MENS U17 2x - TIME TRIAL

Weather once again became a major factor throughout the day. The Men's U17 2x of Johnny Diamond and Cameron Piazza saw their race delayed until 7:45 p.m., while both the Men's U17 4x (Hayden Webb, Greg Pederson, Jackson Robinson, and Oscar Smith) and Women's U17 4x (Anabel Liberty, Matilda O'Donnell, Phoebe Nash, and Tabi Winter) had their time trials postponed until the following morning.

Despite the delays, the Men's U17 2x—better known as "Jammy"—remained focused. Their goal was clear: finish in the top 16 and earn a semifinal berth. After a hard-fought race, they finished 9th overall, securing their place in the semifinals. Thrilled with the result, the pair celebrated with dinner and a well-earned jump in the pool after surviving a long day of weather delays.

WEATHER WOES

The Florida weather had the final say later in the day, with lightning storms keeping both OAR 4x crews off the water. Those time trials have now been moved to tomorrow (Friday), along with several other rescheduled races.

WOMENS U17 4X - TIME TRIAL

Next up was the Women's U17 4x. Their goal was to finish between 17th and 24th to qualify for the C Final. After a strong row, they achieved exactly that, finishing 24th overall and earning a place in Saturday's C Final.

Unfortunately, more severe weather arrived in the afternoon, forcing all semifinal races to be postponed until Saturday morning. Jammy and the Men's U17 4x would have one more night to rest and prepare for their biggest races of the weekend.

CONTINUED WEATHER WOES

While we didn't get soaked like yesterday, the threat of thunderstorms within 10 miles of the race course postponed the semi-finals until tomorrow.  Looks like a  very early morning for some of our rowers.  

DAY 5: SATURDAY, JUNE 13 - SEMI-FINALS AND FINALS

MENS U17 2x - SEMI-FINAL

Another early morning brought semifinal racing for Jammy and the Men's U17 4x.

Jammy was first on the water in the Men's U17 2x semifinal. The pair entered the race determined to earn a spot in the A Final. Although they found themselves slightly behind off the start, they expected that challenge and patiently worked their way back into contention. By the 500-meter mark, the top two crews had separated themselves from the field, leaving our athletes in a battle with California Yacht Club for third place. The boys fought hard all the way to the finish, placing 4th and earning a coveted spot in the A Final.

MENS U17 4X - SEMI-FINAL

Next came the Men's U17 4x semifinal. The crew knew they would need to finish in the top four to advance. Within the first 750 meters, two crews had established a clear lead, leaving our athletes in a fierce battle with four other boats for the remaining A Final spots. The quad raced aggressively from start to finish but ultimately missed qualifying by just half a second, placing 5th. While disappointed, the athletes left the water knowing they had given everything they had.

MENS U17 4X - B FINAL

Because of earlier weather delays, the crew had only a few hours before returning to race in the B Final. They came out aggressively and led through the first 500 meters. However, the effort from the semifinal began to take its toll, and by the midway point it became clear the crew was running low on energy. Despite fighting hard, they were eventually overtaken and finished 5th in the B Final, placing 13th overall nationally.

MENS YOUTH 2- C FINAL

The Men's Youth 2- returned later in the day for their C Final. Motivated by their earlier result, Silas and Alden raced with confidence from the start. After settling into the field, they found themselves battling for second place while the leading boat established a small advantage. During the third 500 meters, the pair began moving away from nearby competitors while steadily closing the gap on the leaders. A strong sprint secured a 2nd-place finish in the C Final, moving them up to 16th overall nationally.

WOMENS U17 4X - C FINAL

After another round of weather delays, the Women's U17 4x finally took the course for their C Final. Looking to improve upon their 24th-place time trial finish, the crew got off to a strong start and immediately put themselves in contention. As the race developed, the field separated into two tight battles, with our athletes competing closely against crews in lanes four, five, and six. Heading into the final 500 meters, the race remained extremely close. Despite catching an oarlock twisting crab in the final strokes, the crew fought through the finish and placed 7th in the final, improving to 23rd overall nationally.

With that, an incredibly long day of racing came to an end—with one final race left on Sunday.

DAY 6: SUNDAY, JUNE 14 - A FINALS

MENS U17 2x - A FINAL

The final race of the weekend belonged to Jammy in the Men's U17 2x A Final.

Coming into Nationals, the pair believed a C Final appearance would be a successful regatta. Instead, they had exceeded expectations by earning a place among the top eight crews in the country.

The boys entered the race nervous but excited for one last opportunity to compete. They got off the line well and remained in the mix through the opening 500 meters as the field stayed tightly packed. As the race progressed, the leading crews began to separate themselves, while our athletes continued to battle hard despite the physical toll of their semifinal effort the day before.

With 250 meters remaining, the pair launched one final sprint and emptied the tank. Although they were unable to close the gap to the crews ahead, they crossed the line in 8th place, finishing 8th overall in the nation.

A remarkable end to an unforgettable week of racing, growth, and achievement for Olympia Area Rowing.