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New Canaan Crew Medals In 11 Events In Season Opening Regatta

NEW CANAAN, Conn. -- The New Canaan Crew team started its spring sprint season by bringing home medals in 11 events at the Mercer Lake Sculling Championships held April 16 and 17 at Mercer Lake Park, West Windsor, N.J.

The women’s lightweight varsity quad from New Canaan Crew won gold at the Mercer Lake Sculling Championships held April 16 and 17.

The women’s lightweight varsity quad from New Canaan Crew won gold at the Mercer Lake Sculling Championships held April 16 and 17.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The Mercer Lake regatta features high school-age athletes from throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic states racing in 30 2,000-meter events.

Approximately 50 rowers from New Canaan Crew competed.

Organized in 1997, the Crew is run under the guidance of Maritime Rowing Club in Norwalk, and includes 110 rowers from 16 schools in New York and Connecticut.

Participants include rowers from Redding, Weston, Stamford, Wilton, Darien and Ridgefield.

Six of the Crew’s teams won gold medals, four won silver and three won bronze during the event at Mercer Lake.

Caroline Murphy of Redding, Gabby Kulesz of Darien, and Maggie Owen and Claire Campbell, both of New Canaan, won gold medals in the women’s varsity quadruple sculls. Owen and Campbell also won bronze medals in the women’s varsity double.

Philip MacNeal of Redding and Reese Gregory of Darien won gold medals in the men’s varsity lightweight double.

Alex Abbruzzese of Ridgefield and Kaare Andersen of Pound Ridge, N.Y., won a gold in the men’s second varsity double.

Abbruzzese and Andersen also won bronze medals in the men’s second varsity quad, teaming with Peter Lavieri and Michael Dayya, both of New Canaan.

The New Canaan team of Jack Wittenstein and Will Grotto, both of Weston, and Salim Onbargi and Tim Cone, both of Darien, won a silver medal in the event.

In the women’s lightweight varsity quad, Isabelle DeSpirito of Redding, Margaret Adams of Norwalk, and Hannah Gelnaw and Kimberly Dyrvik both of New Canaan, won gold medals.

The women’s second varsity quad also won a gold medal. The team consisted of Elle Caton of Redding, Siobhan Naughton of New Canaan, Tate Aronstein of Stamford, and Fiona Aronson of Rye, N.Y.

Elektra Smicka and Rachel Smith, both of New Canaan, won silver medals in the women’s varsity lightweight double, while Michaela Avallone of Wilton and Casey Martin of Darien won bronze medals.

The women’s lightweight varsity four with coxswain won silver medals in its flight. The team consisted of Gelnaw, Dyrvik and Anne Johnston, all of New Canaan, along with Martin and Adams.

In the men’s lightweight varsity four with coxswain, MacNeal and Gregory teamed with Claire Hall-Tipping of Rowayton, and Brandon Golino and Andrew Orner of Darien to win silver medals in its flight.

The women’s novice quad, consisting of Gwenan Walker and Ellen Nelson, both of New Canaan, along with DeSpirito and Caton, won a gold medal.

This weekend, members of New Canaan Crew will be traveling to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for the annual Saratoga Invitational Regatta.

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