By Sabrina Artusa 

In Sarasota, Florida on June 14, the Friends of the Port Jefferson Rowing Club’s skulls skated over the water, surpassing rowers from across the nation to secure a spot among the country’s best. 

The U16 Women’s Coxed Quadruple Skulls team took home first in the B finals, making them ninth nationwide, while the U17 Boys Doubles won first in the D finals. 

For the quad, the 2,000-meter race was a steady battle, steeped in strategy. Tatiana Garrison (15), Elizabeth Smith (13), Delilah Rosenthal-Vincenti (14), Mia Judex (12) and coxswain Isabella Bustamante (14) practiced twice a day in the weeks between winning the New York State Scholastic Rowing Championships in Saratoga Springs on May 14 and the US Rowing Youth National Championships a month later. Watching their steady progress in the race and their final sprint that took them over the finish line almost six seconds before the Maritime Rowing Club, Assistant Coach Hannah Smith could not contain her pride.  

Smith knew the athletes overcame many challenges to get to Nationals, including Elizabeth Smith’s bout with the flu, windy conditions and a faulty boat rack that caused damage to the boats only weeks before Nationals. “When I saw them going to the finish line way ahead it brought me to tears because it was so exciting to watch,” she said. “I am not a crier.”

Despite it all, the athletes got up before school for their 5 a.m. practices and showed up at the water after school to practice once more, pushing their muscles – and grip strength – to the maximum. 

Once they arrived at Nationals, they knew they belonged there. Tough interval sessions of 90 seconds at race pace, 10 seconds of rest or five minutes at race pace, repeated, set the team up for success. Smith helped the girls practice “a lot of fast, technical” rowing the month before leaving for Florida.

Judex, Rosenthal-Vincenti and Bustamante are novices – new within the year – but took to the oars well. The assistant coach said the team’s “strength is really in their bond together” and sets them apart from the competition. “They are all really good friends, they support each other and they push each other too.” 

 “We were all excited and nervous at the same time while training on Long Island,” Judex said. “But, when we got there, we felt honored to be competing among the best in the country.” 

“I felt prepared,” Elizabeth Smith said. “I knew we had practiced a lot after we qualified at States and I knew our boat had improved.” 

The team started slower, preparing for the progressive performance they had planned. “We continued to get faster throughout the race while the other boats got slower,” Elizabeth Smith said.

They continued getting faster, ensuring that any challengers, including Pittsford Crew, the team’s rival in the state championship, didn’t get the chance to pass. With 1,000 meters to go, the team was ahead, but mostly even with the Maritime Rowing Club. Then, they entered the sprint. 

In the last two minutes, the Port Jefferson Rowing Club made “a statement,” as the announcer said, as their boat pierced through the water, each stroke expanding the distance between them and Maritime Rowing Club. 

“We knew that so much was at stake to place in the top 10 in the USA,” Judex said. “A combination of adrenaline and sheer determination and desire for that ninth place pushed us over the finish line.” 

The U17 Doubles, manned by Antonio Bustamante (15) and Tommy Hyams (15) secured 25th in the nation. 

“Tommy and I were intense with our prep and showed our hearts and progress in this race,” Bustamante said. “We came from behind to take a massive lead and then dug deep to sprint across the finish line. We finished strong and this shows just how much we’ve grown this season.” 

“They ended with a huge lead,” Smith said. Indeed, the pair came out around 35 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. 

The Friends of Port Jefferson Rowing Club is a nonprofit organization for athletes of nearly all ages.