Otsego Area Rowing Members Compete in Fall Regattas
SCOTIA—Nine Otsego County rowers competed in the Mohawk Fall Classic Regatta, held on Sunday, September 29 on the Mohawk River in Scotia. There were 213 entries from 27 clubs, most of which are New York-based, including our own Otsego Area Rowing.
Formerly known as the Spartan Sweepstakes Regatta, the Mohawk Fall Classic Regatta is hosted by the Burnt Hills Rowing Association. The 3,700 meter fall head race is United States Rowing Association-sanctioned and includes masters, collegiate, and junior level events.
OAR’s Joe Novitski, of West Winfield, placed second in the Men’s Masters 1x (singles) Final with a time of 15:33.87. Creighton Williams (Cooperstown), Henry Cooper (Cooperstown), and Henrik Green (Hartwick) finished ninth, 10th, and 11th in the Junior Boy’s 1x Final with times of 18:24.46, 24:16.03, and 24:41.20, respectively.
Alison Lord (Cooperstown), Linda Demma (Fly Creek), Faith Gay (Richfield Springs), and Abby Rodd (Middlefield) took first place in the Women’s Masters 4x (quad) Final with a time of 15:48.18, and Theo Feury and Creighton Williams finished fifth in the Junior Boy’s 2x Final with a time of 16:54.21.
On the same day, Samantha Gehring (Boulder, Cooperstown), and Lang Keith (Cooperstown), also representing OAR, raced the Green Mountain Head Regatta in Bellows Falls, Vermont. They placed sixth in the Mixed 2x (doubles)-Masters 12+ three-mile stake race with a time of 26:41.4.
“We had participants ranging in age from their teens to their 80s,” Faith Gay said after the race. “The big thing is we have four youths racing for OAR, maybe the most ever, plus Joe Novitski got second in his race and the women’s quad placed first. But the great thing is the young rowers.”
Otsego Area Rowing offers rowing experiences and coaching for people of all ages, in individual and team boats, for both pleasure and competition. The mission of the organization is to help people of all ages discover their ability to move a shell through the water.
Abby Rodd is the president of the OAR Board of Directors, Lang Keith is treasurer and Joe Novitski is secretary. Faith Gay and Alison Lord also serve on the OAR board, along with Gib Vincent, vice-president, Laura Kilty, Diana Moseman, Katharine Muir, Ed Ryan, and Andrea Thies.
Otsego Area Rowing is located within Brookwood Point on property on the shores of Otsego Lake owned by the Otsego Land Trust off State Highway 80, Cooperstown.
For more information, visit otsegoarearowing.org.