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SAMMAMISH ROWING ASSOCIATION
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Sammamish ROWING
​SRA Stories

SRA Stories: Junior Girls 2V- SDCC

4/24/2019

 
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The Experienced Junior Girls 2V boat
The San Diego Crew Classic (SDCC) has been around since 1973 and was created by individuals who sought to bring the nation’s top collegiate crews together for an incredible racing experience. One of the first attendees included the University of Washington. The university harbors an impressive and renowned collegiate team that Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA) has sent many of its high school alumni to.

Today, the San Diego Crew Classic has grown considerably since 1973. Over 4,000 athletes in over 100 races compete in this two day, nationally acclaimed regatta. Thousands of spectators flock to Mission Bay Park to enjoy watching races in person, but even more watch via live stream footage on the regatta website.
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Early this April, SRA sent four masters boats and six junior boats to the SDCC ensuring that our presence was noticed in the west. Every single SRA rower gave everything they had and enjoyed impressive race results. One of the well earned finishes belonged to the Junior Girls JV 8+ that captured a second place finish in their grand final on Sunday, April 5th.

Coached by Kelley Pope and Dennis Ferrer- the entire girls team has been working hard during their practices to see results like this. Pope and Ferrer discussed how ever since this past fall they knew they had the potential for speed. The girls JV 8+ has had an impressive season and their hard work combined with unwavering teamwork and determination gave their coaches confidence as the girls headed down to California.

Pope said, “We knew that boat was going to do well. They’ve been working hard so to see them actually perform under pressure to their capabilities was awesome. That was the biggest success- they were able to execute their race against fast teams they’ve never beaten before.” The SDCC brings together top crews from around the nation. It can be quite intimidating facing crews you’ve never raced against. The junior girls were able to manage that pressure and come out on top of a difficult group of competitors.

In a pre-race meeting, Pope said the team’s focus was on having a good race and performing as well as they possibly could. She told the girls to be proud of how they finish regardless of what other crews might do. The girls were positive and excited to race, and ended up coming together as a boat to hold each other accountable. Ferrer said, “I knew they were going to do well, so it wasn’t surprising to see them ahead in the race. Watching the heat was exciting, but during the finish the biggest thing I was happy with is that they rowed well down the whole course. They maintained composure and what we’ve been working on.”

Pope was with the girls in California while Ferrer was watching the livestream up in Seattle. Pope watched the race from near the finish line and said, “I was excited to see them race Saugatuck all the way down. They fought with top teams and had a successful race.”

Following their race the girls were celebrating with hugs and big smiles. They always start thinking about what they could have done just a little bit better in the race, but were overall very proud of their performance. As the crews who went to San Diego reunited with the rest of the team the following week- positivity was high. Pope and Ferrer said that the entire team has been doing extremely well and this race helped validate all the hours, weeks, and months of hard work. Pope mentioned, “The biggest thing is they came away with the lesson that they play a part in each other’s success. Their attitude and mental positivity plays into how well they are going to do.”

Looking ahead the girls and their coaches know more hard work is needed to keep their momentum going. The route to the San Diego Crew Classic was filled with intense practices and tough work. Ferrer added, “the weekend showed their efforts paid off and they will continue to the rest of the year.”
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Congratulations to the Junior Women’s JV 8+, and to all of the other SRA boats who competed at the San Diego Crew Classic. SRA is immensely proud of your work and can’t wait to see what we accomplish as a team in the spring racing months ahead.

The SDCC Experienced Girls 2V Lineup was as follows:

Coxswain: Lauren Lozier
Stroke: Kennedy Harder
7: Lexa Wendl
6: Megan Culbert 
5: Kathryn Clemens
4: Alex Lalor
3: Kristina Snyder
2: Olivia Feistner
Bow: Grace Epp


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The 2V pulls ahead of other SDCC crews

SRA Stories: Anne Creighton

4/18/2019

 
Growing up in Denver, Colorado, Ann Creighton stayed active by filling her free time with cycling, running, and skiing. After graduating from high school she headed out east to spend her undergraduate time at Yale University. Creighton majored in Geology and pursued the same subject in graduate school. However, due to a downturn in the oil industry, geology careers eluded her and she went into insurance.
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Ann (left), and her twin sister (right)
Years later Creighton would move to Washington and have a family. In 2013 her daughter, Frances, joined Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA) and piqued Creighton’s interest in the sport. She said, “my daughter had started as a novice so I did Learn To Row (LTR). I’ve always done sports, but at 5’2” I had never thought of my height as a competitive disadvantage.  Luckily my fellow rowers have welcomed me ,and I’ve found my vertical disadvantage can be overcome with hard work and and a good sense of humor.” As someone who loves the outdoors, she also enjoys how immersed in nature the sport is. “On a cold and wet day, when you come off the water soaking wet, we have our beautiful and warm boathouse to come back to”
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For three years Creighton was on the mid-morning team, but switched to sculling because it seemed like the right fit for her light weight. SRA has four masters teams so adult members are able to row on the team that best fits their schedule. The teams are known as 5AM, Mid-Morning, Evening Competitive Masters (ECM), and Sculling.
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Ann Creighton (left) carries oars at a regatta
Creighton enjoyed rowing in the mid-morning 8+ that went to the Head of the Charles in 2017, where her boat placed 6th. Creighton recalled being so proud because all the women in her boat had no collegiate rowing experience whereas their competition did. She attributed their success to the great coaching from Molly Lawrence and Kelley Pope. When talking about SRA coaches Creighton said, “Our coaching here speaks for itself. Our coaches figure out how to get us to row as a team as well as capitalize on our individual strengths.”
“Rowing anchors my life now,” Creighton commented. Her daughter is off to college at Washington State, but Creighton and her husband Mark  share responsibility for managing care for their son with a profound disability. “It’s a tough aspect of my life and it is really nice for me to have something I can count on. At SRA I am with people who make me laugh and bring me joy, which makes it easier to cope with these things.” SRA provides around 2 hours of practice time for our adults. During that time all concerns outside of the boathouse are forgotten and your focus is completely in the boat or on the erg.
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Another draw to rowing is the longevity of involvement in the sport. At SRA we have rowers ranging in ages twelve to eighty! Since it is a low impact sport, many people find it to be a great alternative to the sports they used to enjoy but can no longer do for fear of injury. “It’s been really fun to see the people who are ahead of us to keep us going,” Creighton said. She looks up to older rowers and is excited to continue pursuing the sport she loves.
Creighton hopes to keep making memories in her rowing endeavors, even if they come with some unfortunate surprises. “Something was definitely not right” Ann says of her practice row the day before she was set to compete in the 2018  Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR). She had spent weeks and weeks preparing for her race in a single. She’d studied the course, looked at maps, and tried to memorize angels to prepare for the famously winding and difficult race. “Knowing how critical it is to be a safe competitor at this of all events, and despite all my preparation, I pulled my entry and didn’t race”.  As it it ends up, her teammate Tamara was helping her to the hospital before the weekend was out, where Ann was diagnosed with an intestinal obstruction.
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Sue Amorosi, Ann Creighton, and David DeWinter (sculling coach)
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Ann in bow, and Sue in stroke seat, racing together in a double (2X)
The good memories have outweighed the bad though. Sometimes a pleasant row on the flat water with her friend, Sue Amorosi, is all it takes for Creighton to feel full of happiness. She recalls one favorite rowing memory of her and Sue competing at the Cascadia Masters Championships in Canada. They won the lightweight double E event (ages 60-65), and joked that they were now international champions. The memory still makes her chuckle. ​
With her years of experience, Creighton had some final advice for new rowers. “Show up,” she said. “When you’re starting something new it can be hard to feel competent,  but if you commit to showing up and participating with the team, it makes a big difference. Recognize that there could be people there that might be more serious than you are or better, but make it your own journey.” She also hopes that new members can appreciate how lucky we are with our Hod Fowler Boathouse, completed in 2016. Years of dedicated fundraising from rowers and their families have made it a reality for all new rowers to SRA to enjoy.
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SRA is lucky to have members like Ann Creighton who light up our boathouse and add positive energy to their boats. Ann takes times to appreciate all aspects of our sport from the intricacies of technique to the simple wildlife viewings during practice. She can turn an unfortunate moment into a positive new outlook, and she enjoys the laughter she shares with teammates and friends. Thank you Ann for being a ray of sunshine at SRA even when skies are grey.

SRA Stories: Vanessa Harder

4/15/2019

 
At Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA) we love to praise our athletes and shower them with acknowledgement and support. As an athletic team, we focus mainly on the physical achievements of our crews. Our organization supports over 300 athletes, but our community is even larger. The countless family members, friends, coaches, volunteers, and community supporters are all just as invested in the red, blue, and white of SRA as the athletes are.
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The Harder family in London
Our community also includes those who will never row, and those volunteers deserve just as much recognition. While they might not be getting PR’s on 2K tests every few weeks, their contributions can be just as impressive. Such is the case of Vanessa Harder, the SRA Volunteer of the Year for 2018.
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David Harder and his daughter, Kennedy, after her win at Regionals 2018
In the Spring of 2017, the Harder’s brought their daughter, Kennedy, to the SRA open house. Initially reluctant to go as she was focused on her sports of basketball, swimming and golf, Kennedy warmed up to the idea of rowing when she saw her friend, Claire Surbeck, at the open house. She went on to row that summer and joined the novice girls’ team in the Fall, leaving her other sports and became 100% focused on rowing. Harder said Kennedy was hooked, and that her novice year with Coach Molly Lawrence was, “Transformational for our daughter. Molly is so gifted in teaching the girls rowing technique and growing them as athletes; all the while, she also creates a joyful novice team experience and improves the girls’ self-esteem.” Harder was impressed with the growth of Kennedy in both her confidence and fitness, and credits the SRA coaches and program structure.
Susan Freeberg spoke at the September 2017 mandatory parent meeting that Harder attended (as a novice parent), where Freeberg asked for someone to take charge and manage the food tent at regattas.
Harder met with Susan Freeburg at the Hod Fowler Boathouse to learn more about managing the food tent. Even though she didn’t even know how to put up a tent or connect a propane tank at the time, Harder and her husband David (who, as an Engineer, does know how to execute the technical operations the food tent requires) agreed to help. Harder soon learned that managing the food tent was almost like a full-time job in and of itself. She has a OneNote document that covers in extensive detail all she has learned so far. From recipes, food items, quantities, equipment, volunteers, efficient organization, trailer hauling, cooking, set-up, take-down, and plenty of other logistics and lists- Harder has them all explained and digitally documented.
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Only a portion of the food tent food brought in by Costco
Since she was in the 7th grade, Harder has been volunteering, beginning with National Charity League (NCL) which is a mother – daughter philanthropy organization she joined with her mother. Fun fact, Harder and both her daughters have been a part of NCL here in Washington. Her donation of time and devotion to her community continued through high school, college, and up till now. When those emails kept flooding her inbox, looking for an SRA food tent leader, she felt like she should check it out. Harder said, “The thing is that it’s been with me for so long [volunteering] that giving back is part of who I am.” All her life, Harder had always focused on giving back to her community. She has logged far too many volunteer hours to count and has been involved in numerous organizations and sports. “My volunteering resume is more extensive than my career resume,” she said
A lot of what she does with the food tent, she had to learn herself; alongside her husband, or from other volunteers. Not only is she intensely focused on doing everything properly and in an organized manner, she also adds her own personal touch. She recalls once making several gallon sized zip-lock bags of homemade dry rub to flavor the steak and chicken for the chipotle style protein bowls, now know as “SRA Bowls”  they had at the food tent for junior regionals last year. She focuses on staying away from pre-made food, and invests time in researching healthy, nutritious meals and snacks for the rowers and coaches.
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Harder works in tandem with Pam Halverson, another junior parent, who is in charge of looking at food alternatives for athletes with allergies to ensure that every rower has plenty to eat regardless of the limits of their diets. Harder said, “We want volunteers to be happy. Getting parents engaged in the food tent and close to the racecourse makes them love it.” Harder and her husband contributed a gift to the food tent supplies- bright red Williams Sonoma aprons with the SRA logo on front. Donning these aprons, and red SRA hats, volunteers feel like they are truly part of the team as well- and they are.
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The inside of the food trailer
“Doing this role with David has pushed me out of my comfort zone,” Harder admitted. Before a regatta, they are working almost full work day hours to prepare the food trailer. Harder has to order food from several businesses. She deals with Costco Business who comes to the boathouse to deliver bulk items. She then often follows up at other grocery stores for additional items, foods for rowers with allergies, and last minute necessities. She spends hours packing the food trailer with labeled coolers, and has an intricate way of layering ice and dry ice to keep food fresh.
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Someone needs to drive the food trailer to regattas. Todd Lozier, a junior parent and community supporter of SRA, has been that person for 2 years. His truck is big enough to haul the heavy trailer to regattas, which has been a tremendous help to Harder. “[Lozier] is a super amazing, fantastic guy,” Harder said, “He hauls the trailer to regattas for us, helps unload and load, and is usually one of the very last people to leave the regatta since it takes awhile to pack up.” Fun Fact- Lozier even transports boats that frequently are loaded on top of our food trailer, making his role so key.
Harder has taught her children to “leave everything better than you found it,” and she is applying the same principles to her volunteer work at SRA. She finds under buying food for regattas “unacceptable” and make sure every rower can have as many servings as they like to properly fuel for races, while also making sure she is fiscally responsible to stay within SRA’s budget. Her personal touch is seen everywhere from her hand crafted menus to the oatmeal bar wagon she plans to have at Regionals this year. Her desire to make volunteering at the food tent a pleasant experience has dramatically risen the number of parents who sign up to volunteer and wear the now famous red aprons.
Kennedy is finishing up her sophomore year so the Harder’s plan to be around a little while longer. However, Vanessa is already preparing to pass on the food tent baton. “When the time comes, I want to hand it off better than I found it”. For now, she is savoring every experience as her daughter continues participating in the sport she loves.
One of Harder’s favorite memories is from Junior Regionals last year. Kennedy was stroking the Novice Girls 8+ in the finals and their boat was ahead by open water. Sprinting away from the food tent to see their daughter race, Vanessa and David were able to watch just under the last 1,000 meters of the race. The girls were crushing the competition and extending their lead with every stroke. Harder remembers Kennedy bursting into joyful and exhausted tears when they crossed the finish line along with her coxswain and friend, Mary Kirchoff. They had beaten the next best boat, Green Lake Crew, by 13 seconds.
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The energy and cheers from the crowd paired with the absolute joy and happiness from Kennedy made this moment incredibly special for Harder. Kennedy’s smile was huge as she took a photo first with her father, and then her extremely proud mother. Harder was a chaperone at San Diego Crew Classic this April and was able to watch her Kennedy stroke the JV boat which placed second, making history as the first SRA girls boat to reach the Grand Finals. These memories motivate the Harder’s to keep volunteering for a program they and their rower cherish.
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Kennedy Harder receives an embrace from her friend and coxswain, Mary Kirchoff, following their win at Regionals
SRA has amazing athletes, no question about it, but we also have an incredible support system. People generously give their time, attention, and effort to make this organization, “better than they found it,” as Harder would say. Without our volunteers, much of what we do wouldn’t be possible. It truly takes a team- one made up of more than just athletes- to accomplish our mission. Thank you to Vanessa Harder, SRA’s 2018 Volunteer of the Year, and all of our volunteers for the outstanding work you do for our team. 
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Vanessa (right) and Kennedy (left) Harder hug after Kennedy won her Regionals race with her novice eight boat

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​Sammamish Rowing Association
​5022 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE
​Redmond, WA 98052
info@srarowing.com
​425-653-2583
Mailing Address: 
Sammamish Rowing Association
P.O. Box 3309
Redmond, WA 98073
  • Inside SRA
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    • Facility
    • Staff | Coaches
    • History
    • Board of Directors
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    • Rowing Resources
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    • Calendar
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    • Adults
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    • Middle School
    • Row for a Day
    • Learn to Row
  • Support SRA
    • Scholarship Fund
    • Steady State Giving
    • Donate Now
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