It might be too cold to be on the Potomac River this time of year, but that doesn't stop the Bishop O'Connell crew team. On Feb. 2, the Knights headed to T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria to compete in the 2019 Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprints Championships, the largest indoor rowing competition for high school students. Competing against over 450 other rowers, the team took home medals in four events, along with several top ten finishes.
For the second year in a row, O'Connell sophomore Sean Madden took first place in the 16-year-old Men's 2000 meter race, besting his own record time. In the Lightweight Women's 17-year-old age bracket, Caitlin Thompson came home with a second place medal in the 2000 meter distance. In addition, the Knights had podium appearances in two team events. Caitlin Thompson, Dani Manzano, Claire Bailey and Lily Bernero won the Women's Junior 4 x 500 relay competition, while setting a new event record. Nate Lindley and Daniel Bailey placed second in the Junior Lightweight Men's 3-Minute Crash (Double Slide).
Head Coach Dan Brisson was extremely pleased with the teams overall performance, giving shoutouts to Katie Vanek (a novice racing against varsity rowers), Victoria Phan (5th place finish), Annie Garner (coxed relay team), Renee Dixon (coxed Caitlin Thompson), Adam Kippenhan (4th place finish and coxed Daniel Kippenhan), Daniel Kippenhan (competing well against upperclassmen), Michael Bailey (defeated older, more experienced rowers in the 20-minute competition), Matt Vidrine (hitting his goal in the 20-minute race), Christopher Williams (strong showing in the 20-minute competition), Luke Snyder (coxed Sean Madden), and Nico Ozioli (coxed Nate Lindley and Adam Kippenhan).
According to Men's Coach, Charles Fidler, "The day was full of solid performances that put our team in a healthy position to be extremely competitive this spring."
Pictured above: (clockwise from bottom) Caitlin Thompson, Lily Bernero, Dani Manzano, Claire Bailey and Annie Garner.
Pictured below: (l to r) Daniel Kippenhan, Sean Madden, Luke Snyder, Nate Lindley, Michael Bailey, Nico Ozioli, Daniel Bailey, Adam Kippenhan, and Coach Charles Fidler.
