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Weekend Wrap-up in Clemson

Clemson, South Carolina: High Point Rowing Club opened its inaugural spring season at the Clemson Sprints Regatta on Saturday and came away with the team’s historic first ever win.

The Clemson Sprints is one of the strongest regional spring competitions, drawing college and youth rowing teams from Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia and the Carolinas. High Point entered crews in the women’s junior novice eight and fours events. Novice events are for rowers in their first year of rowing.

549076_10151444479768159_1102852948_nHigh Point opened racing in the women’s junior novice eight. With a line-up that included girls who had only begun rowing just three weeks earlier at the Learn to Row classes, this event was considered ‘more for the experience.’ However, once racing began the competitive spirit came out in the crew, which surpassed all expectations by qualifying for the final. The crew, comprised of coxswain Aislinn Antrim, stroke Emma Lloyd, Bethany Brake, Catherine Thompson, Katie Ognovich, Quinn Eury, Anna Kareis, Maria Donadio and bow Katharine Komsa continued to perform well in the final with a 5th place finish at the competition.

Next up was the women’s junior novice fours event. High Point was represented by two crews in a field of sixteen. An early morning fog on the lake delayed racing by almost two hours and so the original format of three heats was revised to ‘flights’ with the medal awarded to the crew with the fastest time of all the heats.

High Point crews would be challenging from ‘flight 1’ and ‘flight 3’. In the first race the crew of coxswain Bethany Brake, stroke Emma Lloyd, Katie Ognovich, Catherine Thompson and bow Elizabeth Haenel pushed out to an early lead on the other crews and continued to extend its lead into the closing stages of the race. Official results declared High Point the fastest of all crews and overall winner of the event, marking our program’s historic first victory.

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High Point’s first ever winning crew of coxswain Bethany Brake, stroke Emma Lloyd, Katie Ognovich, Catherine Thompson and bow Liz Haenel.

Two flights later, High Point’s crew of coxswain Aislinn Antrim, stroke Cara Mills, Sarah Catto, Olivia Mangus and bow Zoe Kelley were out in lane six, and with a strong cross wind on the course could not hear race official’s the starting commands.  Suddenly, all the crews had started, leaving High Point scrambling to catch up.

The crew courageously raced down the course putting so much pressure on the field ahead that the crew in front of them caught a crab and High Point zoomed past to beat them to the finish line to finish in 14th place overall out of sixteen crews.

Despite missing the start of the race, High Point never gave up.
Despite missing the start of the race, High Point never gave up.

Next up for the team is the Dogwood Regatta in Oak Ridge, Tennessee this coming weekend.

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Learn to Row Classes Scheduled

The next round of Learn to Row classes have been scheduled at Oak Hollow Lake for students ages 14 – 18 attending any Triad area high school.

The classes will be held on the weekends of April 20-21 and April 27-28 at 3pm each day. Cost per participant is $50 for all four sessions. These classes are for students with no prior rowing experience. All participants must have their parents verify in writing that they can swim. A parent of each participant must attend the first class.

High Point Rowing Club is based at Oak Hollow Lake at 3700 Waterview Avenue, High Point, NC 27265.

From Johnson Street take Old Mill Road east to the very end and then go right on Waterview Ave. Continue on to the end of Waterview where you will see the gate entrance to Oak Hollow Lake.

Email contact@highpointrowing.com to sign up for the classes and to receive further updates.

HPLearn2RowThe rowing classes will be instructed by Coach Gene Kininmonth, an internationally acclaimed coach, who has coached prestigious collegiate rowing programs such as the University of Southern California and George Washington University.

Kininmonth’s last collegiate race was as coach of the USC crew that raced Canada in the final of the Grand Challenge Cup at England’s Henley Royal Regatta, an event now famous for its feature in the movie blockbuster The Social Network.

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March Rower of the Month

Emma Lloyd
Emma Lloyd

EMMA LLOYD is High Point’s Rower of the Month for March.

A freshman student at Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville, Emma joined the High Point Rowing Club last fall. In only her first season of rowing she was selected to lead the varsity crew as the Stroke. The stroke of the crew is similar to a quarterback in football, setting the rhythm for the crew and timing of race strategies.

In rowing, setting a strong rhythm for the crew is vital and Lloyd draws on her experience from Irish dance with the Walsh Kelley School. Lloyd is one of the top 50 Irish dancers in the southeast United States.

In November, Lloyd led High Point’s varsity crew at the Head of the Hooch Regatta in Chattanooga, TN. The Tennessee boat race featured thousands of competitors and is the second largest rowing race in the nation.

In addition to rowing and dance, Lloyd swims for Bishop McGuinness HS and Bur-Mil in Greensboro.

Katie Ognovich, Sarah Catto, Emma Lloyd and Catherine Thompson raced in the women's youth novice four event at the Head of the Hooch.
Katie Ognovich, Sarah Catto, Emma Lloyd and Catherine Thompson raced in the women’s youth novice four event at the Head of the Hooch.
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Crew Open House on Sunday

High Point Rowing Club will host an Open House at Oak Hollow Lake Marina for folks interested in learning more about rowing at 2pm on Sunday.

The address is:

3431 N Centennial St, High Point, NC 27265.

Note, this is on the golf course side of the lake. Enter the Marina and you will see the rowing boats in the parking lot on your left.

All students at any Triad area public or private high school are welcome to attend with their parents to learn more about the fastest growing sport in the Triad and to meet other students and parents. Please email Coach Gene Kininmonth at contact@highpointrowing.com or call directly at (336) 257-9009 with any questions.

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Note from Coach

geneHappy New Year!

I hope you all enjoyed the holidays. If you are like me, you can’t wait to see our team back out on the water again.

In the cold winter months, however, we must recognize that rowing carries new challenges that must be understood and mitigated. On Wednesday, I took the water temperature at Oak Hollow Lake, which was 45F. This was prior to last night’s snowfall. Regardless of whether or not you are a great swimmer, this is dangerously cold water if you were to fall out of the boat. This is because if you are suddenly immersed into water this cold you are at great risk of experiencing cold water shock, which is where the body can immediately shake uncontrollably and one hyperventilates for up to 2-3 minutes. If a person is under water they could drown before ever making it to the surface.

Although our team has never had a rower fall out of the boat, I think all of us would agree unanimously that such possible risk to life is unacceptable. So, until lake temperatures rise, all participants must now wear a life jacket while on the water. Life jackets suitable for rowing are those that automatically inflate when immersed in water and they cost about $220 each. Any other type would be either too bulky and inhibit rowing or would require pulling a cord to inflate and for someone experiencing cold shock, this may be impossible to do.

1189NAV-00-000And this brings me to a request for support: we need at least 25 life jackets for our team to immediately begin rowing. This is an investment of about $5,000. If you would like to make a donation to the team to purchase a life jacket(s) please contact me as soon as possible via email at contact@highpointrowing.com or by calling me directly at (336) 257-9009.

Checks should be made payable to ‘High Point Rowing Club’.

Thank you!

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‘Learn to Row’ to be Rescheduled

FOGLearn to Row classes scheduled for January have been cancelled due to extremely cold weather forecasts with significant snowfall expected overnight and freezing conditions to remain through much of the weekend.

“The weather forecast makes for more than just unpleasant rowing conditions,” says program director Gene Kininmonth. “It would be simply unsafe to row in and the risks increase as water temperatures at the lake drop below 50F.”

An announcement will be made on this site and the team’s Facebook page when a date is determined for the Learn to Row classes to be held.

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High Point to spin off ‘Greensboro Crew’

High Point Rowing Club is working with Greensboro city officials to start a new rowing program at Lake Brandt, the team’s program director Gene Kininmonth has announced.

“Lake Brandt is an ideal venue for rowing and it is within close proximity to a significant number of private and public schools in Greensboro,” says Kininmonth. “Half of the High Point Rowing Club’s members are residents of Greensboro and Summerfield so clearly there is demand for the sport. It makes sense the city has its own rowing program.”

While the city has never had its own crew team, Greensboro’s Caroline Lind is famous for winning two Olympic gold medals in the sport of rowing. Lind won gold for the United States in the women’s eights event in Beijing and then struck gold again at the London Games last summer.

Factor in that more female college students receive athletic scholarships for rowing than any other sport and you realize Greensboro high school students have been denied access to one of the most lucrative sports for getting into the college. Since Title IX, the sport of choice of college athletic directors to counter football is women’s rowing. So, there is huge demand at universities for high school students with rowing experience.

“Rowing coaches from across the nation are already visiting Greensboro high school athletes that are playing sports such as swimming and track and trying to recruit them to row,” says Kininmonth. “The demand for athletes is huge. Imagine how many more opportunities for Greensboro students there will be with an actual rowing team in the city.”

According to Kininmonth the teams will not split until enough students are committed to rowing at each location. “Otherwise, we are just too thinly spread on resources. But we are quickly approaching the tipping point. It will be good to have healthy competition in our own backyard.”

Greensboro Crew will be open to students age 14 – 18 attending any public or private school in the Greensboro/Summerfield/Oak Ridge areas.

Parents or students interested in rowing should contact Gene Kininmonth at contact@highpointrowing.com or by calling (336) 257-9009.

 

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High Point Crew races in Chattanooga

High Point Crew: The women’s youth novice eight crew was comprised of Kess Hendrix, Olivia Mangus, Megan Critchley, Jessica Critchley, Aine Mills, Aislinn Antrim, Zoe Kelley, Cara Mills, and coxswain Miles Hendrix.

Chattanooga, TN – High Point Rowing Club travelled to the Tennessee River this past weekend to race at the 2012 Head of the Hooch Regatta.

1,600+ crews comprised of high school, college and masters rowing teams are started sequentially at the Hooch and race against the clock over a 5000 meter winding river course. High Point entered crews in the women’s masters eight, the women’s youth novice eight, and the women’s youth novice four events.

The boat race for the women’s masters eight crew, comprised of mothers of the High Point scholastic youth program, was a philanthropic event called “Row for the Cure” in support the Susan Komen Foundation’s fight against breast cancer.

The masters crew opened the morning and did not disappoint. Racing in blazing pink T-shirts in support of the Row for the Cure, High Point finished the 5,000 meter river course with a time of 26 minutes 20 seconds.

Next up for High Point was the women’s youth novice eight crew. Eager to race a time over the course faster than their mothers’ the crew launched early and looked to be in wonderful form as they gracefully rowed their sleek shell up the Tennessee River in front of a crowd numbering over 20,000. Tragically, illness struck one member of the crew just moments from the starting line which required immediate treatment. Unable to race, the crew returned to shore (Note, the crew member received treatment at the course and has returned to good health).

High Point Rowing Club races under the final bridge on the Tennessee River course at the 2012 Head of the Hooch.

The final race for High Point Rowing Club at the Head of the Hooch was the women’s novice four event in which 37 crews battled it out on the river for the honor of having the fastest time. High Point’s crew was comprised of bowman Sarah Catto, Catherine Thompson, Katie Ognovich, stroke Emma Lloyd and steered by Kristin Llloyd. The crew finished the course in 22nd place with a time of 24 minutes 1 second.

High Point rowing coach Gene Kininmonth said the result was a very positive sign for the future of the team. “We don’t own a 4-man shell and so we rented a boat from Washington University. Some of this crew had never rowed in a 4-man shell before this weekend and to finish in the middle of the field is a great performance. Factor in that the team is only six weeks old and I think this weekend across the board was one every member of this team can be very proud of. And I am very proud of them.”

Katie Ognovich, Sarah Catto, Emma Lloyd and Catherine Thompson raced in the women’s youth novice four event at the Head of the Hooch.

Next up for High Point Rowing Club is an Exhibition Row this week for Greensboro city officials at Lake Brandt.

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High Point Moms Row for the Cure

Pretty in pink: High Point Rowing Club’s women’s masters eight crew comprised of Jane Critchley, Angela Mangus, Amber Kelley, Mary Horan, Colleen McGoldrick, Michele Hendrix, Angela Frith Antrim and Kristin Lloyd. The boat was steered by Miles Hendrix.

Chattanooga, TN – Mothers of High Point Rowing Club youth rowers not only supported their daughters at the 2012 Head of the Hooch boat races this weekend but they also volunteered to help support the fight against breast cancer by racing in the Women’s Masters Eight event at the regatta.

All proceeds of entry fees for this and other events went directly to the Chattanooga affiliate of Komen for the Cure. The five-year total raised at the Head of the Hooch has exceeded $450,000.

The Head of the Hooch is the second largest regatta in the country and is a 5,000 meter (3.1 mile) head race on the Tennessee River ending at Ross’s Landing Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 1,600+ crews comprised of high school, college and masters rowing teams are started sequentially and race against the clock.

The High Point rowing crew was one of 25 teams entered in the Masters women’s eight event, one of the most prestigious races at the regatta.

High Point Rowing Club’s women’s masters eight crew dressed in pink to support Row for the Cure.
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Crew Heads to Chattanooga

High Point Rowing Club departs this weekend for its first out of state regatta of 2012, the Head of the Hooch Regatta in Chattanooga, TN on November 3rd.

High Point has entered crews in the Women’s Masters Eight, the Women’s Youth Novice Eight, and the Women’s Youth Novice Four events.

To follow the races and for more information on the Head of the Hooch visit the regatta website at http://www.headofthehooch.org/

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Historic First Race


October 13, 2012

Beaver Dam, NC – With less than a month of rowing under its hulls, High Point Rowing Club enjoyed its historic first ever day of boat racing today at the Beaver Dam Fall Regatta, hosted by the University of North Carolina.

High Point entered several boat classes of rowing from novice youth to masters with several highlights throughout the day. Other youth teams competing included Charlotte Youth Rowing Club, Asheville Youth Rowing, and the Triangle Rowing Club from Raleigh.

The main events for High Point at Beaver Dam were the Women’s Masters Eights and the Women’s Youth Novice Eights.

In the Masters Eight event, mothers of the High Point scholastic crew represented the team against an experienced and deep squad of career rowers from the Carolina Rowing Club and racing was extremely close though out with Carolina taking line honors in the event.

In the Women’s Youth Novice Eight category, High Point entered two crews, although the ‘A’ crew had some assistance in making up numbers with two rowers from the Charlotte Rowing team.

Women’s Youth Novice Eight
Charlotte Youth Rowing              17 min 18 sec
Triangle Rowing Club                 18 min 02 sec
High Point Rowing Club ‘B’        19 min 47 sec
Asheville Rowing Club                19 min 48 sec
High Point Rowing Club ‘A’         23 min 24 sec

“This was a wonderful introduction to boat racing for our team,” said program director Gene Kininmonth.” All our rowers did really well and it is incredible how much progress this team has made in less than a month. Beaver Dam is a fabulous destination for rowing and we are very grateful to race organizer Adam Cottrell and his team at UNC for hosting such a participant friendly regatta.”

Kininmonth added that the team is still recruiting and is primarily for middle and high school students aged thirteen and up who attend any Triad area public or private school. Students interested in joining the team should email contact@highpointrowing.com .

Next up for High Point is the 2012 Head of the Hooch Regatta in Chattanooga, TN on November 3.

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Racing Shirts Are Here

High Point Rowing Club racing shirts have arrived. Special thanks to Artistic Apparel Company for their great service.

Crew racing shirts are for rowers and family/friends. Demonstrate your support for the team by wearing your High Point Crew shirt. We have all sizes including ladies cuts and regular. Pick up at practice. $15 each. 

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Rowing Takes off in North Carolina

The sport of Rowing or “Crew” as it is commonly referred to is taking off in the state of North Carolina.

At the collegiate level Duke University now has one of the finest women’s varsity rowing programs in the nation and the University of North Carolina has a rapidly improving Division I NCAA women’s program as well. Both universities also sanction club men’s rowing programs.

Locally, Wake Forest University has sanctioned men’s and women’s student club teams and High Point University has also entered the collegiate club ranks with a team of their own.

Both universities share Oak Hollow Lake with the High Point Rowing Club youth program for rowing.

But while the sport is taking off, it is also still very new in the state and certainly still unheard of to many in the general public. High Point Rowing Club is the newest rowing program in the nation and is currently comprised of high school students from various high schools around the Triad. On October 13th, the crew will enter its first competition when it heads to Raleigh to face off against other youth rowing programs from Charlotte, Asheville, Raleigh and Columbia, SC.

For a video presentation from the finest rowing in North Carolina, enjoy this production from Duke University.

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Support High Point Crew

Now you can help support scholastic rowing in High Point by purchasing this very unique Murrumbidgee Crew shirt. Order for you and your friends and family today for $20 each.

The word Murrumbidgee means “big water” in the Wiradjuri language, the local Aboriginal language of Southeast Australia.

Message our facebook page your size (men’s or women’s cut) and quantity or email contact@highpointrowing.com. Orders close Monday and please LIKE this post! All proceeds go directly toward equipment purchases for the high school youth rowing program.

Order your Murrumbidgee Crew shirt today. A great gift for a friend or family member too.
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Historic First Row

Nine young women made history in High Point today by launching the first Crew for the High Point Rowing Club, the Triad’s first community Rowing team.

The all women crew launched from North Ramp at Oak Hollow Lake on Saturday morning in glorious sunny Fall conditions. A light breeze blowing across the lake proved no challenge for this new team of oarswomen, who sculled their 60 foot long shell effortlessly across the water with grace.

The High Point Rowing Club is now looking forward to recruiting its first crew of male high school students in addition to another 15 female students.

Interested students should email contact@highpointrowing.com for details on how to join the Crew.

No experience necessary!

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Information Meeting set for Thursday 5:30pm

High School & Middle School students entering Year 9 and above and their parents  are invited to attend an information meeting about rowing at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 30 at Oak Hollow Lake.

For directions click here.

At this meeting students and parents will hear about how to join the High Point Rowing Club, the benefits of rowing experience in high school, and what they can expect from being a member of the team. Students from any high school, public or private, in the High Point area are welcome to join the team.

No prior rowing experience is required and most participants will not have past experience. Please note that the first three rowing sessions are free with no obligation to join the team.

“We welcome both male and female students of all athletic backgrounds interested in being a part of a really fun team environment,” said program director Gene Kininmonth. “You do not have to currently be in shape to join the team…we will help you get in great shape while having a wonderful time with great people.”

 

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Use Your Scull

The High Point Enterprise published a wonderful article on the efforts to bring rowing to High Point.

We are very grateful to the Enterprise and journalist Jimmy Tomlin and photographer Sonny Hedgecock for their contributions to this story called Use Your Scull.

To read the Enterprise article click here:

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High Point Rowing Club to Offer Scholarships

High Point Rowing Club will offer rowing scholarships to up to ten High Point area high school students, program director Gene Kininmonth has announced.

No prior rowing experience is necessary.

“This is part of an identification program to draw talented High Point area student-athletes into the Olympic sport of rowing,” says Kininmonth. “These scholarships will be earmarked for male and female high school students based on athletic ability and a demonstrated desire to attend a four-year college or university upon graduation.”

Students will be considered for the rowing scholarships based on past participation in sports, general academic standing, and potential to succeed in rowing. Typical fees to be a member of the rowing program will be waived for scholarship recipients.

“We are looking for athletes who may not be the stars on their football, track & field, or volleyball team but love to work out, enjoy being part of a strong team environment, and are serious about doing well in school,” added Kininmonth. “We will teach these students how to row and expect them to be earning college athletic rowing scholarships when they graduate high school.”

Students wishing to be considered for a High Point Rowing Club scholarship should contact the program using the contact form with SCHOLARSHIP in the subject line and include general background on the student’s athletic and academic achievements. Student’s should include their class year for the 2012-13 year and the school they attend.

University scholarships in rowing are particularly attractive for female students as there are almost 2,300 available across the United states with many colleges choosing big female rowing teams to counter male football teams to meet the gender equity requirements of Title IX.

Gene Kininmonth has a track record of drawing the best from his teams in the past.  In his first major coaching assignment he led UCLA to 2nd in the PAC-10 Championships and then later coached George Washington University to its first ever Atlantic 10 title. His last coaching appointment was at the University of Southern California, where he led the Trojans to the final of the 2008 Grand Challenge Cup at England’s Henley Royal Regatta, the sporting event made famous for featuring Harvard’s Winklevoss Twins in the movie The Social Network.

High Point Rowing Club is a newly formed, all-volunteer run organization with operations based at Waterview Avenue at Oak Hollow Lake. It is currently open to both female and male students aged 14-18 years of age.

If you would like more information about the High Point Rowing Club or wish to speak with Gene Kininmonth please call him directly at (336) 257-9009 or via email at contact@highpointrowing.com