The varsity girls 1V Eight crew team won the state championship April 28, winning its second consecutive title.

The team defeated eight other Maryland high schools this weekend in Chesterton, winning its second gold medal in two years.

The Vikes raced in five events including the varsity 8+, junior varsity 8, and varsity and JV 4 events. Although the team held titles in the majority of events, it only won the gold in the Varsity 8+, beating the B-CC Barons by 3.7 seconds in the five minute race to seal its victory.

“It’s basically a death match every year between us and BCC,” junior Alex Schoen said. “My boat really wanted to win.”

The team traveled to Oak Ridge, Tennessee over spring break to become faster as a unit. Team members worked on perfecting their technique and improving their endurance in a 19-mile race on Melton Lake against a local team.

“I didn’t believe Coach Shipley when he said all we were going to do was eat, sleep and row,” junior Helena Wade said. “But at the end of the week it was so true.”

All the hard work on the trip paid off in the end, since the team’s improved skills and strengthened relationships contributed to its success at states, Wade said.

The team will face the Barons again May 12 at the Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Rowing Association (WMIRA) championships where it hopes to defend its state title. The team must win at WMIRA in order to qualify for the Scholastic Rowing Association of America (SRAA) regionals in June.