Cooper River as Memorial Day weekend arrived In New Jersey, and it was definitely easier to get to Camden then to any beach destination on this unofficial start of summer – and what rewards came to those willing to hang on the brush-covered shore of the Cooper race course! Lots of fast racing, great parents, dedicated coaches… it doesn’t get much better than scholastic regattas, even without a boardwalk.

Saturday afternoon finals were on ambitious time schedule, but manageable with existing calm conditions. This is one of those regatta with broad categories and an uncertain award schedule – if row2k missed talking to crews it was likely due to crossing over interviews at the awards pavilion above the course – but great racing and congrats!

Belen Lightweights (and one Heavy sculler)
One of the most impressive results of the day was the Belen Jesuit School (Miami, FL) sweeping the Lightweight Men’s categories: LM4x, LM2x, LM8+, and LM4+. If you consider the fact that their single sculler Hector Formosa – Murias is also a lightweight but won the heavyweight event by open water, well, you can see how successful this program is at developing young lightweight rowing athletes.

“We have been trying to win this event (LW Men 8+) for five years!” says 5 – year Head Coach Yunian Cabrera of Belen’s quest for gold in the LW Eight.

“We finally won it; I knew they were ready,” he explains while holding his stack of plaques – five – that will return to his school. “At the 1000 they were ahead, but they had to maintain that lead, they were at a 36 and in the last 250, they went to the 40s. To race, you have to respond,” and the crew’s aggressive response to a move by St. Joseph’s Prep was enough to win by 4.5 seconds over last year’s winners.

“We train for 2k’s, but States (FL) a month ago were 1500,” says Formosa-Murias, a Belen senior lightweight who will be going to Georgetown in the fall. “I try to lead off at the start – set a precedent,” he says. Formosa – Murias was ahead for his entire race, but says the last 500 is “pure adrenaline – I empty the tanks before that, but even if I am ahead, I still get the splits down.” The Florida sculler will be rowing a single at Youth Nationals in Florida, and he will be joined by his team mates who have also qualified.