Rumson-Fair Haven Crew rowers couldn’t have started their season much better.
RFH Crew, an independent crew club composed exclusively of high school students who attend Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, traveled to the North Jersey Championship Regatta to compete against 13 other high school teams from New Jersey in the first regatta of the spring racing season for the team.
The event, now in its third year, was held April 14 at Overpeck County Park in Ridgefield Park. Nearly 2,000 spectators came to cheer on the 430 athletes who competed.
The RFH Crew Men’s High School Varsity 4+ team won the gold medal at 1,500 meters with a winning time of 5:16. The crew consisted of coxswain Jason Post, Chris Cerruti, Matt Baumer, Dughan Ahimovic and Jonathan Decelle.
In addition to the men’s win, the RFH Crew Women’s High School Varsity 4+ team finished second. The team was Tessa Liberi, Hope Knochenhauer, Gabby Minassian, Jackie Moser and coxswain Shannon Swikart.
Head coach Mike Owdij said, “It was a great day of racing, and everyone made RFH Crew proud.”
RFH Crew’s next competition was at the fifth Manny Flick Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia on April 22.