Crew Rows at Nationals

After taking home the gold at OKC’s Central Region Championship in early May, the St. Mark’s Varsity Quad qualified for the Youth Nationals Championship Regatta in Sarasota, Florida. Recent graduate Blake Hudspeth led the boat alongside rising seniors Paul Valois, Evan McGowan, and Drake Elliott. With a month of rigorous two-a-day practices, the SMERGOS, the official name of the Varsity Quad, felt confident in their ability to compete at the national level. 

Drake Elliott, the stroke of the boat, spoke on the weeks leading up to nationals: “I think the best part about training for Nationals was the camaraderie. Those weeks were all about that ‘misery loves company’ mentality. I knew that I would always have my teammates by my side, no matter how hard the workouts were.”

Upon arriving in Sarasota, the rowers fought through a Time Trial and a Semi-Final, placing themselves into the B Final. The Lions ultimately placed 2nd in the B Final and 8th overall in the nation! Additionally, the boat was the third-fastest scholastic boat in the country. 

Rower Paul Valois said, “I’m really proud of how we did. I remember looking up to previous varsity rowers who made it to nationals, and I never imagined I would be one of them. The four of us grew really close over this year and especially that past week.” 

The rowers placed higher than any previous St. Mark’s Quad had at Nationals, going 30 seconds faster than the next closest boat. With three of the varsity rowers returning in the fall on top of an incredibly hard-working underclass, recent graduate Blake Hudspeth said, “The future of St. Mark’s Rowing is brighter than ever.”