Whitman girls, Gonzaga boys battle back to capture WMIRA rowing titles

All year, they trained with those gaps in mind. And Sunday, on the steady water of the Occoquan River at Sandy Run Regional Park in Fairfax County, they more than made up the ground. The Whitman girls took home their fourth title in the past five seasons, and the Gonzaga boys won their first since 2016.

“We have spent countless hours rowing, busting our rumps,” Whitman senior coxswain Becca Baker said. “Victory is the sweetest thing ever.”

Whitman was fast off the starting line but, according to senior Sydney Goldman said, was prepared for a “dogfight” around the middle of the race. St. Andrew’s, in its first year at the WMIRA meet, and Jackson-Reed, last year’s champion, pulled even by the midpoint.

With about 200 meters remaining, Goldman yelled, “Go!” Her teammates followed suit, finishing in 4 minutes 58.3 seconds to edge St. Andrew’s (4:59.4) and Jackson-Reed (4:59.6).

“Everything we’ve been doing has been about finding peak performance today,” first-year Whitman coach David Noyes said. “About two weeks ago, something clicked. The boat just started to go.”

It was an equally fulfilling day for Gonzaga, which swept the first, second and third varsity eight races for the first time. After pulling ahead around the halfway point, the top varsity eight crossed the finish line in 4:19.8 to outpace St. Albans (4:22.4) and 2022 champion Bethesda-Chevy Chase (4:22.6).

“Coming off last year, we were willing to put in any amount of work to make sure we came through [today],” senior Jack Donovan said.

Many in the D.C. area claim it’s the top spot for rowing in the country, and they view WMIRA as the top local regatta. Programs accordingly placed a premium on their performance at all levels of the race.

The Gonzaga boys (4:28.1) and the National Cathedral girls (5:06.0) won the second varsity eight race, and the Bishop O’Connell boys and Walter Johnson girls bested their competition in the varsity four boats.

For Gonzaga, its greatest push, and the most pride, came from its depth. Eight months of early mornings and late nights were worth it.

“We’re all part of ‘Team Gonzaga,’ ” said Tom Daley, who transitioned from coaching the freshman team to the varsity squad this year. “All 83 rowers, the athletic director, alumni, boosters, all the coaches — we’re all equally responsible for the success.”