Rowing News

by: Rowing Contributor

North Allegheny Rowing delivered a strong and resilient performance on Saturday, April 25, traveling to Moraine State Park to face nine other scholastic programs at the annual Pittsburgh Sprints. With a full schedule of 25 entries, the Tigers showcased both depth and determination, bringing home multiple medals across a wide range of events.

Racing began with the Men’s Junior 4x, where North Allegheny fielded three boats. The top lineup of Nik Kshirsagar, Ryan Lovejoy, Daniel Choi, and Stephen Webber-Plank set the tone early, powering down the course to capture gold and secure the Tigers’ first medal of the regatta. A second Tiger entry of Will Ason, Emmett Robleto, Jace Laker, and Tai Luangkesorn placed fourth, but came off the water encouraged after delivering what they described as their best race of the season. The third entry, an exhibition 4x+ lineup featuring novices Nils Arteel, Finn Maguire, Bryce Munroe, Wyatt Johansen, and coxswain Elise Kreiling, gained valuable racing experience and finished fifth.

Momentum carried into the Men’s Varsity 4x, where Neil Pore, Alex Repinski, Christian Sperandeo, and Cooper Lemon delivered an impressive row. Despite a seat malfunction in the final 100 meters, the crew maintained composure and held off strong challenges from Marietta and Fox Chapel to claim another gold medal for North Allegheny.

The women’s squad followed with a series of standout performances. In the Women’s Junior 2x, Lydia Humphrey and Jocelyn Munroe put together their best race of the season, earning a well-deserved bronze. Teammates Alexandra Edfors and Natalie Helffrich followed in the Women’s Varsity 2x, winning their heat with an explosive sprint; with afternoon finals later canceled due to worsening water conditions, their heat victory secured them gold overall.

North Allegheny’s novice women also made their mark in a competitive seven-boat field in the Novice Women’s 4+. Sloane Wetzel, Abby Lambert, Alexis Sardonia, Kate Elliot, and coxswain Louisa Patel battled to a strong third-place finish, continuing to show growth and promise.

The Men’s Novice 4+ crew of Max Karn, Maxx Buffat, Ethan Murick, Nils Arteel, and coxswain Elise Kreiling dominated their race, crossing the finish line a full 18 seconds ahead of the field to earn gold.

In the Men’s 2x events, the Tigers continued their medal haul. Nate Earnest and Suraj Raina secured silver in the Junior category, while the varsity lineup of Christian Sperandeo and Cooper Lemon finished just 0.9 seconds shy of gold to take second. Teammates Neil Pore and Alex Repinski followed closely behind, earning bronze and completing a strong showing for the program.

North Allegheny entered two boats in the Men’s Junior 8+. The first lineup (coxswain Emma Coca with Nik Kshirsagar, Ryan Lovejoy, Max Disque, Suraj Raina, Nate Earnest, Daniel Choi, Stephen Webber-Plank, and Will Ason) won its heat in convincing fashion. With finals canceled due to unsafe conditions, their time placed them second overall, claiming silver. The second Tiger entry (Ethan Murik, Tai Luangkesorn, Emmett Robleto, Jace Laker, Bryce Munroe, Nils Arteel, Finn Maguire, Wyatt Johansen, and coxswain Jocelyn Munroe) finished third in its heat, gaining valuable experience in a deep field.

On the women’s side, Lydia Humphrey, Lucy Hughes, Alexandra Edfors, Natalie Helffrich, and coxswain Ava Moore competed together for the first time in the Women’s Varsity 4+. The new lineup finished with a bronze-medal and left the water energized by their performance. In the Junior Women’s 4+, both Tiger entries, one featuring Abby Greiner, Tatiana Morillo, Sophia Savena, Natalie Patel, and coxswain Emma Coca, and a novice lineup of Sloane Wetzel, Abby Lambert, Alexis Sardonia, Kate Elliot, and coxswain Louisa Patel, placed fourth in their respective heats.

The Men’s Junior 4+ crew of Nate Earnest, Suraj Raina, Max Disque, Will Ason, and coxswain Ava Moore battled through difficult conditions and equipment challenges to secure a bronze medal, demonstrating grit in the face of adversity.

As the day progressed, strong winds created whitecaps across the course, ultimately forcing officials to cancel or alter the remaining events. Select races, such as the Women’s 4x and Novice 2x, were relocated to a sheltered cove for shortened 500-meter sprints, ensuring additional racing opportunities despite the weather.

Despite the challenging conditions and a truncated schedule, North Allegheny Rowing left Moraine State Park with an impressive collection of medals and valuable experience across all levels of the program.

For a list of full results from Pittsburgh Sprints, click here.

The Tigers now turn their attention to the Midwest Scholastic Championships in Milford, Michigan. With two critical weeks of preparation ahead, North Allegheny will look to build on this momentum as they aim to qualify boats for the Scholastic National Championships and continue their pursuit of speed and success on the water.