Blue Devil Crew in Rebuilding Mode
The Huntington High School crew team is in a rebuilding mode with many underclassmen on the roster and a new set of coaches.
Shawn Dunn and Anika Selle Giehl were hired to coach the Blue Devil rowers this spring and the pair has set about developing a strong program. The 24-athlete strong squad competed in various invitationals along with the Long Island championship in Oyster Bay and the state championship in Saratoga.
Juniors Molly Warren and Torre Palmer led the Blue Devils, missing the state finals by a mere two seconds. While the team lacked a single senior, it did boast plenty of emerging young talent.
“We had nearly 20 novice rowers,” Dunn said. “Some raced after only being on the water two or three times. They did great! No flips or crashes.”
In addition to Warren and Palmer, the roster also included freshmen Shannon Anderson, Christie Baade, Anna Crockett, Olivia Genova, Meagan-Elise Malone, Grace McKenna, Adriana Scarpati, Katherine Stock and Kelly Warren; sophomores Georgia English, Nancy Glascock, Sarah Glascock, Olivia Hannigan, Isabella McGinniss, Francine Nastasi, Christina Nigro, Lauren White and Sarah White and juniors Alexander Ardell, Shannon Foley, Maya Hoffman and Ashleigh Katigbak.
“We had awesome freshmen and novice girls,” Dunn said. The coach believes there are some “superstars” among the underclassmen.
Looking ahead to next year, Dunn expects every rower to return. “They all liked it,” she said.