Yan and Olga Vengerovskiy, co-founders and head coaches, were awarded the John J. Carlin Service Award by US Rowing at the annual US Rowing convention in Hartford in early December.

Andrew Campbell, who began rowing with Maritime Rowing Club’s New Canaan Crew, was named US Rowing’s Man of the Year and also received his award at the US Rowing convention.

Earlier in the fall, Charlie Cole, who also learned to row at Maritime Rowing Club, was designated as US Rowing’s Male Athlete of the Year.

Campbell and Cole have won at the national and international levels, and have their sights set on the 2012 Olympics in London. If they do row, it won’t be the first Olympic rower to have started with Coach Vengerovskiy — Norwalk native Dan Walsh, who won the Bronze medal in US Men’s Eight in 2008, learned to row with Vengerovskiy.

But there is one difference this time. Both Campbell and Cole hail from New Canaan, CT, an inland town. Coach Vengerovskiy noted the irony: “We just may see two Olympic rowers from a town with no body of water.”

To view pictures from the awards ceremony, visit our photo gallery. To read more about how Yan and Olga built up a nationally acclaimed rowing club, read this article in The Daily Norwalk.

The complete press release is here, but is also reproduced below.

Yan and Olga Vengerovskiy Awarded for Service in Rowing

November 23, 2011

PRINCETON, N.J. – USRowing has named Yan and Olga Vengerovskiy, founders of Maritime Rowing Club, as the 2011 John J. Carlin Service Award recipients, the organization announced Wednesday.

Chosen by the USRowing Board of Directors, the award honors an individual, or individuals, who has made significant and outstanding commitments in support of rowing. The couple will be honored at the USRowing Annual Convention presented by the Sarasota World Class Rowing Venue in Hartford, Conn.

“This is an award for our family,” said Yan Vengerovskiy. “It’s not something that belongs to me, or to Olga. This is an award we earned together. It’s an award that is not just for the family, but it’s an award for New Canaan Crew. It’s an award for the Maritime Rowing Club. It’s an award for all the coaches that worked with us, and for all those athletes that were in the program.”

“Many of them became nationally recognized rowers; many of them learned rowing as a lifestyle and will keep it forever,” he said. “This is recognition of all the people that have surrounded us from the beginning all the way to this point. This is an extraordinary thing. It’s an honor to be recognized by USRowing.”

John J. Carlin was a Philadelphia oarsman and coach who dedicated over 50 years to the development of the sport. During his lifetime, Carlin served on the United States Olympic and Pan American Committee, was a FISA representative, Commodore of the Schuylkill Navy and coached at the University of Pennsylvania. He was also heavily involved in Philadelphia junior and high school rowing.

Yan Vengerovskiy, a former, Ukrainian national team rower and former Soviet Women’s Junior National Team coach, immigrated to the United States with Olga and began coaching in 1992. Yan coached at the Norwalk River Rowing Club, Fairfield University and the Saugatuck Rowing Association.

Olga, a former world champion and Russian national champion coached at the Specialized School of Olympic Reserves in the Ukraine. She coached at the Saugatuck Rowing Association.

In 1996, the Vengerovskiys founded the highly successful Water Sports Center and the Maritime Rowing Club in Norwalk, Conn., and became coaches for the New Canaan High School crew team.

In 15 years, the couple has produced a multitude of successful athletes, many who have rowed on various U.S. national teams. Three of those athletes, Dan Walsh, Charlie Cole and Andrew Campbell are current national teams rowers.

Cole and Campbell were recognized for their excellence in the sport this season. Campbell was named the 2011 USRowing Man of the Year, while Cole was voted by his teammates and coaches as the 2011 USRowing Male Athlete of the Year.

“I was really fortunate to learn to row under Yan,” said Cole. “He is so passionate about the sport of rowing and so committed to his athletes’ success. It is hard not to be really excited around him.”

USRowing is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States. USRowing’s official suppliers include Boathouse Sports, Vespoli, Win Tech, Filippi, Croker Oars, Rudy Project, Concept2, Nielsen Kellerman, PowerHTV and Ludus Tours. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation and its corporate sponsors, ANXeBusiness Corp and Voxer. For more information, visit www.usrowing.org. USRowing has created compelling programs to engage sponsors leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games, with proceeds going to help ensure the U.S. team’s success. Opportunities also exist to partner with America Rows – supporting diversity initiatives and adaptive programs. For more information, please contact Beth Kohl at beth@usrowing.org.

Ed Moran

US Rowing bestowed its “Man of the Year” award on Andrew Campbell, former MRC junior rower and member of the New Canaan Crew team who now rows at Harvard. Congratulations Andrew! Read the full press release here.

And, in October, Charlie Cole, another MRC alumn was named US Rowing Male Athlete of the Year. Charlie, a Yale graduate, competed in the 2011 World Rowing Championships — coming in fourth in the men’s four. That qualified him for the Olympics in London. Way to go Charlie! Read more at US Rowing

Camp runs from August 29 to September 2 and is open to all middle and high school rowers. Tuition is $200 for the week. Rowers can choose either the 9:00-11:00am or 3:00-5:00pm session.

Registration forms are available on the website for download — either bring the forms to the boathouse or mail them (with payment, checks made out to Water Sports Center) to our mailing address: 35 Seaview Avenue, Norwalk CT 06855.

Heats will continue on Thursday, while Friday will consist of some heats and some semi-finals. Saturday will be semi-finals and finals, depending on event, with all remaining finals raced on Sunday.

Having put in a great showing at the scholastic national championships earlier this season, the team left Monday excited for another national-level competition. Thirty-two rowers from Maritime were registered for the event, competing in a field of 71 clubs and 1,127 rowers.

The 2000 meter race is held at the Indianapolis Rowing Center. For results, check Regatta Central or Row2K. Complete race information is available at the US Rowing website.

By Elizabeth Tobey

New Canaan Crew and Maritime Rowing earned six invitations to the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships by earning top medals at the North East Regional Regatta on May 21.

Ned Berman, Nick Flynn, Sam Wiley, Evan Toriano and Samantha Estrich (cox) took first place in the Men’s Youth Lightweight Four.

Later they added to their medal count by rowing with Alex Vernon, Merrit Cullman, Oliver Viera and Eddie Nilan to earn a silver in the Men’s Youth Lightweight 8 coming in just behind powerhouse Community Rowing from Boston, MA.

In the Open Weight Quad event, Charlie Campbell, Henry Franco, Jonathan Rosow and Scott Yanoff crushed their competition by more than 8 seconds to win gold, while Graham Mink, David Kircher, Ross Burnaman and Tucker Klutey battled to the wire to earn the bronze medal and a coveted invitation to Nationals.

Peter Tortora and Alex Buck also earned their ticket to Oak Ridge with a bronze meal showing in the Men’s Youth Pair.

This regatta was unlike any other this season. To compete in the finals at North East Regionals, a team has to first win one of the three top spots in preliminary heats and semi-finals.

While the aforementioned elite athletes earned the much desired invitations to Nationals, New Canaan Crew and Maritime Rowing cleared all of their varsity entries to the semi-final round and most to the final round. This is no small accomplishment on a weekend when the conditions were less than optimal. The heavy spring rains both elevated the river and accentuated its current. As a consequence, stake boats, commonly used to hold boats at a starting line, could not be used as rowers could not maintain a line in the strong current.

Additionally, the small buoys used to mark lane lines had to be removed as they floated against each other creating more confusion than order. While these steps were necessary, it meant that the markers usually used by rowers to steer a straight course were not available to them.

Coach Vengerovskiy said “These were very difficult racing conditions and the kids continued to show excellent strength and good speed. While I’m very proud of those who earned the right to compete at Nationals we had a very strong showing from all our rowers.” Coach Nate Kelly added “given the conditions of the day, our athletes were able to rise above the obstacles and row mature races.”

New Canaan Crew and Maritime Rowing will compete at US Rowing Youth National Championships on June 10-12 in Oak Ridge, TN. For more information about rowing contact New Canaan Crew at The Maritime Rowing Club 203-854-5492 or on the web at newcanaancrew.com or maritimerowing.net.

The highlight of the New Canaan Sprints Spring Regatta is definitely the Battle of the Barges. Used to teach beginners how to row, the barge is a 43-foot vessel with sweep rowers sitting side by side with space to allow a coach to walk down the center. It is never seen in competition; except twice a year when the Maritime Rowing Club stages the race to give its middle schoolers a sense of competition and to celebrate the end of the club’s learn-to-row program. It takes 12 rowers, a cox and a coach to power the barge down the 1,000 meter course. As the barge reaches the finish line the crowd erupts in cheers, and it’s possible to see the determination on the faces of the rowers stiffen as they work to get the massive boat across the finish line. It is a success for all of the competitors.

The fastest time was record by the team of Will Masters, Margaret Seeman, Paul Gelaus, Riley Woodroof, Emily Russel, Mauri Litvak, Steven DiCarlo, Cameron Shutts, James VanDeventer, Isabel Kenney, Peter Lavieri and Kaitlin Karr, who earned themselves a gold medal.

The Spring Sprints are an opportunity for New Canaan Crew and Maritime Rowing Club’s up-and-coming rowers to showcase their progress to friends and family on their home course. But it is a real regatta and the four other clubs were there to compete seriously. The Spring Sprints are unusual for a sprint race in that they are run “head style,” with boats entering the course at 15-second intervals. Good navigation is key as it is not a straight course but turns sharply just after the I-95 bridge. It is also unusual in that spectators get a bird’s-eye view of the finish by the Maritime Aquarium, where rowers can find themselves on a course straight for the viewing platform due to mistakes made at the last turn. Of course, US Rowing officials are on site to make sure everyone stays safe.

Ross Burnaman, David Kircher, Graham Mink and Tucker Klutey took the first gold of the morning in the Men’s Varsity quad with a blistering 4:55, while Geoffrey Cloud, Charlie Mullaney, Arthur Rosky and Ryan Hanavan earned a silver in the junior varsity category of the same event.
In the men’s varsity four, Ned Berman, Nick Flynn, Sam Wiley and Evan Turiano bested local rival club SoNo rowing for the gold.

Emily Caccam and her partner, Lauren Bell, brought home the gold in the women’s double, while teammates Bea Tobey and Veronica Hoeft grabbed the gold in the double’s junior varsity category.
Kathryn Squitieri, Alex Savoca, Emily Caccam and Lauren Bell edged out their teammates to take gold in the women’s varsity quad.

Tucker Klutey and Graham Mink earned gold by the length of a bow ball in the men’s varsity double.
Riley O’Neil, Phillip Bogdanov, Will Barker and Jamie Marshman, with a time of 6.02.00, beat out their teammates in the middle school quad to pick up yet another gold for Maritime Rowing.
In the women’s novice eight, Alex Yanoff, Hannah Foley, Lauren Fernindorf, Madison Yancy, Jackie Winsch, Caroline Cone, Sam Stein and Katie DeSantis, coxed by Katherine Perez, beat Greenwich by the narrowest of margins to wear gold medals home.

Alex Buck and his partner, Peter Tortora, had a similarly close win over their teammates to take gold in the varsity men’s pair.

In the men’s varsity singles, it was a sweep for New Canaan and Maritime Rowing Clubs with Ross Burnaman taking the gold, Ned Berman the silver and Geoffrey Cloud winning bronze.

Robert Powis, Theo Christian, Tim Steckler, Juan Pablo Rivera, Justin Vasquez, Mac Zech, Rex Rubin and Nick Reynoso, coxed by Frankie Hogan, earned bronze in the novice 8, coming in just seconds behind Norwalk River Rowing and Greenwich. Meredith Rogers, Lauren Howe, Alex Yanoff and Brit Viergever, coxed by Ashwini Rao, took a clean silver in the novice women’s four.

New Canaan will compete this weekend in the Northeast Junior District championships. The top three boats advance to the U.S. Youth Nationals next month in Tennessee.

The Greenwich Invitational on April 9 marked the start of sprint racing and Maritime Rowing Club’s New Canaan Crew brought home 4 golds and 1 silver to kick off the season. With gloriously beautiful spring skies and flat water, the women’s lightweight and open weight teams, as well as the men’s lightweight and open weight quad, all raced to victory showing the many family and friends gathered on the banks just how it’s done.

But what a difference a week makes. The sky was grey and the wind cold when boats launched Friday afternoon, April 15, to race on Mercer Lake in West Windsor, NJ. Home to the US National Team, this is the same venue that has hosted the US Olympic time trials for five consecutive years. But this weekend the well-protected and nicely buoyed course would offer no help to the 58 teams from across the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions who came to race. Teams fought for every stroke, and still the athletes from New Canaan Crew found a way to win.

Bea Tobey, Veronica Hoeft, Lilly Gorman and Aubrey Kenefeck set the bar early, winning silver medals in the Women’s Lightweight doubles events. They were followed in quick succession by Olympia Bordelon and Alexa Persico, who took bronze in the Open Weight Division. Not be outdone by the girls, Charlie Campbell and Jonathon Rosow saw clear water between them and the rest of the pack in the Men’s Varsity Double and earned the first gold of the day. Their team-mates Peter Tortora and Alex Buck brought home the silver in the same event.

New Canaan Crew took gold and silver again when Graham Mink and his partner Tucker Kivtey and Steven Gerasimoff and Alex Mauboussin went one, two in the Men’s 2nd Varsity Double.

Saturday the weather went from bad to worse, with both wind and flood advisories threatening to cancel each race minute by minute. It was a struggle to keep athletes warm and focused. Yet the Women’s Novice 8 maintained the will to compete and earned a silver for their efforts. Caroline Cone, Lindsay Ellis, Hannah Foley, Jenna Hickey, Lauren Howe, Victoria Mao, Meredith Rogers, Alex Yanoff and Charlotte Rosenberg (cox) could not contain their enthusiasm for their new found sport. Coach Stephanie Allgood said “the girls had worked so hard to get the right technique and it really helped them in this bad weather. I am really proud of them.”

Nor did the rain dampen the spirits of Justin Podlesak, Rex Rubin, Steven Mettler, and Blake Lange who won a silver in the Men’s Novice quad, or Glenn Wolyner, George Herde, Evan McAuley and Dan Crowley who brought home the bronze.

Petra Krompaska, Anastasia Livesay, Morgan Sheibley, Halley King and Ashwini Rao (cox) also earned bronze medals in the Women’s Varsity Lightweight 4 event. Meanwhile, Evan Turiano, Sam Wiley, Nick Flynn and Ned Berman with Samantha Escherich (cox) wore gold in the same even for Varsity Men.

Well-earned gold hung around the necks of Lilly Gorman, Alex Savoca, Kathryn Squitieri, and Olympia Bordelon after they beat the nearest boat by a full seven seconds in the Women’s 2nd Varsity Quad event, while Geoff Cloud, Charlie Mullaney, Arthur Roski, and Ryan Hanavan gunned for silver in the same event for men. Coach Olga Vengerovskaya said she had never seen rowing in such heavy rain. “The rain was so heavy and the wind so strong, it looked like the wind took them back with every stroke. They did a very good gob, a very smart job. They kept it steady and looked very good.”

As the weather became nearly impossible, Samantha Escherich coxed the Men’s 2nd Varsity 8 to a clear victory and suddenly Merritt Cullman, Alex Vernon, Evan Turiano, Oliver Viera, Charles Gaglione, Nick Flynn, Sam Wiley, and Ned Berman didn’t feel so cold or wet.

Finally, the battle with the weather could no longer be waged and the race was called before the schedule could be completed. This was tough news for Stephanie Winch, Rachel Paterson, Ellie Biddle, and Olympia Bordelon, who won their heat in the Women’s Varsity quad and would have rowed in the final. It was an equally rough decision for Colin Hill, Michael Squitieri, Henry Franco, Scott Yanoff, Jonathon Rosow, Peter Tortora, Alex Buck, and Charlie Campbell all of whom had placed second in their heats and would have contended for gold in the Men’s Varsity Quad final.

Rowing is an outdoor sport and in the last two weeks, New Canaan Crew experienced what mother nature brings to the equation. With 32 of the 36 planned events raced, New Canaan Crew brought home 16 medals – 5 golds, 8 silver and 3 bronze. New Canaan Crew showed they can win rain or shine. They compete again on May 1st in Cherry Hill, New Jersey at the Cooper Cup. For more information about rowing contact New Canaan Crew at The Maritime Rowing Club 203-854-5492 or on the web at newcanaancrew.com or maritimerowing.net.

Sprint races – 1000 meters unless noted

Saturday, May 21
Mayor’s Cup – Providence, RI
Hosted by the Narragansett Boat Club on the Seekonk River. Check out the course map.

Saturday, June 11
Derby Sweeps and Sculls – Shelton, CT
Hosted by New Haven Rowing Club on the Housatonic River. Race runs upstream (north) and finishing at the southern end of Indian Well State Park off route 110 in Shelton, CT.

Saturday, June 25
Catch the Cooper – Camden, NJ
Hosted by the Cooper River Rowing Club on the Cooper River. This is their 4th annual masters-only regatta. Check out course map.

Sunday, June 26
Carnegie Lake Regatta – Princeton, NJ
Hosted by the Lake Carnegie Rowing Association. Floating start. Check out the traffic patterns on Lake Carnegie.

Thursday, August 11 – Sunday, August 14
US Rowing Masters Nationals – Oklahoma City, OK
Hosted by US Rowing and the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation on the Oklahoma River. Seven lane course, fully buoyed, with stakeboats. Read the complete information packet.

Head Races:
Note that not all websites have been updated with 2011 information.

Sunday, September 18
GMS Invitational – New Milford, CT
Hosted by GMS Rowing Center on Lake Lillinonah. This is a 10K head race for 1x, 2x, 4+ and 8+. Check out the course map.

Sunday, September 18
Mystic Coastweeks – Mystic, CT
Part of a weekend-long celebration of rowing at Mystic Seaport, this is a 2000-meter race for masters and junior rowers. MRC tradition includes lobster rolls at Abbott’s after the race.

Sunday, October 2
Head of the Riverfront – Hartford, CT
Hosted by Riverfront Recapture, a 28-year-old non-profit in Hartford, CT, created to restore access to the city’s riverfront. First held in 1998, the race is approximately 3 miles upriver on the Connecticut River. Get more information.

Saturday, October 8 (To be confirmed)
Head of the Housatonic – Shelton, CT
Hosted by the New Haven Rowing Club on the Housatonic River, this is a 2.7 mile race, and one of the largest one-day regattas in the country. View the course map.

Sat. Oct. 22 & Sun. Oct. 23
Head of the Charles – Cambridge, MA
Established by the Cambridge Boat Club, this is the 47th year for this 3-mile race, one of the largest regattas in the world — 300K spectators. View the course map.

Sat. Oct. 29 & Sun. Oct. 30
Head of the Schuylkill – Philadelphia, PA
This is the 41st year for one of the largest regattas in the country. Race course is 2.5 miles. Most masters races take place Sunday. View the course map.

Sunday, November 13
Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta – Cooper River, NJ
Hosted by the Philadelphia Girl’s Rowing Club, the regatta venue has moved to Cooper River, NJ. This is a sprint race, 1000 meters for masters, 2000 meters for juniors. View the course map.

• April 9 – Greenwich Invitational Dual Sprints, Greenwich, CT
• April 15-16 – Mercer Lake Sprints, West Windsor, NJ
• May 1 – Cooper Cup, Camden, NJ
• May 14 – St. Luke’s Invitational, Norwalk River
• May 21-22 – US Rowing Northeast Junior District Championships, location TBA
• June 10-12 – Youth Nationals Championships, Oak Ridge, Tennessee