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Miami Rowing Club

The Miami Rowing Club won the overall team trophy at the Hooch Regatta in Oakridge, Tenn. A program first, Miami Rowing Club topped a field of 40 youth teams from throughout the nation.

The race is the second largest fall race in the United States, featuring approximately 10,000 rowers. The course is three miles long and tests the endurance and speed of the crews. From 30 to 75 different crews participated in each event.

For MRC crews, most rowers raced in multiple events with some racing 12 miles during the two-day event.

The boys’ varsity four (stroke: Nick Montalvo, Luciano Mercenari, Frankie Aguilar, Leonardo Mercenari; cox: Marcie Vidaurri) and lightweight eight (stroke: Nick Montalvo, Dominic Prego, Frankie Aguilar, Bernardo Ramirez, J.Michael Toohey, Leonardo Mercenari, Carlos Tornell, Jose Bared; cox:Marcie Vidaurri) finished first, winning gold medals.

The varsity heavyweight eight (stroke: Nick Montalvo, Luciano Mercenari, Frankie Aguilar, Bernardo Ramirez, Dominic Prego, Leonardo Mercenari, Carlos Tornell, Jose Bared; cox: Marcie Vidaurri) was runner-up for silver, and the pair (stroke: Nick Montalvo, Luciano Mercenari) placed third for bronze.

The girls’ novice four (stroke: Ashley Sanchez, Sakia Sanchez, Valeria Larco, Gaby Izzo; cox: Gaby Diaz) also was third for bronze, and the mixed eight (stroke: J.Michael Toohey, Luciano Mercenari, Jamie Camaliche, J.Paul Umbert, Abby Sorensen, Yailene Herrera, Alex Kahler, Marrisa Willford; cox: Marcie Vidaurri) took silver.

The coaches are Cesar Herrera and Yamel Ortiz.

Team results: Miami Rowing Club 256; Orlando Area Rowing Society Inc. 208; St. Louis Rowing Club 194; OKC Riversport 187; Y Quad Cities 182; Cincinnati Jr. Rowing Club Inc. 176; Texas Rowing Center 156; Miami Beach Watersports Center Inc. 148; Winter Park High School 148; Charlotte Youth Rowing 99; McCallie GPS 88; Westerville Rowing Club 88; Chattanooga Rowing 84; Dallas United Crew 78; Belen Jesuit Prep 76; Austin Rowing Club 74; Rocket City Rowing Club Inc. 66; Atlanta Junior Rowing Association 56; Capital City Rowing 40; Louisville Rowing Club Inc 40; Indianapolis Rowing Center 36; South Niagara Rowing Club 36; Stanton-River Bank Rowing 26; Lake Brantley Rowing Association 24; Pine Crest School 24; The Bolles School 24; Jacksonville Rowing Club Inc. 22; Newport Rowing Club 21; Southeast High School Rowing 16; Cape Coral Rowing Club 12; Detroit Boat Club 12; Long Beach Rowing Association 12; Plant High Rowing Association 12; Sarasota Scullers 9; Edgewater High School 8; Sagamore 8; St. Andrew Rowing Club 8; Atomic Rowing 6; Gainesville Area Rowing Inc. 6; North Orlando Rowing 4.

MRC Vidaurri

Marcie Vidaurri, the Miami Rowing Club’s varsity boys’ coxswain, had an excellent performance at the Hooch steering expertly through fields of as many as 75 competitors and leading her crews to two gold and two silver medals.

That marked the best performance of any MRC coxswain in recent history. The Pinecrest resident is being actively recruited by several college rowing programs, favoring the University of Tulsa.

Belen swimming

The Belen Jesuit Preparatory School boys’ varsity swim team won the Florida High School Activities Association Class 2A State Championship in Orlando. Senior Julian Ballestas led the Wolverines to their sixth state championship in school history under the direction of Coach Kirk Peppas.