by Marty Zier

Special to the Sounder

The Orcas Island Rowing Association is a small club, with only one senior and one junior amongst its 12 high school members.

The NW Junior District Championship Regatta held May 19-22 at Lake Vancouver in Vancouver, Wash. is a huge, three-day finale boasting over 600 competitors groomed from the most prominent and elite rowing clubs from Washington, Oregon and Idaho, presumably an imposing event for our small-town Orcas rowers.

Coach Tina Brown and Orcas Island Rowing Association founders and backbone, Mike Reid and Dave Roseberry, came prepared as usual, with a van full of energetic personalities abounding with typical Orcas flair, carting boats called The Mike and Dave, Sven and Ollie and some flamboyant rowers sporting special buzz cuts created just for the event – a lighthearted sight, at times, that would make the Odd Fellows proud.

But this team came determined to race, not just play around.

Early Saturday morning, the well-trained and focused Orcas rowers exploded on what Coach Tina Brown called “…by FAR the best regional regatta we have ever had.”

Sophomore Jake Zier opened up with a Gold in the Men’s Varsity Heavyweight Single; minutes later, senior Jacqlynn Zier took Bronze in the Women’s Varsity Single. Not to be outdone, junior Mikail Van Maren and 8th grader Jay Zier blasted to Gold in the Men’s Novice Double. Sophomore Tamara Klein ripped a Gold in the Women’s 2nd Varsity Single and sophomore Josh Bronn out-powered the field to a Silver in the Men’s 2nd Varsity Single, also combining with Jake for a Bronze in the Men’s Varsity Double.

By Sunday afternoon, the Orcas rowers had added impressive results from sophomore Max Blackadar with a 4th place in the Men’s Lightweight Single, a 4th place finish from Van Maren in the Men’s Novice Single, a 5th place finish from Bailey Johnson in the Women’s Lightweight Single, a 5th place finish from Garret Pietsch in the Men’s 2nd Varsity Single, a 6th place finish for Melanie Flint and Bailey Johnson in the Women’s 2nd Varsity Double, a 6th place finish from Pietsch and Zack Wolford in the Men’s 2nd Varsity Double.

Coach Tina Brown, absorbing the success of the weekend, confirmed that Jacqlynn, Bronn and Jake have qualified for the Youth National Championships in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on June 10-12 and that “Orcas Island rowing has definitely come up a notch or two!”

Brown, the rowers, and parents decided they will not go to Nationals this year due to a combination of conflicting events (high school graduation and academics), financial strain on the club and families, and because they hope to qualify even more rowers next year.

Brown offered many thanks to the supporting parents, and especially to parent volunteers Sam Blackadar and David Johnson, who both took on massive responsibilities to support the team.