Extreme winds cut short Ann Arbor Pioneer High School’s Pioneer Rowing Club (PRC)’s first official regatta entry in the spring 2024 season: the Kensington Sprints, hosted by Ann Arbor Skyline and Northville high schools on Saturday, April 27, 2024, on the Kathryn Bennett Race Course at Kensington Metropark in Milford, Mich. Kensington Sprints is part of the Mitten Racing Series, a trio of races on an eight-lane, National Championship-level race course, the first of its kind in Michigan, provided by the Washtenaw Rowing Center.
Seventeen high school rowing crews gathered from around the midwestern region of the U.S. for the regatta, which featured a 1,500-meter course along the northwestern edge of the metropark’s 1,200-acre Kent Lake.
Time trials began at 7:30 a.m., along with 64 degree weather, rain, storms, and wind at 12mph coming in from the South. By afternoon, the temperature was up to 77 degrees and wind had picked up to 21mph with gusts reaching 33mph– deemed too dangerous to continue into finals. Times from the heats and the semi finals were used to determine this year’s winners which included several bronzes and a gold for Pioneer.
The gold medal went to the Women’s Varsity 4+ with a time of 5:58. Bronze went to Women’s Varsity 8+ (5:29), Women’s 3V Notice 8+ (6:14), Men’s Varsity 2x (6:15), Women’s Varsity 2x (7:28)
For its next event, the Pioneer Rowing Club will travel to Orchard Lake, Mich., on Saturday, May 4, to compete in the Laddie Cup regatta hosted by Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory.
