Submitted by Jennifer Zuch and Lorraine Wiess Gill
Photo credits: Nereid Boat Club
Over the weekend of October 21st - 22nd, over 400,000 rowing fans traveled to the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts to watch the 55th annual Head of the Charles Regatta. More than 11,000 athletes from 800 clubs, including over 100 overseas clubs traveling from as far away as New Zealand and China, raced in over 1,900 boats across 66 events.
Five boats of high school-aged varsity rowers from Nereid Boat Club, a community rowing organization located in Rutherford, New Jersey took to the Charles River to compete against some of the world’s best rowers and the results were outstanding!
Leading the way for Nereid and winning the second medal ever for Nereid at this prestigious event, was the Girls Under 17 4+ coached by Jessica Eiffert, and rowed by Rutherford’s own Elliott Bullis (coxswain, sophomore) and Ella Gill (junior), along with Maeve Bogue (Chatham, junior), Sarah Newman (Tenafly, sophomore) and Emma Mohanram (Ridgewood, junior). These fierce young women took a bronze medal, coming in just behind Saugatuck and Row America Rye, 2 of the biggest and most competitive clubs in the country.
Coming in 4th overall (2nd among US clubs) was the Girls Youth 4x+ also coached by Jessica Eiffert. Rutherford’s Catherine Miguel Rastiero (junior) who coxed the boat for the second year in a row, and rowers Maya Geller (Secaucus, senior), Kate Rudolph (Hawthorne, senior), Violet Lombardo (Montclair, junior) and Ella Woroniecki (Montclair, junior) did an outstanding job navigating a difficult course. Catherine, Violet, and Ella all took gold last year at the Head of the Charles and continued, with Kate and Maya, to shine this year and beat out 46 extremely talented boats.
Not far behind, the Boys Youth 4x+ coached by Zach Spitzer came in 7th overall and 5th among US clubs. Nethra Thakkar (Millburn, junior) coxed the boat with rowers Matt Bonarti (Upper Montclair, senior), Cyrus Rosenberg (Glen Ridge, senior), Nikola Antich (Fort Lee, junior) and Cameron Gennardo (Tenafly, sophomore). This result is all the more impressive as the boat started the race 15th in a pack of 46 boats and passed some of the best boats in the world on the notoriously challenging and winding 3-mile course. (Boats take off from the starting line one at a time based upon their rank entering the race.)
Nereid Boat Club was founded in 1868 and has a long and illustrious history. Nereid’s Youth Program under Coach Zach Spitzer and Coach Jess Eiffert has had tremendous success over the past 3 years of their tenure. Since that time, Nereid youth teams have raced in 3 National Championships and produced over 100 medaling crews. In addition to the Youth Programs, Nereid also has an adult Master’s Program. According to Coach Zach Spitzer, “We are very happy with how Nereid has come along in the last 3 years. We have grown from 12 athletes to over 70 on our racing team in that time, and the results show the work and dedication that this group of athletes has put in. The development of the club and the athletes has been a fun process so far, and we are excited to continue that process!”
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