The Mobjack Rowing Association’s summer competitive racing program tested its first month of training with a trip to the Independence Day Regatta held on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. This regatta, established and running since 1880, ran July 5-7, and had 93 other rowing clubs from 5 countries fielding over 1,000 entries.
The Mobjack team, with more than two-thirds under the age of 16, entered 23 races, made finals in eight, and brought home a first and a silver.
Two men’s junior (up to 18 years old) doubles and a men’s junior 16 (under 16) double raced in a time trial. Out of the three men’s novice singles entered, Bryan Stewart and Kyle Moran raced in finals, and Moran took third. The men’s junior 16 four of Russell Simpson, Aaron Parr, Taylor Dough, Lance South and coxswain Meagan Martin placed third in a heat, with only two advancing to finals. Stepping into the men’s junior 18-year-old four event, Simpson and Parr joined forces with Tucker Blackwell, Phillip Machen and coxswain Brandon Smith to qualify with the second fastest time in time trials, a first in the semis and a silver finish in the finals, pulling a 6:59 behind winner Penn Athletic Club.
Mobjack also entered Blackwell and Machen in the men’s intermediate pair (19-27 age group) where they made it to finals and placed fifth overall.
Thirteen boats entered on the women’s side. The junior four of Kendall Worland, Kara Smith, Maddie Lee, Bailey Hamilton and coxswain Kaitlyn Thompson advanced as far as semifinals. Of the three Women’s Junior Doubles entered, Worland and Lilly Thompson advanced to semis, placing sixth. The women’s junior 16 quad, comprised of flyweights (under 120 pounds) Maddy Hogge, Jamie Robins, Logan Howlett and Casey Martin placed fifth in the finals after being forced to stop by an opponent veering into their lane. The women’s junior quad of Taylor Williams, Lilly Thompson, Mikaela Extine and Hannah Cagle also made it to the finals, finishing sixth.
Mobjack also entered two women’s junior 16 fours, boating flyweights Hogge, Robins, Mackenzie Marbain, C. Martin and coxswain Bella Baucom and four-fifths of the junior four, trading out Worland for Lilly Thompson. The flyweights missed finals; however, the Thompson four turned in the second fastest time in the heats and went on to win first place wrist watches in the finals by 13 seconds over the Penn A.C. entry.
Mobjack also entered a women’s novice single, two women’s junior 16 singles, and two women’s junior 16 doubles all rowed by eighth graders Karla Santiago, Katelyn James, Rachel Witt and freshman Howlett.
Mobjack will continue to practice at Williams Wharf in Mathews, to prepare to return to Philadelphia for the Youth Regatta in two weeks. After the Youth Regatta, training intensity will increase and rowers will compete for selection to go to the Royal Canadian Henley in St. Catherines, Ontario on Aug. 4-12. The R. C. Henley is the largest summer race held in North America.