Margaret Manley of Wilton was part of the Saugatuck Rowing Club's girls varsity 8+ boat that finished first at the US Rowing Youth National Championships June 12-14 in Sarasota, Fla.
The win at nationals by the girls varsity 8+ capped an undefeated year, in which the crew achieved the rare accomplishment of winning youth rowing’s triple crown by placing first at the Head of the Charles Regatta, the San Diego Crew Classic, and the youth nationals.
Joining Manley on the gold medal-winning 8+ boat were Genevieve Esse of New Canaan; coxswain Lily Pillari of Greenwich; and Lelia Boley, Grace McGinley, Alison Morrison, Katherine Ratcliffe, Willemijn ten Cate, and Nica Wardell of Westport.
The girls varsity lightweight 8+ boat also won a gold medal, making Saugatuck only the second club ever to win both events at nationals in the same year.
“It’s an incredible accomplishment for a club to win a national title, let alone two, as we did at nationals,” said Sharon Kriz, the Westport-based Naugatuck Rowing Club's junior director and boys head coach. “On the girls’ side, of the 30 rowers we sent to Sarasota, 20 returned home with medals, and 18 of them will be returning for the 2015-16 season. We’re eager to continue our strong performances next year.”
