The crew team dominated the Washington Metro Interscholastic Rowing Association regional championships May 15, with the first and second girls’ boats finishing second and the third boat finishing first while the boys’ third boat finished third.

The Viking girls had targets on their backs after winning the state championship April 28. The team overcame much adversity in the third boat when the fourth seat got sick the day before the race. The Vikes quickly adjusted their arrangement and still managed to finish strong.

“It wasn’t a big deal because our team has a lot of depth,” Alex Schoen said. “We just rearranged our boat the day of the race.”

The boys varsity eight boat was disappointed with the results of the meet, finishing third behind Gonzaga and BCC, both of whom are contenders to make the East Coast Championships. The team struggled due to its lack of experience.

“The boat is very young this year,” captain Charles Hemsley said. “It’s really difficult to maintain composure against much more experienced racers.”

One of the highlights of the day came when a kayaker crossed paths with the mens novice eight boat finished third in spite of a kayaker who crossed paths with the boat in the middle of the race, forcing them to detour.