11 Unionville rowers take 1st at Balt. Invitational

Brothers Justin and Garren Best Take Three Firsts in First Rowing Season at UHS

Unionville High School Coxswain Olivia Robb celebrates Varsity Men’s 4+ Victory with teammates Colin Wardius, Garren Best, Just Best and John Sagretti.

BALTIMORE — Despite just being the first season for rowing at Unionville High School, it didn’t stop eleven UHS athletes from claiming first place medals at the 2014 Baltimore Invitational Regatta on Saturday, April 12, 2014. Drawing more than 31 clubs from the Mid-Atlantic region, this year’s Baltimore Invitational Regatta attracted athletes from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.

Claiming first place medals were UHS seniors John Sagrati, Sebastian Tenlen, Ethan Kablunde, and Anna Wertz; sophomores Julianna Murphy, Kiera Callahan, and Collin Wardius. Sophomore coxswain Olivia Robb took two firsts while brothers Justin (junior) and Garren (senior) Best brought home three gold medals each.

Although some Unionville first place medalists have a few seasons of rowing experience from area rowing clubs, many are brand new, or novice, rowers. That’s true for first place finishers Kiera Callahan, Megan Drohan, and Ethan Kablunde, who are participating in just their first season of rowing.

According to Unionville Rowing Club head coach Samantha “Sam” McDonald, “Saturday’s racing was a great success for us. The stage was set in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and our athletes rose to the occasion. Unionville High School was represented by over 30 athletes racing in 11 events. Overall, we had seven top 3 finishes and three first place awards.”

“The level of competition at this regatta gets greater every year, and I am more than proud of all of our crews that raced. Every boat put forth an amazing effort and all crews returned to the dock with a sense of accomplishment. After having such a productive day, our athletes are more focused than ever on our future regattas and competition.”

Commenting on Saturday’s performance, three-time medalist Garren Best said, “It was great to see all of our hard work paying off.”
And not to be “Best-ed” by older brother, younger brother Justin added, “It was a beautiful day with lots of competitive racing. Success on both the guys’ and girls’ team…a great regatta overall.”