Crew Team Excels in Halloween Regatta; Senior Captain Reflects on a Successful Season

Claunch and his teammates out on the water during the Halloween regatta. (Photo courtesy of Lucy Keesbury ‘23)

Crew has been one of Newman’s most consistent sports throughout the years, with a dedicated group of middle and high school students embarking on the Charles throughout the Fall and Spring seasons.

For senior Keegan Claunch ‘23, the appeal was immediate when he stepped onto the launch for the first time.

“I started crew back in my sophomore year at Newman, which was right when COVID-19 was still sort of consuming the world,” he explained, Newman was still doing sports and I just wanted to try something new. I loved all types of water sports, I grew up kayaking in Maine, so I [thought I would] give crew a shot. Back then, crew was just a way to clear my mind and be out on the Charles.”

Aside from the enjoying therapeutic activity of rowing out on the river, Claunch has since taken on the role of team captain in the 2022-23 athletic season, which has given the athlete an opportunity to demonstrate his leadership skills. “Taking on the role of captain meant I had to make a spreadsheet for all of our practices. My organizational skills helped me greatly too because crew is a team sport and it’s really important that a person goes to every single practice.”

Claunch credits Community Rowing, Inc. (CRI) rowing coach Nigel Gallaher for sparking his enthusiasm for rowing. “I’ve known Nigel for the past three years and I’m so grateful that I’ve gotten to know him. Nigel is super enthusiastic about crew, and his ability to invoke this exciting feeling to go out on the water is something really great,” Claunch elaborates.

A goal set for the season by Claunch was to “get Newman crew to be more competitive,” to which progress was made during the 2022 Halloween regatta. In the under-18 division, Newman’s boats scored first, second, and third places. Furthermore, in the doubles race, freshman Andrew Fisher ‘26 and junior Sophie Van Riel ‘24 finished first in their division. “The Halloween regatta was an amazing experience, not only socially but getting into the habit of being competitive while rowing,” Claunch explained.

Related to the social element, a fun feature behind the Halloween regatta is that “every single boat comes up with a theme to dress as. For my boat, we were frat boys. Another four were pirates, another was planets from our solar system, and Sophie [Van Riel] and Andrew [Fisher] were minions.”

Fall 2022 proved to be a period of success, development, and recreation for Newman’s rowers. More progress will certainly be made in the forthcoming Spring season.

A Newman boat prepares to set out on the water. (Photo courtesy of Keesbury)