The Brunswick School crew team made the grand finals in the First, Second and Third-8 at the 70th NEIRA Championship Regatta held on Lake Quinsigamond, near Worcester, Mass., on Saturday.
The Bruins collected 24 team points, tying for fourth place overall in the championship, as Kent won the team trophy with 35 points.
St. Paul’s took second place overall with 28 and Phillips Exeter grabbed the bronze with 26 points. Brunswick’s fourth place score of 24 points also tied Boston College High School on the day. St. John’s High School grabbed the sixth spot with 18 team points.
It was the third time Brunswick sent three boats to the NEIRA Grand Finals, and the first since 2007, as the Bruins made their first-ever three-boat Final in 2006.
Brunswick matched Kent, St. Paul’s, and Boston College (B.C.) H.S. with three Grand Finals boats in this year’s event.
In the First Eights, Brunswick came into the Regatta seeded fourth. In order to qualify for the grand finals, a top two finish against a very strong collection of teams in its heat was needed.
Brunswick had an impressive race over the 1,500-meter course, beating Andover by almost five seconds and sprinted past B.C. High School to qualify in first position. The Bruins’ time of 4:36.33 was the fastest qualifying time of all the heats.
However, in the grand finals, Brunswick finished in fifth place, 2.3 seconds out of the medals and .7 seconds from fourth place. Salisbury continued their undefeated season, winning the gold medal in the First Eights at the NEIRA for the first time in their school’s history.
For five straight years, the Bruins qualified for the Grand Finals in the First Eights category. Competition for those top six positions is incredibly challenging, as only the best 18 schools in New England earn an invitation to the Regatta.
In the Second Eights, Brunswick had a strong morning heat to earn a spot in the Grand Finals. Brunswick, seeded sixth, finished in sixth place.
In the Third Eights, coach Vlasov’s fourth-seeded crew took fourth place in the grand finals, capping off a great season. They finished 1.7 seconds behind third-place Kent, just out of the medals.
