This past weekend, the FHC boys and girls crew team took part in their first race since the Canadian Nationals in June of 2019. They faced off against the East Grand Rapids Pioneers and the Rockford Rams in their annual indoor Spring Sprints Ergatta. By the end of the day, the Rangers had emerged as the overall champion with a total of 107 points. 

In these indoor sprints, each member of the girls and boys team has to compete in a 5k row. This is the only race of the year in which they are not racing outdoors, so each individual is scored based on their own time. For the Rangers, junior Lauren Speicher took home the gold title in the women’s lightweight division. Seniors Abigail Cool and Valerie Greenwood also had memorable performances, alongside Lauren, to assist in the Rangers’ overall score. On the other end of the spectrum, senior Tanner Wooden excelled in his division of men’s lightweight, and was able to secure the overall fastest time. Junior Kevin McPoland took third place in the open weight division, and freshman Lucas Fors took bronze in the novice division. 

This preseason Ergatta is just the beginning for the Ranger Crew team, as they will now be heading into the heart of their season the week after spring break ends. The teams will be taking on a handful of different schools in their Galloway Regatta on Saturday, April 17. The races will all take place at the Forest Hills Boathouse and will be an all-day event. With this past weekend’s first-place wins, both the boys and girls crew team remain undefeated.