GRP Row: Winter Speed Order
At the start of each spring season, the USRowing Winter Speed Order in Sarasota, Florida, provides an early-season test for rowers aiming to showcase their speed and gain valuable racing experience. GRP Row spent three weeks training in Florida before arriving in Sarasota, where they reunited with teammates who had been training at the National Team camp. Practice sessions prior to race week started with a few windy days, setting the stage for challenging conditions throughout the weekend.
Racing kicked off on Friday, March 21st, with strong headwinds forcing a delay in the morning schedule. The head race time trial eventually took place in the late afternoon, with rowers battling the conditions to post their best times. Due to the delays, the men’s and women’s single sculls quarterfinals were pushed to Saturday morning.
On Saturday, March 22nd, the singles contested their quarterfinals in the morning, with rowers vying for spots in the afternoon semifinals. The pairs took to the water for their semifinals in the afternoon.
Sunday, March 23rd, featured the finals, where the top rowers from the weekend battled for podium finishes. In the Men’s Single, Jacob Plihal secured a victory in the A final, while Caleb Nollenberger placed 6th. Cooper Tuckerman took 1st in the C Final, and Evan Hankins-Hull finished 5th in the D Final. On the women’s side, Grace Joyce placed 2nd in the Women’s Single Sculls, while Sera Moon Busse won the C Final, with Paige Wheeler finishing 3rd and Catie Castle placing 5th. Charlotte Wiley also delivered a strong performance, finishing 3rd in the D Final.
In the Women’s Pair, Holly Drapp finished 4th, racing with Paris 2024 Olympian Jess Thonnes. Sophie Calabrese placed 5th, rowing alongside GRP alum and Olympic alternate Emily Froelich. GRPer Kai Hoite finished in 3rd with CRC’s Nathan Phelps in the Men’s Pair.
Winter Speed Order final results determine who will receive invitations to Selection Camp 1, where boats will be selected to compete at World Cup 2 in Varese, Italy, and World Cup 3 in Lucerne, Switzerland. Following the event, all athletes are traveling back to their respective training centers for another training block as they prepare for the start of the race season.
For the Craftsbury team, the regatta marked an important checkpoint in their training, providing valuable racing experience and insights as they continue to build toward upcoming competitions. Next races: Jacob and Grace will travel to North Carolina to compete in the Lenny Peter's Cup, April 10-12th.
Good luck and go Sprigs!
Grace
Jacob
Caleb