Local Rowers Proudly Represent New Trier at World Indoor Rowing Championships: Junior Kenneth Michalec Brings Home the Hammer!

This past weekend, six New Trier rowers joined over 2,000 athletes from around the world to compete at the Boston University’s Agganis Arena in hopes of winning the coveted “Hammer” at the 2014 C.R.A.S.H.- B. Sprints. The “Hammer” is an award that is given to the fastest erg to finish the 2000 meter piece in each category of competition. The C.R.A.S.H.- B.’s started in the early 1980’s as a way for National team and Olympic rowers to break up the monotony of winter training. It has since grown into an international indoor erg championship with athletes competing from all over the world in a variety of categories. This year’s competitors included rowers from the  US , the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and many other countries. The six New Trier rowers participated in the Junior Men, Junior Women and Junior Men’s Lightweight categories.  Junior category refers to rowers ages 14-18.

Some noteworthy finishes included New Trier rowers in the Junior Men’s Lightweight category.  In an extraordinary showing, Kenny Michalec won it all with a scorching first place time of 6:26.4.  Kenny is the first-ever New Trier student-athlete to take home the Hammer.  Teammate Josh Kuppersmith placed 25th in the same event with a strong time of 6:45.0.  Other New Trier competitors included Junior Men’s  Open competitors Raymond Weeks and Peter Figura finishing 137th and 194th respectively, and the Junior Women who proudly represented New Trier were Jacqui Gossard and Emily MacAdams who finished  56th and 164th respectively.

Along with all their New Trier teammates, these athletes look forward to getting back on the water with the start of the competitive Spring sprinting season for which tryouts begin Monday, March 3rd.  

Full Results:

Junior Mens Lightweight:

1st Place:     Kenneth Michalec    Time:  6:26.4

25th Place:  Josh Kuppersmith     Time:  6:45.0

Junior Mens Open 

137th Place:  Raymond Weeks     Time 6:56.5

194th Place:   Peter Figura           Time: 7:16.4

Junior Womens Open

56th Place:    Jacqueline Gossard   Time:  7:38.4

164th Place:  Emily MacAdam         Time:  8:08.7