f Spring - Chaminade High School

CHS Oarsmen a National Success
JV National Championship Caps Off Antoher Record-Breaking Season
by Brian Corneliess ‘06
Webster’s Dictionary defines the
word team as “a number of persons
associated in work or activity.”
It defines champion as “a winner of
first prize or first place in a competition,
or one who shows marked superiority.”
When it comes to crew, perhaps the two are
inseparable. “From
day one, way back on
February 28, these
ninety guys have
been like my second
family. Every day, we
went out on the water
and gave it our all.
Now our team has
earned the right to
call ourselves champions,”
commented
junior Mike Jonas, a
member of the juniorvarsity
boat.
Indeed, Mike and his team were truly
champions. On Saturday, May 28, for the
first time in Chaminade history, the JV
rowers captured first at the Scholastic National
Championships, at Mercer Lake,
New Jersey, capping off an undefeated
season. “Not a lot of people get to say that
they are the best in the country at what
they do,” reflected JV rower Dave
Hegermiller ’06. “It really was a special
year the whole way through – the result
of a lot of work and a lot of camaraderie.”
A championship requires plenty of practice
and teamwork. From February into March,
the Crew Team spent many long hours at Bar
Beach, rowing together in the frigid Long Island
Sound. In addition to rowing, the team
“Spring Track,” continued from page 18
put. Pessala finished first in the discus with
a throw of 144‘ 5”, followed by sophomore
George Herger in third.
With the meet coming to an end, the Flyer
4 x 100-meter relay team finished in third
place with a time of 46.29 seconds. Despite
outstanding performances on all levels,
however, the Flyers would have to settle for
a second-place team finish, beaten by the
Friars of St. Anthony’s. “Even though we
came in second, we demonstrated the hard
work and determination of champions,” said
Assistant Coach Mr. Patrick Slevin.
At the newly constructed Ichann Stadium
on Randall’s Island in the Bronx, the Flyers
competed in the Seventy-eighth Annual Intersectional
Championships. At this championship
meet, five Flyer athletes qualified
to compete in the New York State Championships.
Senior Kevin McDermott captured
first place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase
Tarmac • July 2005
toned their “sea legs,” running through the
wooded areas surrounding Bar Beach.
Several weeks after their winter practices,
the Flyers finally saw their physically
grueling work come to fruition.
Traveling to competitions as far as Massachusetts
and Delaware, the team grew
close over the many hours spent away
Racing to victory, the JV-A boat nears the finish line to win
Chaminade its first-ever first-place national title.
from home. “Camaraderie is essential on
the water,” explained novice rower Jack
Conway ’06. “One man can’t carry the
team to victory, as in some other sports.
To have any hope of winning, you need
everybody on board working together as
a single unit.”
From the starting shot of the first regatta
to the finish line of the last, the Chaminade
rowers performed excellently in waters all
over the Eastern Seaboard. The Flyers met
their first big success on Sunday, May 15,
at the New York State Championships at
Saratoga. Despite the varsity-A boat’s loss
to archrival St. Anthony’s, Chaminade
brought home the Overall Boys Team Trophy
for the third year running.
with a time of 9:30. Rich Semenick finished
second in the long jump with a leap of 20’
4”. The 4 x 800-meter relay team of Kevin
Kiley, Ryan McDermott, Conor McNamara,
and Kevin McDermott held off two oncoming
teams to come in second place with a
time of 8:02.
On June 4, 2005, this group of five elite
Flyers competed in the New York State
Championships held at Cicero-North
Syracuse High School. The highlight of
the meet occurred when senior Kevin
McDermott raced to a first-place finish
in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, holding
off senior John Martinez of North
Rockland High School and setting a new
meet and Federation record with an eyeopening
time of 9:13.
Seeing double? No. The McDermott
brothers - Kevin ‘05 (l.) and
Ryan ‘07 - helped lead the track
team to victory this year.
Seeking to prove their abilities beyond
New York State, the team headed to Philadelphia,
on Saturday, May 21, to participate
in the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the nation’s
oldest and largest high-school crew competition.
There, for the first time all season, the
Flyers pitted themselves against some of the
best rowers in the nation. This time, the varsity-A
boat came out
on top, leaving the St.
Anthony’s squad
vowing revenge.
Eager to expand
upon their success,
the Flyers began to
prepare for the upcoming
Scholastic
National Championships.
The freshman-A
boat, the JV-
A boat, and the varsity-A
boat all
reached the finals.
While the JV boat’s first-place finish may
have stolen the show, all shared in the success.
The freshmen finished sixth in the
nation, and the varsity-A came in fourth,
again defeating the Friars. “It felt great
beating them again, especially on that kind
of stage,” gloated Dan Connolly ’05. “The
Friars have a great team, and they did beat
us once, but I think we proved who had
the better boat.”
Better boats – and a champion boat – were only
made possible through much practice and camaraderie.
“This was a great team,” commented
Head Coach Mr. John Callinan. “Every moment
on the water, they worked hard and worked together
– truly becoming a team and defeating a
few opponents in the process.”
Senior Kevin McDermott’s astounding performance
characterized a season of achievement
on all levels of competition. Although
the Varsity Track and Field Team will be losing
one of the best runners in Chaminade’s history,
with such a breadth and depth of talent,
the outlook for next year appears bright.
SPORTS
17