By Harry Finnegan ’24
RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ— Our Ironmen Rowers have just finished off a commanding season! Led by Senior Captains Connor Carroll, Julien Motaharian, and Destyn Zarate, alongside Coaches Mark Monplaisir, Mike Dombrowski, Chris Mongelli, Dylan Sonzogni, and Barbara Condon, the Don Bosco Prep Crew Team has achieved an unprecedented level of success. From Cities to States to a National-level regatta, our name was repeated in hushed tones, a sign of fear and awe in what we could accomplish.
Acknowledging the success of the crew season is incomplete without also acknowledging the two other seasons of work. The Fall Club program and the Winter land workouts helped to shape the Ironmen into their Spring force.
During the Winter season, the Ironman Erg Classic was held on January 21. This Erg Classic is a yearly event where many rowing teams in the area come to compete on indoor rowing machines. All members of the team participated, and 14 Bosco rowers set personal records. Of particular note was Sophomore Andrew Novoselich, who came in ninth overall in the Men’s High School division with a 6:45.90, and who would later go on to compete in the USRowing Indoor National Championships in Atlantic City.
Although the season got off to a later than usual start in early March, our Ironmen hit the ground running. In the very first regatta, Senior Tony Klar’s 1x boat came in second, and two 2x (one containing Carroll and Junior Connor Kerin and the other containing Novoselich and Sophomore Alex Navia) placed third overall. Once the gas was pushed down, the rowers did not let up the pressure for the entire route to the Championship races.
The biggest success of the season came during the State Championship Regatta in Camden. Despite the wet, gray, and muddy weather, the team had five finalists, including two medalists:
- JV 2x— Novoselich and Kerin— Gold Medal
- Sr 1x— Klar— Silver Medal
- Sr 4+— Junior Harrison Finnegan, Zarate, Senior Holden Pecoraro, Junior Nicholas Poblete, and Freshman Coxswain Grady Fox—5th place
- JV 1x— Junior William Feins— 6th place
- Lightweight 2x— Sophomore Giovanni Piro and Junior Brian Acevedo— 6th place
In addition, the team raced in the City Championships in Philadelphia. There, Klar earned an additional Bronze medal.
With their States medals, the Ironman JV 2x and Sr 1x earned spots in the Nationals Regatta in Tennessee, but the trip was unfortunately unable to be completed. In its place, these boats and the two Varsity 4+s went to the Stotesbury Cup — an international regatta with hundreds of boats competing, including teams from Mexico and Canada. There, two boats made Finals— Klar placed 4th, and the Second Varsity 4+, consisting of Carroll, Motaharian, Seniors Ryan McGovern and Liam Morley, and Junior Coxswain Anthony Proia earned a Silver medal.
In all, this season was highly praiseworthy for our Ironmen, and the outgoing Seniors leave big shoes to fill – in particular, Klar’s, who is going on to row at Cornell. However, the team is sure that future Captains Proia, Poblete, and Kerin will step up to the challenge and lead our men to another fruitful year.